# Center Meditation Timer vs Fable Journal

The clearest difference is update cadence: Fable Journal at every 3 days against Center Meditation Timer's every 4 weeks. Fable Journal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Center Meditation Timer's advantage is ratings volume (783 vs 1) and device support (6 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Center Meditation Timer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Fable Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Fable Journal 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Center Meditation Timer ships an update every 4 weeks, Fable Journal every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Center Meditation Timer | Fable Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (783 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/center-meditation-timer/id1332483673/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fable-journal/id6798484359/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **783** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 43 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tanner Christensen](https://appshunter.io/developer/421646590) | [OLGA MIKHAILOVNA VAKULICH](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798484361) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Fable Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fable-journal/id6798484359)

This app transforms spoken thoughts into written journal entries, offering various writing styles and lengths. It provides features like search, weekly summaries, and mood analytics, all designed with user privacy in mind.

**Highlights:** Voice-to-journal entries, Multiple writing styles, Customizable entry length, Searchable entry archive, Weekly letter summaries, Mood analytics, One-tap export

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Student Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Yearly | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Center Meditation Timer free?

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

### Is Fable Journal free?

Fable Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Center Meditation Timer or Fable Journal?

Fable Journal is rated higher. Center Meditation Timer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 783 ratings, while Fable Journal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Center Meditation Timer or Fable Journal have ads?

Neither Center Meditation Timer nor Fable Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Center Meditation Timer or Fable Journal?

Center Meditation Timer ships an update every 4 weeks, and Fable Journal every 3 days. Most recently, Center Meditation Timer was updated on November 8, 2026 and Fable Journal on November 6, 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.*