Comparison

Respirer vs Sym Breathing

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

Head to head
About

Respirer

This app guides users through deep-breathing exercises designed to enhance alertness, focus, and productivity. It offers a simple way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine.

Highlights
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Enhances alertness
  • Improves focus
  • Boosts productivity
  • Mindfulness tool
Features
Read full description

This deep-breathing mobile app guides you through breathing exercises to help keep you alert, focused and productive.

About

Sym Breathing

This app offers guided breathwork to help you achieve a calm and balanced state. It uses a steady 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance well-being. Features include customizable cues, daily affirmations, and a night mode for sleep.

Highlights
  • Guided 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm
  • Customizable audio, visual, and haptic cues
  • Daily affirmations for positive mindset
  • Night mode for reduced blue light
  • Seamless audio integration with other apps
  • Effortless session initiation
Features
Read full description

SYM BREATHING A simple way to slow down, breathe evenly, and find a calmer rhythm. Sym Breathing guides you through a balanced 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale using smooth visual, audio, and haptic cues. This slow, even rhythm is commonly known as coherent breathing or resonant breathing. Choose a session length, tap the breathing sphere, and follow along. No complicated routines. No overwhelming controls. Just a simple breathing practice you can return to whenever you need a few quiet minutes. GUIDED BREATHING, YOUR WAY Follow the expanding and contracting breathing sphere, listen for gentle audio cues, feel subtle haptic feedback, or combine all three. Choose the guidance that works best for you and your surroundings. A SIMPLE, BALANCED RHYTHM Sym Breathing uses a 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale, approximately 5.5 breaths per minute. The app keeps the rhythm for you, so you can focus on breathing instead of counting seconds or watching a clock. CHOOSE YOUR SESSION Select a breath count for a defined practice or choose an open-ended session and breathe for as long as you like. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS Begin with a daily affirmation that offers a brief moment of positive reflection before your breathing practice. NIGHT MODE Switch to a warm red interface for a softer visual experience in low-light environments or before bed. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN AUDIO Keep listening to music, ambient sounds, podcasts, or other audio while you breathe. Adjust the breathing cue volume independently to create the experience you prefer. COHERENT BREATHING Slow, balanced breathing practices are commonly used for relaxation, mindfulness, stress management, and supporting autonomic regulation. Research has also explored resonant breathing in relation to heart rate variability, or HRV. Sym Breathing makes this practice easy to follow by guiding each inhale and exhale for you. PREMIUM Unlock all premium features with a monthly or annual subscription. The annual subscription includes a 7-day free trial. Unless canceled before the trial ends, the subscription automatically renews at the displayed annual price. Subscriptions can be managed or canceled through your App Store account settings. HEALTH DISCLAIMER Sym Breathing is intended for general wellness, relaxation, and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you experience discomfort or dizziness while practicing breathwork, stop the session. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new wellness practice if you have questions or concerns about your health. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Breathe slowly. Find your rhythm.

Screenshots

Respirer4 screens
Sym Breathing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Respirer at none against Sym Breathing's 3. Respirer also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). Sym Breathing's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Sym Breathing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Respirer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Respirer against 4.9 for Sym Breathing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sym Breathing has 37 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Respirer's written reviews are positive against 94% of Sym Breathing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Respirer ships an update every 10 months, Sym Breathing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Respirer versus Sym Breathing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRespirerSym Breathing
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better94.1% of reviews
Number of ratings237 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew YahinDaniel Lubbers

Customer experience

Respirer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sym Breathing

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%

In-app purchases

None

Respirer

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Sym Breathing

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Annually7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Respirer free?
Respirer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sym Breathing free?
Sym Breathing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Respirer or Sym Breathing?
Respirer is rated higher. Respirer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Sym Breathing averages 4.9 from 37 ratings.
Do Respirer or Sym Breathing have ads?
Respirer shows ads; Sym Breathing does not.
Which is updated more often, Respirer or Sym Breathing?
Respirer ships an update every 10 months, and Sym Breathing every 3 weeks. Most recently, Respirer was updated on November 2, 2026 and Sym Breathing on October 30, 2026.

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