Comparison

State vs Coherence

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

Head to head
About

State

This app offers guided breathing exercises designed to help you manage stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being. It personalizes exercises based on your needs and adapts over time, utilizing neuroscientific principles for effective self-regulation.

Highlights
  • Customizable breathing exercises
  • Visual and auditory guidance
  • Adaptive algorithm
  • Progress tracking
  • Neuroscience-based methods
  • State-shifting exercises
Read full description

Accomplish More. Stress Less. Intuitive breathing exercises to shift your state in record time. State creates custom exercises based on your stress response and continues to evolve dynamically with use. When you change your breath, you can alter not just your state of mind, but your physical and emotional health as well. FEATURES Six exercises designed to create specific, desired physiological states: Feel calm, Feel alert, Be present, Wake up, Recover quickly, Fall asleep. - Breathing exercises supported by visuals and sound to let you focus/defocus efficiently - “Fingerprinting” that primes the exercises to your physical and emotional needs from the first time you use the app - The State algorithm keeps adapting and evolving the exercises the more you use the app - Track progress with key metrics - Helpful reminders to keep you in the state you want - Method based on the latest neuroscientific findings - Created by world-renowned strength and conditioning coach Brian Mackenzie SUBSCRIPTION AND PRICING State offers a subscription with a two weeks free trial. After the two weeks free trial this subscription automatically renews for $3.99 monthly or $34.99 yearly unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial period. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Payment will be charged at subscription automatic renewal. Your subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Read more about our terms and conditions and privacy policy here: https://shiftstate.io/terms

About

Coherence

Master your nervous system through guided breathwork. Access over 500 breathing patterns to shift your state, from calm and focus to energy and sleep. Connect with a global community in live sessions and create custom routines.

Highlights
  • Nervous system interface via breath
  • Shift states: calm, focus, energy, sleep
  • Daily global live breathing sessions
  • 500+ research-backed breathing patterns
  • Custom breathing sequence creator
  • Progress tracking and stats
  • Community features and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, ON DEMAND Coherence is a nervous system interface. Using the science of breath, shift into calm, focus, or energy in minutes. Your breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control - a direct line to your nervous system. Coherence gives you the patterns to use it. SHIFT YOUR STATE - Calm: Activate your parasympathetic system to release stress - Focus: Enter alert relaxation for deep work - Energy: Stimulate your system for peak performance - Sleep: Downregulate for faster, deeper rest BREATHE WITH THE WORLD Join the Daily Sync - a live global session where people worldwide breathe together in perfect unison. Watch participants appear around a real-time 3D Earth. Set an intention. Experience collective coherence. 500+ BREATHING PATTERNS Techniques selected from peer-reviewed research and proven traditions: - Coherence: Heart-brain synchronization (5.5s rhythm) - Box Breath: Used by Navy SEALs for composure under pressure - 4-7-8: Vagal activation for rapid calm - Physiological Sigh: The fastest way to reduce stress - Vortex: Fibonacci-based energizing sequence - Tummo: Traditional Tibetan inner heat practice - Sleep, Focus, Energy patterns and more CREATE YOUR OWN Build custom breathing sequences with our visual editor. Set phase durations, add music from Spotify or Apple Music, record your own voice guidance, and share with the community. TRACK YOUR REGULATION - Streaks and daily practice stats - Session history and insights - Weekly progress visualization - Level progression system COMPETE & CONNECT - Weekly leagues with promotion and demotion - Global leaderboards - User profiles and friends - Invite others to sync sessions DESIGNED FOR FOCUS - Minimalist dark interface - Zen mode fades the UI so nothing distracts you - Beautiful animations guide your breath - Sonic cues keep you on rhythm - Works with screen off - Works in airplane mode SUBSCRIPTION All features require an active subscription: - Monthly: $9.99/month - Annual: $39.99/year (3-day free trial) - Cancel anytime in App Store settings Take control of your nervous system. Terms of Use: https://www.coherencebreath.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.coherencebreath.com/privacy

Screenshots

State4 screens
Coherence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Coherence at 4.8 against State's 3.9. Coherence also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 months). 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. State sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Coherence sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Coherence holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 129 and 597 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of State's written reviews are positive against 85% of Coherence's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

State ships an update every 8 months, Coherence every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
State versus Coherence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStateCoherence
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (129 ratings)4.8 (597 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews85.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings129597 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB176 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMy StateJohn Sweeney

Customer experience

State

All ratings129 ratings
Positive67.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative25.6%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral11.5%
Negative38.5%

Coherence

All ratings597 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative12.9%

User reviews

State

From 129 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple, intuitive, and clean interface design
  • 🎯 Effective breathing exercises for anxiety and stress management
  • 🔄 Adaptive algorithm that adjusts difficulty based on user improvement
  • ⚡ Quick, short exercises easy to incorporate into daily routine
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and immersive audio cues

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($30-35/year) compared to competitors
  • 🐛 Audio/sound glitches and synchronization issues
  • 🐛 Subscription recognition failures after payment
  • 🐛 App crashes and requires frequent restarts
  • ⚠️ Limited content (only 6 core breathing exercises)

Coherence

From 597 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent accessibility and interface
  • 🚀 Great integration into daily routine
  • 👍 Amazing experience and awesome sequences
  • 👍 Breathwork is one of the best things for health
  • 👍 Helps cut down on vices, boost vibes, and be a smooth operator

Bugs and requests

State

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Audio/metronome randomly stops or becomes out of sync with visuals
  • Sound doesn't work without app restart
  • Subscription payment processed but app doesn't recognize access
  • Difficulty adjustment buttons (easier/harder) don't change exercise timing
  • Algorithm doesn't properly adjust exercises based on max exhale test
Show 9 more
  • Free trial not accessible after skipping initial onboarding
  • Date of birth picker won't accept current date or future dates
  • Tips screen text doesn't fit on smaller devices (iPhone SE)
  • Day counter stops tracking at 397 days
  • Password reset emails not received
  • Subscription features not unlocking despite payment confirmation
  • App freezes on payment confirmation screen
  • Sound countdown rhythm changed and now confusing to users
  • Transition sounds between breathing phases unclear

Requested features

10 requests
  • Customizable exercise duration (10-20 minute sessions)
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • HealthKit/Health app integration for mindful minutes tracking
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • Custom breathing pattern creation
Show 5 more
  • Haptic feedback option for silent use
  • Sound effect options/preferences
  • In-app feature request submission tool
  • Apple Health data export
  • Longer meditation sessions for advanced users

Coherence

No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

State

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Protocols (Monthly)14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium Protocols (Annual)14 Days trial$34.991 Year
6 purchases

Coherence

Subscriptions6
  • Coherence Monthly Membership$14.991 Month
  • Coherence Membership3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Coherence Friend Pass14 Days trial$69.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Coherence Membership$69.991 Year
  • Coherence Membership1 Month trial$69.991 Year
  • Coherence3 Months trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is State free?
State is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Coherence free?
Coherence is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, State or Coherence?
Coherence is rated higher. State averages 3.9 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Coherence averages 4.8 from 597 ratings.
Do State or Coherence have ads?
Neither State nor Coherence shows ads.
Which is updated more often, State or Coherence?
State ships an update every 8 months, and Coherence every 3 days. Most recently, State was updated on October 14, 2026 and Coherence on October 19, 2026.

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