Software Alternatives & Startups

Focu.app VS ShellNewHandler

Compare Focu.app VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

Focu.app

Mindful Productivity App for macOS

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial $19 / One-off
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, ShellNewHandler seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 2 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 2
Productivity popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Focu.app
ShellNewHandler
Website focu.app sourceforge.net
Pricing
Paid Free trial $19 / One-off Official pricing
—
Platforms
MacOS Mac Mac OSX
—
Company 2024 —
Listed in

About Focu.app and ShellNewHandler

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Focu.app
ShellNewHandler

Transform your relationship with work through AI-powered guidance, meaningful conversations, periodic check-ins and focused work sessions. Take care of your mental wellbeing and stop relying on productivity systems that require you to be perfect.

Read more about Focu.app

No description of ShellNewHandler yet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Focu.app
ShellNewHandler

Overall verdict

  • Focu.app is a solid AI-powered focus and productivity companion for macOS, designed to help users stay on task through gentle accountability, distraction blocking, and personalized coaching. It's well-regarded for its thoughtful, non-intrusive approach to deep work, though as a niche and relatively newer tool, its value depends on how well it fits your personal workflow.

Why this product is good

  • Uses an AI accountability partner that offers encouragement and check-ins to keep you focused without feeling harsh or nagging
  • Includes distraction-blocking features to minimize interruptions during deep work sessions
  • Provides personalized coaching and reflections to help build better productivity habits over time
  • Offers a clean, native macOS experience with a focus on privacy and local-first design
  • One-time purchase or affordable pricing model appeals to users tired of recurring subscriptions

Recommended for

  • macOS users looking for a lightweight focus and productivity tool
  • Freelancers, remote workers, and students who struggle with procrastination or distractions
  • People who respond well to gentle accountability rather than strict, punitive blocking
  • Anyone interested in AI-assisted habit building and mindful work sessions
  • Users who prefer privacy-conscious, native apps over web-based productivity suites

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Focu.app
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
AI
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Focu.app and ShellNewHandler.

What makes your product unique?

Focu.app's answer

  • Emphasis on mental wellbeing and emotions instead of assuming users can follow a perfect productivity system
  • Uses a locally running AI so no internet connection required to use Focu
  • Your data stays on your own device and is 100% yours

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Focu.app's answer

  • Tauri
  • Rust
  • NextJS

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Focu.app's answer

Focu is for users who don't want to rely on subscription based apps that could disappear overnight. With Focu you are in charge of your own data.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Focu.app's answer

Adults with a strong interest in AI, who care about privacy and mental wellbeing.

User comments

Share your experience with using Focu.app and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Focu.app 0 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions

Tracking Focu.app since Dec 2024.

  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

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When comparing Focu.app and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.