SGI vs Mindgem
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SGI
Support your daily Buddhist practice with tools for chanting, recitation, and goal tracking. Find local facilities and access Buddhist resources.
- Chanting calculator with target tracking
- Audio guide for daily recitation
- Goal setting and progress monitoring
- SGI-USA facility locator
- Links to World Tribune website
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This app provides resources to support your daily practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism. First, there is a chanting calculator that allows you to set and track chanting targets (campaigns). There is also an audio guide useful as an aid in learning the daily recitation of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and the Lotus Sutra. You can set your goals and watch your progress! There are several other useful tools such as a location finder for SGI-USA facilities and links to the new World Tribune website.
Mindgem
Engage in guided meditation sessions led by experienced Buddhist monks. Connect with a supportive community focused on sharing wisdom and personal growth.
- Guided meditation sessions
- Led by Buddhist monks
- Community forum
- Wisdom sharing
- Personal growth focus
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Download MindGem today! Meditate with renowned Buddhist monks and be a part of a community built on a foundation of scaling wisdom to learn more visit www.mindgem.org
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mindgem at 4.9 against SGI's 4.1. Mindgem also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%). SGI's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (734 vs 24). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mindgem holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SGI has 734 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of SGI's written reviews are positive against 88% of Mindgem's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SGI | Mindgem |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (734 ratings) | 4.9 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 734 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Soka Gakkai International - USA | GEORGIA MEDITATION CIRCLE INC |
Customer experience
SGI
Mindgem
Bugs and requests
SGI
Reported bugs
4 issues- Daimoku count not updating accurately
- Writings of Nichiren Daishonin not loading
- Crashes or freezes when using certain features
- Incorrect or outdated content displayed
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to adjust chanting/gongyo speed
- Seamless looping of chanting audio
- Sync daimoku counts across devices
- More customization options (e.g. font size, themes)
- Improved navigation and organization of content
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- Ability to maintain active campaigns/goals across updates
Mindgem
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SGI
No in-app purchases
Mindgem
No in-app purchases
