# Mindful USC vs UCLA Mindful

The clearest difference is rating: Mindful USC at 4.8 against UCLA Mindful's 4.5. Mindful USC also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mindful USC holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 324 and 176 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Mindful USC's written reviews are positive against 77% of UCLA Mindful's.

Mindful USC ships an update every 2 months, UCLA Mindful every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mindful USC | UCLA Mindful |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (324 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-usc/id1291768924/reviews)** | [4.5 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **324** | 176 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 76.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 85 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Allen Weiss](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291768923) | [UCLA Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/646973492) |

## What reviewers say

### Mindful USC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-usc/id1291768924)

Access guided meditations to reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and improve focus. Track your progress, find meditations based on your current mood, and connect with a community. USC members can also find on-campus resources.

**Highlights:** Guided meditations, Stress and anxiety reduction, Improved focus and energy, Mindfulness journey tracking, Mood-based meditation selection, Community features, USC community resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for beginners
- 🧘‍♀️ Helps with anxiety and sleep
- 🆓 Free and accessible
- 💖 Improves quality of life
- ✨ Calming and soothing meditations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer stops working
- 🐛 Meditations cut off early
- 🐛 Audio issues after updates
- 🐛 Technical flaws in meditations
- 🔊 Sound only from phone speakers

**Reported bugs**

- Timer turns off unexpectedly
- Meditations stop 5 seconds before timer ends when screen locks
- Audio not playing after automatic updates
- Timer stops counting when phone screen turns off
- Volume issues and meditations without clear endings or with long pauses

**Requested features**

- Allow AirPlay speaker output
- Make meditations available offline


### UCLA Mindful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935)

Practice mindfulness meditation with guided sessions and educational content from UCLA Health. Learn to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and cultivate positive emotions through regular practice. Explore various meditation types, informative videos, and weekly recordings to enhance your well-being.

**Highlights:** Guided basic meditations, Wellness meditations for health conditions, Informative videos on mindfulness, Weekly live/virtual meditation recordings, Talks on mindfulness topics, Customizable meditation timer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Free and accessible resource
- 🧘‍♀️ High-quality guided meditations
- 🗣️ Calming and comforting narrator voices (Diana Winston)
- 👍 Simple, easy to use, and navigate
- 🌍 Multiple languages offered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗣️ Presenter talks too much during meditations
- 🔌 Requires a good internet connection (streaming)
- 🔄 No offline access
- 📱 App doesn't rotate on iPad in landscape mode
- 🔊 Loud ding at the end of some tracks

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Loop repeat did not replay when screen is locked
- 🐛 Audio stops when iPhone screen locks/turns off
- 🐛 Back button disappears on search podcast tab
- 🐛 Search in previous podcast is slow to respond
- 🐛 Custom timer doesn't work as intended

**Requested features**

- Offline access/downloadable sessions
- More voice diversity (ethnicity and gender)
- Add to Apple Health for tracking mindful minutes
- Improve pausing points for Vietnamese meditations
- Remove the ding at the end of tracks


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mindful USC free?

Mindful USC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is UCLA Mindful free?

UCLA Mindful is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mindful USC or UCLA Mindful?

Mindful USC is rated higher. Mindful USC averages 4.8 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while UCLA Mindful averages 4.5 from 176 ratings.

### Do Mindful USC or UCLA Mindful have ads?

Neither Mindful USC nor UCLA Mindful shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mindful USC or UCLA Mindful?

Mindful USC ships an update every 2 months, and UCLA Mindful every 3 months. Most recently, Mindful USC was updated on October 14, 2026 and UCLA Mindful on October 20, 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.*
