Comparison

Mindfulness Coach Explorer vs Sesshin

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

Head to head
About

Mindfulness Coach Explorer

This is a research version of a mindfulness application exclusively for participants in approved program evaluations. Access requires an invitation code from an approved investigator.

Highlights
  • Research version
  • Invitation code required
  • Program evaluation access
  • Mindfulness tools
Features
Read full description

This is a research version of Mindfulness Coach that is only for participants in approved program evaluation projects for NCPTSD. To unlock this app, you will need an invitation code from an approved investigator. Please contact your investigator if you need help.

About

Sesshin

A minimalist meditation timer designed for Zen practitioners. It offers traditional sounds for zazen and kinhin, visual progress tracking, and integration with Apple Health. Set daily goals and track your practice streak.

Highlights
  • Zazen & kinhin timer
  • Traditional bell and clapper sounds
  • Enso progress arc
  • Live Activity integration
  • Apple Watch support
  • HealthKit integration
  • Daily sitting goals
Features
Read full description

Sesshin is a minimal, distraction-free meditation timer for iPhone and Apple Watch, built for practitioners of Zen. Set your sitting duration, start your session, and let Sesshin guide the way. Traditional bells mark the beginning and end of each period. Wooden clappers signal kinhin (walking meditation) transitions. Quiet interval bells help you mark the middle of your sit without checking the clock. Features - Zazen & kinhin — Time a single seated period or a full sequence: zazen, kinhin walking, zazen - Traditional sounds — Bells and wooden clappers at each phase transition, with fully configurable counts - Enso arc — A circular arc traces session progress; a figure shifts between sitting and walking postures - Live Activity — Remaining time stays visible on the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen - Apple Watch — Full timer and complications on your wrist - HealthKit — Completed sessions saved as mindful minutes in Apple Health - Daily goal — Set a daily sitting goal and track your streak in History - Configurable — Adjust duration, bell counts, start delay, auto-progression, and interval bells to match your tradition No accounts. No ads. No subscriptions. Just your practice.

Screenshots

Mindfulness Coach Explorer4 screens
Sesshin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sesshin at every 4 months against Mindfulness Coach Explorer's every 42 months. Sesshin also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Mindfulness Coach Explorer's advantage is ratings volume (54 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sesshin holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mindfulness Coach Explorer has 54 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mindfulness Coach Explorer ships an update every 42 months, Sesshin every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Mindfulness Coach Explorer versus Sesshin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindfulness Coach ExplorerSesshin
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (54 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings54 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 42 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB10 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPalo Alto Veterans Institute for ResearchDERRICK ORION CALLOWAY

Customer experience

Mindfulness Coach Explorer

All ratings50 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

Sesshin

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Mindfulness Coach Explorer

No in-app purchases

None

Sesshin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mindfulness Coach Explorer free?
Mindfulness Coach Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sesshin free?
Sesshin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mindfulness Coach Explorer or Sesshin?
Sesshin is rated higher. Mindfulness Coach Explorer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Sesshin averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Mindfulness Coach Explorer or Sesshin have ads?
Neither Mindfulness Coach Explorer nor Sesshin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mindfulness Coach Explorer or Sesshin?
Mindfulness Coach Explorer ships an update every 42 months, and Sesshin every 4 months. Most recently, Mindfulness Coach Explorer was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sesshin on October 28, 2026.

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