Focuser vs One Sec: two kinds of pause

Choose One Sec if you want the same pause on your phone and your computer, more kinds of interventions, or a tool with published research behind it.

Choose Focuser if you mostly lose time in desktop Chrome, want to say why you are visiting and see a countdown, and want every feature for free. Focuser also has schedules, so it can ask only during the hours you choose.

The table uses each product's own pages and its Chrome Web Store listing. Prices and ratings change, so check the sources below before you decide.

Two points stand out. One Sec's free plan covers one app or site, so if you want a pause on more than one site, you will need Pro. And Focuser's 5.0 rating comes from only a few ratings. One Sec's 4.9 comes from many more, so it says more about how people find it.

One Sec runs on far more devices. It has apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Arc. Focuser only runs in desktop Chrome. If you split your time between a phone and a laptop, that alone may decide it.

It also offers more kinds of interventions. Its Pro plan adds unlimited sites, intention and emotion tracking, statistics and block sessions. And it has a larger user base, with 30,000 users in the Chrome Web Store and a 4.8 rating from 24K ratings on iOS.

One Sec also has research behind it. A 2023 study in PNAS looked at how the app changed the way people used their phones. One Sec's founder is one of the authors.

One Sec slows you down before the site opens, with a breathing exercise or one of its other interventions, and then lets you in.

Focuser asks two things instead: why you are there, and how long you need. You pick a saved reason, create your own, or type a one time reason that is not saved. Then you choose 15 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour 30 minutes, or your own time between 1 minute and 24 hours. The answer takes a few seconds, and it gives the visit a clear purpose.

One Sec Pro can also track intentions, so the gap is smaller if you pay for Pro.

This is where the two differ most. With One Sec, the pause happens before you go in. With Focuser, a timer stays on screen for the whole visit and shows your purpose and the time left.

All tabs of that site share one timer, so a second tab does not start over. If you finish early, end the visit from the timer. For a very quick check, the quick pause gives you 1, 3 or 5 minutes with Ctrl+Shift+Y, or Command+Shift+Y on a Mac, followed by a 15 minute cooldown.

When the time is up, Focuser covers the page again with the same prompt and pauses any video. You can close the tab or start a new visit with a new reason. The visit has a start you chose and an end you can see.