Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Focus@Will vs HEY

Focus@Will logo

Focus@Will

Productivity

Subscription streaming of instrumental music channels intended to be worked to rather than listened to

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Focus@Will has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Focus@Will the central claim, that this music aids concentration more than other instrumental music, rests largely on work the vendor commissioned or published itself, and a buyer has no independent way to test it before paying.; HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • They diverge on capability: Focus@Will covers Channels by style, HEY covers The Screener.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Focus@Will and HEY actually diverge.

Attributes where Focus@Will and HEY differ
AttributeFocus@WillHEY
Starting priceFree$99/year
Pricing modelfreemiumPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, WindowsMac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Focus@Will

  • Channels by style
  • Session timer
  • Vocal-free catalogue
  • Browser and mobile
  • Single-purpose subscription

Only in HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Focus@Will

  • An open-plan office where you want to mask conversation without lyrics competing for your attention.not HEY
  • Timed work blocks where the audio also acts as the clock for the session.not HEY
  • People who find their own music library distracting precisely because they know every track too well.not HEY
  • Study and revision sessions where silence turns out to be worse than background sound.not HEY

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Focus@Will
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Focus@Will
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Focus@Will
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Focus@Will

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Focus@Will

  • The central claim, that this music aids concentration more than other instrumental music, rests largely on work the vendor commissioned or published itself, and a buyer has no independent way to test it before paying.
  • Everything it does has a free substitute, since instrumental playlists on any streaming service cost nothing, so the subscription is defended only by curation, which is the hardest kind of value to demonstrate.
  • It is a single-product subscription from a small vendor with no larger business underwriting it, so a service like this can change hands, change terms or stop with little notice and no obvious successor.
  • Delivery is by streaming, so weak connectivity, aeroplanes and commutes are simultaneously where you most want it and where it is least dependable.
  • Nothing accumulates in the account, which means there is no export problem but also nothing that makes renewal feel necessary, so it is among the first subscriptions cancelled whenever costs are reviewed.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Pricing, plan by plan

Focus@Will

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited access to music
    • Basic 25-min timer
    • Ads
  • Basic$4.95/month
    • Unlimited music access
    • Custom timers
    • No ads
  • Pro$9.95/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

Which should you pick?

Choose Focus@Will if

  • You need channels by style.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want session timer.
Focus@Will review

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Questions people ask

Is Focus@Will or HEY better?
Neither clearly leads. Focus@Will starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Focus@Will or HEY?
Focus@Will has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Focus@Will and $99/year for HEY.
Does Focus@Will or HEY run on more platforms?
Focus@Will runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Focus@Will for free?
Yes. Focus@Will has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is Focus@Will best used for?
Focus@Will is most often used for an open-plan office where you want to mask conversation without lyrics competing for your attention., timed work blocks where the audio also acts as the clock for the session., people who find their own music library distracting precisely because they know every track too well., study and revision sessions where silence turns out to be worse than background sound.. Of those, an open-plan office where you want to mask conversation without lyrics competing for your attention. and timed work blocks where the audio also acts as the clock for the session. are not what HEY is typically brought in for.
What can Focus@Will do that HEY cannot?
Focus@Will covers Channels by style, Session timer, Vocal-free catalogue, Browser and mobile. HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Focus@Will: How is this different from a focus playlist?

The vendor's position is that the selection and sequencing are designed against attention research rather than assembled by taste. Whether that difference is audible to you is the whole question, and it is subjective.

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Focus@Will: Does it work offline?

Treat it as a streaming service that needs a connection. If you work on aeroplanes or in poor coverage, check the current apps before subscribing rather than after.

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Focus@Will: Can a team use it?

It is sold to individuals. There is no admin console or central billing of the kind an organisation would need, so a team means several personal subscriptions.

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Focus@Will: Can I use the music in videos or streams?

No. A personal listening subscription does not grant synchronisation or broadcast rights, so it must not sit behind published content.

Share

Related pages

More on Focus@Will

More on HEY

Keep looking

Other head to heads