Focus5 vs Superlist: a Superlist alternative with a focus queue
Both apps let you add tasks by talking. Superlist is $59 a year. Focus5 is $29 once and adds a Focus mode that queues them and times them.
Superlist is the closest app on this site to Focus5 in one specific way: it also lets you talk your tasks in, on its Basic plan. So voice capture is not something we can claim alone, and this page will not pretend we can.
Superlist is a lists and notes app with a clean design, team sharing, integrations and AI meeting notes. Free to start, $5 a person a month on Basic, which is $59 a year.
The difference is Focus mode. Superlist gives you somewhere to keep everything. Focus5 works through it for you, 5 at a time, one on screen with a timer.
| Superlist | Focus5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Beautiful lists and notes, shared with a team | Hands you the next task with the clock running |
| Choosing what to do | You decide, every time you open it | Focus queues them for you, 5 on screen at a time |
| Voice capture | Yes, on Basic and above | Yes, included |
| Focus timer | No | Yes, one task on screen with a timer |
| Team features | Shared lists, unlimited team members | None. Single player |
| Price | Free plan; Basic $5 a person a month ($59 a year) | $29 once, lifetime |
Why people pick Focus5 over Superlist
Storing is solved. Starting is not
Superlist is very good at holding everything: unlimited lists, sublists and tasks, all neatly kept.
Focus5 assumes storing was never your problem. Open Focus and it gives you the next task with the timer running, 5 in view, in an order it decides.
A timer against one task
Superlist has no focus timer. It is a very good place to write things down and then you are on your own.
Focus5 shows one task with the clock running and the rest out of sight, then slides the next one in.
$29 once, not $59 a year
Superlist Basic is $5 a person a month, billed as $59 a year. Super is $21 a person a month, or $249 a year.
Focus5 is $29 once. Two years of Superlist Basic is $118 and it keeps going.
Where Superlist is the better fit
Superlist is a well made app and there are clear cases where it is the right one.
You share lists with other people. Superlist has unlimited team members and shared lists. Focus5 is single player.
You want notes and tasks together. Superlist handles longer notes properly. Focus5 stores a task title and a date.
You want integrations. Superlist connects to other tools. Focus5 connects to nothing, on purpose.
You need it on an iPhone or a Mac app. Superlist runs on macOS, iOS, Android and web. Focus5 is Android and a desktop browser, so on iPhone you are waiting.
If you want a beautiful place to keep everything, Superlist is the better buy. Focus5 is for limiting what today holds.
Who Focus5 is for
Choose Focus5 over Superlist if:
- You already talk your tasks in and still stall on which one to start.
- You want the app to work through the list for you, not just hold it.
- You want a timer running while you work.
- You are one person, not a team.
- You would rather pay $29 once than $59 every year.
See Focus5 in action
Frequently asked questions
Is Focus5 a good Superlist alternative?
It is if you want something that decides what you work on next. Both apps let you add tasks by talking, so that is not the difference. Superlist is unlimited lists shared with a team; Focus5 is a Focus queue for one person.
How much does Superlist cost?
Superlist has a free plan with up to 5 private and shared lists. Basic is $5 per person per month, billed as $59 a year. Super is $21 per person per month, billed as $249 a year.
Does Superlist have a focus timer?
No. It is a lists and notes app. Focus5 puts one task on screen with a timer running and hides the rest.
Do both apps support voice input?
Yes. Superlist includes voice on Basic and above, and Focus5 includes it for everyone. This is the one place where the two apps genuinely overlap.
Can you import Superlist tasks into Focus5?
No, there is no importer. Most people switching start fresh with today’s five.
Can you try Focus5 without paying?
Every feature is unlocked for your first 7 days, with no card. After that, Today, Agenda, Calendar and 2 books stay free with no time limit.
Compare Focus5 with another app
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Sunsama costs $204 a year and connects to 21 other tools. Focus5 costs $29 once and shows you 5 tasks at a time, one at a time, in the right order.
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Motion uses AI to build your calendar, from $19 per person a month. Focus5 costs $29 once and just queues your tasks in order, 5 on screen at a time.
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Neither app charges a subscription. Things 3 is Apple only and costs up to $79.97 across devices. Focus5 is $29 once for every device, with a focus queue Things does not have.
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Focus5 vs Notion
Notion makes you build your own task system. Focus5 gives you one you cannot change, and a Focus mode that decides what you do next.
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Focus5 vs Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do is free and syncs with Outlook. Focus5 costs $29 once and adds a Focus mode that queues your tasks and times them.
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Focus5 vs Google Tasks
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ClickUp runs a whole company’s work. Focus5 runs your next hour: it picks the next task and starts the timer.
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