Comparison

Shift vs Rings

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

Head to head
About

Shift

This app intelligently switches between playing music during high-intensity workout periods and podcasts during rest periods. It automatically adjusts audio based on your activity, allowing for an uninterrupted workout experience. Integrates with popular music services and Apple Health.

Highlights
  • Automatic music/podcast switching
  • Workout intensity detection
  • Spotify/Apple Music integration
  • Podcast library access
  • Apple Health integration
  • Heart rate tracking
Features
Read full description

Shift is a new way to listen to podcasts during your workouts. It plays music when your effort is high, and shifts to podcasts when you rest. It all happens automatically so you don't have to manually switch during your workout. Are you into weightlifting? You’ll hear your favorite podcast while resting between sets, and once you jump on the weights it'll play music. Shift is also great for running where you’ll alternate between fast-pace to music and slow-pace to podcasts. You’ll get your workout music through Spotify, Apple Music, or our own set of workout mixtapes, and we’ve got every podcast available so you can easily add your favourite shows. Health Kit: Shift provides a full Apple Health Kit integration, if you have an Apple Watch with the Shift watch app installed. The integration allows you to track your workouts, and follow your heart rate. Terms of service: https://www.shiftfm.app/terms Privacy: https://www.shiftfm.app/privacy

About

Rings

Features
Read full description

Rings is a timer, a journal and a tracker for people who meditate on their own. No audio guides, no feed, no account — a bell, silence and an honest record of your time. Every session is a ring Instead of bar charts, Rings draws a tree slice. You sat for twenty minutes — a new growth ring appears. The longer the session, the thicker the ring; morning sessions are paler, evening sessions denser; today's ring is red. A week is a twig, a month is a slice, a year is a trunk — something you want to keep growing. Timer • Presets from 5 to 30 minutes, a custom duration up to 3 hours, or an open-ended session • A warm-up before the start, a bell at the start and the end, interval bells • Works with the screen locked; a pause leaves a visible mark on the ring • Save your own presets Journal • A note, a technique tag and how you felt before and after — shown as a line, not a number • Search, filters by tag and period, manual entries for sessions without the app • Export to CSV Rings • The slice for the month, the year and all time; tap a ring to open its entry • Totals, averages, streaks with one rest day a week so a single miss does not break it • Share your slice as a picture for your feed or stories Lessons • The Basics course: ten short chapters — posture, breath, the wandering mind, body scan, metta, habit • Each lesson ends with a "Practise" button that starts the timer with the right settings Also • Apple Health: mindful minutes are written after each session, with your consent • Gentle reminders: a daily one at your time and an evening one if you have not sat today • iCloud sync across your devices; your data never leaves your Apple account • Light and dark "paper and ink" themes Rings Pro unlocks all sounds and interval bells, presets, the year and all-time slices, sharing, full statistics with tags and search, all ten lessons and CSV export. Free users keep a fully working timer and journal. Rings is a tool for habit and practice, not a medical product. Privacy Policy: https://grigorev-indi.tech/en/apps/rings-meditation-timer/privacy Terms of Use: https://grigorev-indi.tech/en/apps/rings-meditation-timer/terms

Screenshots

Shift4 screens
Rings4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shift at every 11 days against Rings's every 3 weeks. Rings's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shift sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Rings sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shift ships an update every 11 days, Rings every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shift versus Rings: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShiftRings
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (57 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings57 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB11 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJazzlab Tech ASAlexander Grigoriev

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shift

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited access$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited access7 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Rings

Subscriptions2
  • Rings Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Rings Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Shift free?
Shift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rings free?
Rings is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shift or Rings have ads?
Neither Shift nor Rings shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shift or Rings?
Shift ships an update every 11 days, and Rings every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shift was updated on November 2, 2026 and Rings on October 31, 2026.

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