Comparison

Ananda Meditation vs Aetheris

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ananda Meditation

Access guided meditations and ancient techniques to cultivate inner peace and joy. Learn focus methods, create custom sessions, and set reminders for a consistent practice. Explore various meditation themes and Kriya Yoga resources.

Highlights
  • Guided meditations and techniques
  • Hong-Sau focus technique
  • Customizable meditation creation
  • Meditation timer
  • Daily practice reminders
  • Kriya Yoga section
  • Offline download options
Features
Read full description

Ananda Meditation: Guided Meditations and Techniques based on Yogananda's Teachings Meditation is a pathway to the joy of your own soul. It’s easy to learn and rewarding but can take a lifetime to master. Wherever you are on your path, this app can help. Ananda has taught meditation to thousands of people around the world for nearly 50 years. • Learn the ancient technique of Hong-Sau to focus your attention • Over 100 guided meditations and techniques to inspire your practice, with more added regularly • Use a timer to concentrate on your breath, not the length of the meditation • Create your own custom meditations for the time you have available, and add chants, periods of silence, affirmations, and more • Set reminders to establish or strengthen your daily meditation routine • If you are a Kriyaban, access the dedicated Kriya Yoga section. You can download meditations for offline viewing, including videos or just audio-only if you need to save bandwidth. A variety of guided experiences are available, including: • Lessons in meditation • Meditations led by teachers at the Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation • Pranayama lessons and techniques taught by Nayaswami Gyandev, a co-founder of the Yoga Alliance • Visualizations and guided meditations from Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda Guided meditations include focuses on: • Inner balance • Healing • Peace and joy • Love • Awakening the chakras • Connecting to your divine power Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings on meditation are intended not just to de-stress you, but to take you to a deep place of peace, wisdom, and bliss. Download the app now and experience it for yourself. --- REVIEWS "The app is really amazing. I have seen a ton of self help apps, but nothing comes even close to the joy that you get when following these practices." —Kailash, Kerala, India "I am loving the build your own meditation option!" —Angela, Seattle, USA "Well designed and offers flexible meditation practices. I can see that it will come handy during drier times or while traveling, helping me to stay structured and focused." —Mireille, San Diego, USA "Love what you have done. The individual meditation has so many options." —Chandi, OR, USA --- WHAT IS ANANDA? Ananda is a global movement based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, who showed how everyone can realize God in their daily lives as a tangible, loving reality. You can expand your sense of harmony, and gain an increased sense of God’s active presence in your life through ancient and effective techniques including meditation, Kriya Yoga, spiritually oriented Hatha Yoga, community, and divine friendship. Ananda was founded in 1968 by Yogananda’s direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, who passed away in 2013. Swami Kriyananda’s spiritual successor is Nayawami Jyotish who, along with his wife Nayaswami Devi, serves as Ananda’s spiritual director. Ananda Meditation® is a trademark registered by Ananda Church of Self-Realization of Nevada County.

About

Aetheris

Access live and free guided meditations, informative blogs, and event recordings. Receive helpful notifications to support your mindfulness journey. This app is supported by donations.

Highlights
  • Live meditation registrations
  • Free guided meditations
  • Informative blogs
  • Event recordings
  • Push notifications
Features
Read full description

- Live meditation registrations - Free meditations - Blogs - Notifications - Donations - Event recordings - Quotes

Screenshots

Ananda Meditation4 screens
Aetheris4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aetheris at none against Ananda Meditation's 2. Ananda Meditation's advantage is ratings volume (671 vs 18). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ananda Meditation sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Aetheris asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ananda Meditation against 5.0 for Aetheris. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ananda Meditation has 671 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of Ananda Meditation's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aetheris's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ananda Meditation ships an update every 2 weeks, Aetheris every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ananda Meditation versus Aetheris: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnanda MeditationAetheris
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (671 ratings)5.0 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews96.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings671 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnanda Church of Self-RealizationThe Center for Pranic Healing

Customer experience

Ananda Meditation

All ratings671 ratings
Positive98.8%
Neutral0.6%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative1.6%

Aetheris

All ratings18 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ananda Meditation

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes after recent update
  • Custom meditations not saving properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More guided meditation options
  • Improved custom meditation builder
  • Yoga and pranayama exercises
  • Tips on chanting and using the harmonium

Aetheris

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ananda Meditation

One-time2
  • Affirmations for Self-Healing$1.99
  • Metaphysical Meditations$1.99
None

Aetheris

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ananda Meditation free?
Ananda Meditation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aetheris free?
Aetheris is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ananda Meditation or Aetheris?
Aetheris is rated higher. Ananda Meditation averages 4.9 out of 5 from 671 ratings, while Aetheris averages 5.0 from 18 ratings.
Do Ananda Meditation or Aetheris have ads?
Neither Ananda Meditation nor Aetheris shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ananda Meditation or Aetheris?
Ananda Meditation ships an update every 2 weeks, and Aetheris every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ananda Meditation was updated on September 25, 2026 and Aetheris on September 9, 2026.

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