Comparison

Environments vs Open

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

Head to head
About

Environments

Experience long-form nature recordings from the 1960s and 70s, remastered for modern use. This app offers a unique collection of ambient sounds designed to aid work, meditation, sleep, and focus, all without requiring an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Long-form analog recordings
  • No internet connection required
  • Ad-free experience
  • Playlist creation
  • Focus and stress reduction
  • Historic nature sounds
Features
Read full description

Environments is a historic catalog of long form field recordings created for the way you live. Whether you need to work, meditate, sleep, or any other use, Environments is the only ambient sound app based on extended recordings created in the 1960s and 70s on analog tape. Environments began as an unprecedented series of vinyl records, garnering widespread acclaim and selling millions of units. Now Environments steps into the mobile age as an invaluable and unique sonic tool for the way YOU live. • No internet connection required — all recordings are part of the app. • 23 fully remastered long-form analog recordings, most 30 minutes or more. Not short loops, not white noise — Environments live and breathe like nature itself. • Simple, intuitive navigation. Unobtrusive, ad-free look and feel evokes a simpler, better time. • Put your favorite environment on infinite loop, or build your own playlist of favorites. • Blocks distractions, increases focus and mindfulness, reduces stress, helpful with tinnitus and fussy babies. • Sounds include ocean waves, birdsongs and dawn chorus, chimes, "be-in", thunderstorms, gentle rain, heartbeat, wind in trees, wordless choir, summer cornfield, creaky sailboat, country stream, country meadow, blizzard, and many more. • Features informative biography of Environments creator Irv Teibel, along with concise informational screens on individual recordings. • The only app ever shortlisted for the best historic album Grammy award. • A co-creation of Syntonic Research, Inc and the Grammy-nominated reissue label Numero Group. • "It's intuitive, beautifully minimalist, and a perfect evolution of the original work." — Boing Boing • "A remarkably creative way to reintroduce Teibel’s work and ideas… something great and sublime." — The New Yorker • "Enjoy nature exactly the way God intended it, as an App." — Vice • "The music of the future isn't music." — Irv Teibel

About

Open

Discover breathwork, meditation, and movement techniques designed by experts to regulate your nervous system and foster personal growth. Access an extensive library of classes for all levels, track your progress, and build a consistent practice for improved mental and physical well-being.

Highlights
  • Expert-designed breathwork techniques
  • Daily guided meditations
  • Mindful movement classes
  • Progress tracking and reminders
  • Extensive library of on-demand classes
  • Personalized practice building
Features
Read full description

“We believe that mindfulness is more than a form of stress relief — it can be a tool for personal growth, deeper understanding, vibrancy. More than a way to disconnect — it can be a way to feel a part of something bigger. More than simply silence — it can be immersive, beautiful, moving.” –Raed Khawaja, Open Co-founder & CEO Regulate your nervous system with Open. Bridge science and spirituality to cleanse your body and mind. Learn breathwork, meditation, and movement techniques designed by experts in neurobiology. Practice on the app and in-person at our flagship studio in Los Angeles. CLASSES BREATHE: Since the dawn of civilization, humans have developed techniques for manipulating our breath to induce desired states of consciousness. Now peer-reviewed studies in neuroscience and psychology confirm that breathwork is a powerful toolkit for regulating your nervous system, optimizing your health and well-being, and catalyzing personal transformation. Breathwork is an umbrella term for myriad practices, both ancient and modern. While many techniques are deeply rooted in spiritual traditions like Yoga, Qi Gong, and Buddhism, contemporary applications integrate ancient wisdom with modern science.This synthesis of ancient and modern has given rise to transformational breathwork, designed to induce profound experiences of catharsis, insight, and breakthrough. Experience a mental reset with just a few minutes of conscious breathing. MEDITATE: Train your awareness and contemplate wisdom – with techniques that span generations, cultures, and traditions – with our daily meditations and monthly programs. Learn how to enhance your focus, reduce your stress and anxiety, and regulate your emotions with simple mindfulness techniques you can incorporate into your daily life. MOVE: Our methodology is designed through the intelligence of fitness – blending endurance, strength, mobility, and recovery – with the wisdom of mindfulness. A ritual for resilience, strengthening the body and mind. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Practice on your time with our endless library, with fresh classes added daily. From simple 5-minute breathwork techniques, to 60-minute strength and conditioning classes, build your practice to fit your schedule and meet your goals. Whether you’re starting your journey or seeking a new challenge, there are classes for every level and mood. PROGRESS TRACKING: Create a daily habit that sticks with progress tracking, push reminders, streaks, and badges. A consistent breathwork and meditation practice has proven to reduce cortisol levels and regulate the nervous system–decreasing stress, supporting emotional well-being, and enhancing mental clarity. These techniques can also improve physical health by increasing heart rate variability, promoting cardiovascular health, and boosting immune function. CONNECT WITH US Questions? Email us: support@o-p-e-n.com. Follow along on Instagram: @op_e___n. NOTES Data: Open reads and writes data to the Apple Health App to help you track your Mindful minutes. No data is being sent outside of your device. This is optional. Pricing info: This pricing is for our customers in the United States. Pricing in other countries may vary. Your subscription to Open will automatically renew, unless you disable auto-renew at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can turn off auto-renew or manage your subscription from your Apple account settings. Payment will be charged to your Apple account. You can read more about our terms of service here: https://o-p-e-n.com/terms and our privacy policy here: https://o-p-e-n.com/privacy. GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 - please add peter@o-p-e-n.com to GA account of property 199812543 - date 08/06/2026.

Screenshots

Environments4 screens
Open4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Open at Free against Environments's $2.99. Open also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (18K vs 229). Environments's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (82% vs 60%). On rating, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Open is free to download; Environments costs $2.99 up front. Open sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Environments asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Environments against 4.9 for Open. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open has 18K ratings behind it against 229, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Environments's written reviews are positive against 60% of Open's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Environments ships an update every 2 months, Open weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Environments versus Open: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEnvironmentsOpen
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (229 ratings)4.9 (18K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better60.4% of reviews
Number of ratings22918K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size579 MB317 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Numero GroupOpen Inc.

Customer experience

Environments

All ratings229 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative13.6%

Open

All ratings17,993 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews674 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative36.2%

User reviews

Environments

From 229 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Authentic analog field recordings with exceptional audio quality
  • 😴 Highly effective for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
  • 🎧 Long-form tracks (30+ minutes) without repetitive looping
  • 📚 Rich historical context about Irv Teibel and the Environments series
  • 💰 Excellent value at low price point for entire collection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes on certain iOS versions (iOS 16, older versions)
  • 📐 UI not optimized for iPad or landscape mode
  • 🔊 Audio output levels set too high, difficult to play quietly
  • 🖼️ Cannot zoom in on album cover artwork
  • 📍 Navigation could be simplified and improved

Open

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Life changing
  • 🤗 Transformative experience
  • 🌟 High-quality classes
  • 💫 Beautiful app design
  • 🙌 Supportive community

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 💰 Expensive subscription cost
  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • 🤔 Limited free content
  • 📞 Poor customer service

Bugs and requests

Environments

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes immediately after pressing play on iOS 16
  • App removed from App Store after purchase, preventing re-download
  • Dynamic Island spacing issues on iPhone 14 Pro
  • Infinite loop button doesn't function properly
  • Audio doesn't resume after phone calls or text notifications
Show 4 more
  • Track display doesn't update when switching between selections
  • Audio clipping on thunderstorm recordings
  • Play and Information button touch sensitivity too small
  • Portrait mode lock interferes with other app orientation settings

Requested features

14 requests
  • Speed adjustment controls (16 rpm, 33 rpm, 78 rpm options)
  • Chromecast and Google Cast support
  • Alarm clock functionality using app sounds
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • Zoom capability for album cover artwork
Show 9 more
  • Ability to skip forward within tracks
  • Dedicated track list button for easier navigation
  • VoiceOver accessibility support
  • Seamless looping without audio gaps
  • Volume normalization or in-app volume control
  • Ability to offload app while keeping data
  • Higher resolution audio (hi-res audio option)
  • More tracks or future recordings
  • Improved UI/UX design and simplification

Open

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription not showing in Apple account
  • Inability to cancel subscription
  • Unexpected charges after cancellation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode for classes
  • More free content options
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Better search and discovery
  • Progress tracking and analytics

In-app purchases

None

Environments

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Open

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription14 Days trial$149.991 Year

Questions

Is Environments free?
Environments costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Open free?
Open is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Environments or Open?
Open is rated higher. Environments averages 4.8 out of 5 from 229 ratings, while Open averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.
Do Environments or Open have ads?
Neither Environments nor Open shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Environments or Open?
Environments ships an update every 2 months, and Open weekly. Most recently, Environments was updated on November 6, 2026 and Open on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons