Short answer: Amazing Marvin is the better choice if you want to build and fine-tune a full personal system, with 300+ settings, several planning styles and apps on desktop, web and phone. FOCO is the better choice if your problem is starting one specific task, because it breaks it into timed steps and stays with you while you work.
- Pick Amazing Marvin if you enjoy shaping your own system and want it on your computer and your phone.
- Pick Amazing Marvin if you track projects, time or habits and want everything in one deep app.
- Pick FOCO if setting up a system is exactly where you stall, and you need help getting through step one on your phone.
How do FOCO and Amazing Marvin compare at a glance?
Both apps are built for people with ADHD, but they make opposite bets. Marvin gives you a toolbox to build your own system, while FOCO gives you one path from a stuck task to a first step.
| Checked Oct 9, 2026 |  Amazing Marvin$12/mo or $96/yr |  FOCO$9/mo or $59/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Building a customized system across devices | Starting one stuck task right now |
| Free version | No “Not currently,” per its pricing page | No |
| Paid | One plan, Marvin Pro: $12 a month billed monthly, or $96 a year ($8 a month). Students 50% off, pay-what-you-can by email | $9 a month or $59 a year |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | 7 days, yearly plan only |
| Automatic AI task breakdown | No Procrastination Wizard walks you through a stuck task | Yes Steps with a time estimate each |
| Focus help | Yes Super Focus Mode, Pomodoro timer, Spotlight, Task Jar | Yes Focus timer, calm music, on-screen companion |
| Customization | Yes 300+ settings, several workflows | Minimal, by design |
| Platforms | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | iPhone and Android (no web app) |
| App Store rating | ★ 4.0 128 ratings | ★ 5.0 15 ratings |
| Setup before first use | Some, you choose a workflow and features | Little Add a task and start |
What do the two apps actually look like?
We did not test Amazing Marvin hands-on for this page. The Marvin image below is from its official App Store screenshots, and the feature details come from amazingmarvin.com.
Marvin’s site lists features like Super Focus Mode (one task on screen), a Task Jar that picks your next task at random, an Accountability Pledge with real money on deadlines, time tracking and a Procrastination Wizard. You switch on the ones you want and hide the rest.
FOCO is the app we make and use. Here is a real task, “Finish my presentation,” broken into five steps with minutes on each.
Tap a step and it opens a focus session. The timer, a soundscape and the companion stay on screen while you do that one thing.
Which is better when you can’t start a task?
FOCO, for most people whose main problem is starting. Task initiation, the gap between knowing what to do and doing it, is the moment FOCO is built around.
Psychologist Russell Barkley describes ADHD as a problem of self-regulation, of doing what you know rather than knowing what to do (Barkley, executive function fact sheet). That is why every decision before step one can cost more than it looks.
Marvin does take starting seriously. Its Procrastination Wizard, Task Jar and Super Focus Mode all target that stuck feeling, and some people find them excellent once their setup is in place.
The difference is the order: in Marvin you first pick a workflow and the features you want, while in FOCO you type or say the task and the AI hands you timed steps.
If you want to understand why starting is so hard, our guide to task initiation deficit covers it.
Which is better for running your whole system?
Amazing Marvin, clearly. It is one of the deepest personal task managers aimed at ADHD users, and its homepage lists 300+ customizable settings.
You can plan by the day with a capacity estimator, keep simple lists, work spontaneously with its Orbit and Spotlight features, or run full Getting Things Done. It also offers calendar and Kanban layouts, habits, goals, time tracking and imports from Todoist, TickTick and other apps.
It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, so the same system follows you from your desk to your phone. FOCO has no web or desktop app, so if you plan your week at a computer, Marvin fits that habit and FOCO does not.
FOCO does include a simple day plan: tasks sit in morning, afternoon or anytime, with reminders, and missed tasks move forward without a red overdue pile. It is meant for today, not for managing projects.
Is all that customization a plus or a risk with ADHD?
It depends on how you react to setup. If building a system feels satisfying, Marvin’s depth is a real advantage, because you can shape it around how your brain works instead of forcing yourself into someone else’s method.
If setting up planners is where you usually drop off, depth can work against you. Many people with ADHD know this pattern well, which we cover in why you keep abandoning ADHD planner apps.
Marvin’s own answer is that you can switch features on gradually and keep the rest hidden. That works well if you go slowly, and its free trial can be extended on request, according to its pricing page.
What does each one cost?
Amazing Marvin: one plan, Marvin Pro, at $12 a month billed monthly or $96 a year, which works out to $8 a month (Amazing Marvin pricing, checked October 9, 2026). The trial is 14 days with no credit card, students get 50% off by email, and a pay-what-you-can option exists for anyone who cannot afford it.
That pay-what-you-can policy is rare among paid productivity apps and deserves credit. Marvin says it does not offer refunds, but will extend the trial if you need more time.
FOCO: $59 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $9 a month. There is no free tier.
Prices change, so check the official page or store before you pay. We date-stamp every price and recheck it when we update this page.
Who should pick which?
Choose Amazing Marvin if:
- You want one deep app for tasks, projects, habits, goals and time tracking.
- You plan at a computer and want the same system on Mac, Windows, web and phone.
- Tweaking settings until a system fits you feels rewarding, not draining.
- Cost is a barrier and the student discount or pay-what-you-can option would help.
Choose FOCO if:
- You already know what to do and freeze before step one.
- You want the AI to break a task into steps with a time on each, without building a system first.
- You work mostly from your phone and are fine with a paid app ($59 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $9 a month), on iPhone or Android.
Comparing more options? See FOCO vs Tiimo, FOCO vs Inflow, Sunsama alternatives, or the full ADHD app directory.
FAQ
Does Amazing Marvin have a free plan?
No. It offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, then Marvin Pro at $12 a month or $96 a year, with student and pay-what-you-can discounts by email.
Is Amazing Marvin good for ADHD?
Many people with ADHD like it, and its site describes it as built for ADHD minds and chronic procrastinators. It suits people who enjoy customizing; the depth can feel like a lot if setup is where you stall.
Is Amazing Marvin on Android and Windows?
Yes. Amazing Marvin lists web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android apps on its pricing page.
Is FOCO a replacement for Amazing Marvin?
Not for project management. FOCO focuses on breaking one task into timed steps and helping you start, with a simple day plan rather than a full system.
Can I use FOCO and Amazing Marvin together?
Yes. Some people keep their week and projects in Marvin and open FOCO for the one task they cannot get started on.
Does FOCO have a free version?
No. FOCO costs $59 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $9 a month.
How did we compare them?
We used FOCO, which we make, on iPhone. We did not test Amazing Marvin hands-on, so its details come from amazingmarvin.com (homepage and pricing page) and its official App Store screenshots, all checked October 9, 2026.
Ratings are from the US App Store, October 9, 2026. Marvin’s 4.0 rests on only 128 ratings and FOCO’s 5.0 on only 15, so neither number says much yet; Marvin’s own homepage shows a different, higher figure.
Because we make FOCO, we have tried to state plainly where Marvin is the better pick. For background on ADHD, see the National Institute of Mental Health and CHADD, and our overview of ADHD task paralysis.
Key Takeaways
- Amazing Marvin is a deep, highly customizable task manager for ADHD users, with 300+ settings and apps on web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
- Marvin costs $12 a month or $96 a year after a 14-day trial, with 50% off for students and a pay-what-you-can option.
- For building and tuning a full personal system across desktop and phone, Marvin is the better choice.
- If your problem is starting one task, FOCO breaks it into timed steps and stays with you through a focus session, with a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan.
Adi Ben Elyahu is the founder of FOCO and RemindHer – apps focused on reducing mental overload and helping overwhelmed minds start more easily.
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