# Pop Up Zendo vs Center Meditation Timer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pop Up Zendo at none against Center Meditation Timer's 6. Pop Up Zendo also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Center Meditation Timer's advantage is ratings volume (783 vs 27) and device support (6 vs 3). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Center Meditation Timer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Pop Up Zendo asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pop Up Zendo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Center Meditation Timer has 783 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Pop Up Zendo's written reviews are positive against 71% of Center Meditation Timer's.

Pop Up Zendo ships an update weekly, Center Meditation Timer every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pop Up Zendo | Center Meditation Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-up-zendo/id1237957731/reviews)** | [4.7 (783 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/center-meditation-timer/id1332483673/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 27 | **783** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 70.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pop Up Zendo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1237957730) | [Tanner Christensen](https://appshunter.io/developer/421646590) |

## What reviewers say

### Pop Up Zendo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-up-zendo/id1237957731)

A minimalist meditation timer designed by a zen priest. It offers a simple, graceful interface to create meditative space with gentle bell sounds or silence. Build mindfulness into your daily routine with this straightforward tool.

**Highlights:** Minimalist meditation timer, Gentle zendo bells, Silent meditation option, Simple, graceful interface, Builds mindfulness, Creates meditative space

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Center Meditation Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/center-meditation-timer/id1332483673)

A silent meditation timer designed for serious practitioners. It offers a minimalist interface with customizable session lengths, intervals, and sounds. Track your progress without pressure or gamification.

**Highlights:** Silent timer with optional bells, Customizable session lengths and intervals, Minimalist interface with themes, Daily reminders and widgets, Apple Watch support, iCloud sync

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donate $1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Donate $2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donate $3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Donate $4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Donate $5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Donate $18 | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and efficient
- 👍 Minimalist and focused design
- 🌟 Elegant and calming UI
- 💰 Free with no ads or subscriptions
- 🔒 No data collection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with interval sounds and end chime
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔇 Doesn't work in silent mode
- ⏱️ Timer stops when screen locks
- 🕰️ No option for open-ended meditation

**Reported bugs**

- Interval sounds not playing consistently
- Timer stopping when screen locks or goes to sleep
- Sync issues between iPhone and Apple Watch app
- Inability to change screen sleep settings

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Watch complications and background tracking
- Allow manual entry of meditation sessions
- Extend bell/chime duration for better resonance
- Add option to play background nature sounds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pop Up Zendo free?

Pop Up Zendo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Center Meditation Timer free?

Center Meditation Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pop Up Zendo or Center Meditation Timer?

Pop Up Zendo is rated higher. Pop Up Zendo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Center Meditation Timer averages 4.7 from 783 ratings.

### Do Pop Up Zendo or Center Meditation Timer have ads?

Neither Pop Up Zendo nor Center Meditation Timer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pop Up Zendo or Center Meditation Timer?

Pop Up Zendo ships an update weekly, and Center Meditation Timer every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pop Up Zendo was updated on November 2, 2026 and Center Meditation Timer on November 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*