# UCLA Mindful vs aratrain

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UCLA Mindful at none against aratrain's 2. UCLA Mindful also leads on ratings volume (176 vs 22). aratrain's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 77%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. aratrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. UCLA Mindful asks for nothing beyond the download.

aratrain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UCLA Mindful has 176 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of UCLA Mindful's written reviews are positive against 100% of aratrain's.

UCLA Mindful ships an update every 3 months, aratrain every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | UCLA Mindful | aratrain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935/reviews) | **[5.0 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aratrain-brain-training/id1515258795/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **176** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 76.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 23 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UCLA Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/646973492) | [Aratrain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515258794) |

## What reviewers say

### UCLA Mindful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935)

Practice mindfulness meditation with guided sessions and educational content from UCLA Health. Learn to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and cultivate positive emotions through regular practice. Explore various meditation types, informative videos, and weekly recordings to enhance your well-being.

**Highlights:** Guided basic meditations, Wellness meditations for health conditions, Informative videos on mindfulness, Weekly live/virtual meditation recordings, Talks on mindfulness topics, Customizable meditation timer

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Free and accessible resource
- 🧘‍♀️ High-quality guided meditations
- 🗣️ Calming and comforting narrator voices (Diana Winston)
- 👍 Simple, easy to use, and navigate
- 🌍 Multiple languages offered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗣️ Presenter talks too much during meditations
- 🔌 Requires a good internet connection (streaming)
- 🔄 No offline access
- 📱 App doesn't rotate on iPad in landscape mode
- 🔊 Loud ding at the end of some tracks

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Loop repeat did not replay when screen is locked
- 🐛 Audio stops when iPhone screen locks/turns off
- 🐛 Back button disappears on search podcast tab
- 🐛 Search in previous podcast is slow to respond
- 🐛 Custom timer doesn't work as intended

**Requested features**

- Offline access/downloadable sessions
- More voice diversity (ethnicity and gender)
- Add to Apple Health for tracking mindful minutes
- Improve pausing points for Vietnamese meditations
- Remove the ding at the end of tracks


### aratrain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aratrain-brain-training/id1515258795)

This app combines cognitive training and mindfulness with physical exercise to improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance overall brain and body health. It offers short, customizable workouts designed by neuroscientists to optimize performance and promote long-term well-being.

**Highlights:** Cognitive training and mindfulness, Physical exercise integration, Improve focus and reduce stress, Customizable 5-minute workouts, Health app integration for Apple Watch, Performance stats after each workout

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aratrain Premium | $6.99 | per month |
| Aratrain Premium | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UCLA Mindful free?

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

### Is aratrain free?

aratrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, UCLA Mindful or aratrain?

aratrain is rated higher. UCLA Mindful averages 4.5 out of 5 from 176 ratings, while aratrain averages 5.0 from 22 ratings.

### Do UCLA Mindful or aratrain have ads?

Neither UCLA Mindful nor aratrain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UCLA Mindful or aratrain?

UCLA Mindful ships an update every 3 months, and aratrain every 4 months. Most recently, UCLA Mindful was updated on November 3, 2026 and aratrain 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.*