# Tonal vs Sunlighten

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tonal at 71% against Sunlighten's 20%. Tonal also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Sunlighten's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Tonal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tonal has 11K ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Tonal's written reviews are positive against 20% of Sunlighten's.

Tonal ships an update every 3 weeks, Sunlighten every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tonal | Sunlighten |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonal/id1437460744/reviews)** | [2.7 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunlighten/id1634410434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 88 |
| Positive reviews | **70.9% of reviews** | 19.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 197 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tonal Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437460743) | [Sunlighten Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634410436) |

## What reviewers say

### Tonal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonal/id1437460744)

This app offers a smart home gym and personal trainer experience with adaptive digital weight and expert coaching. It provides structured programs, progress tracking, and a variety of on-the-go workouts, allowing users to customize their fitness routines and connect with a supportive community.

**Highlights:** Adaptive digital weight workouts, Expert coach-led programs, Progress tracking by muscle group, Hundreds of on-the-go workouts, Customizable workout creation, Community motivation features, HealthKit integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and effective workouts
- 👍 Variety of workouts and programs
- 🚀 Convenient home gym experience
- 👍 Motivating and engaging coaches
- 👍 Comprehensive fitness tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity and syncing issues
- 💡 Lack of personalization options
- 💡 Limited custom workout capabilities
- 💡 Lack of language and accessibility options
- 🔒 Facebook integration required for profile photo

**Reported bugs**

- Membership activation and login issues
- Inconsistent performance and app crashes
- Syncing problems with Apple Health and other devices

**Requested features**

- Calendar function to plan workouts
- Ability to track and filter custom workouts
- Customizable movement options and exercise libraries
- Injury/condition-specific workout recommendations
- Ability to use without subscription or disable features


### Sunlighten

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunlighten/id1634410434)

Optimize your well-being with this app, designed to enhance your light therapy and sauna experiences. Create personalized wellness programs, track sessions in real-time, and control your devices remotely for a seamless health journey.

**Highlights:** Science-based wellness programs, Personalized program creation, Real-time session tracking, Remote sauna control (Wi-Fi), Audio and lighting management, Red light therapy panel programs

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Customizable programs
- 🚀 Easy to use app
- 👍 Enhances sauna experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable app connectivity
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 🐛 Inconsistent scheduling and remote start
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 👎 Limited remote functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to connect to sauna
- Scheduled programs not running as expected
- Inconsistent lighting controls
- Tablet frequently restarts or loses connection

**Requested features**

- Remote start and preheat capability
- Improved app stability and reliability
- Better integration between app and sauna
- More customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tonal free?

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

### Is Sunlighten free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Tonal or Sunlighten?

Tonal is rated higher. Tonal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Sunlighten averages 2.7 from 88 ratings.

### Do Tonal or Sunlighten have ads?

Neither Tonal nor Sunlighten shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tonal or Sunlighten?

Tonal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sunlighten every 4 months. Most recently, Tonal was updated on November 7, 2026 and Sunlighten on November 3, 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.*