# UCLA Mindful vs Middle Way Wisdom

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UCLA Mindful at none against Middle Way Wisdom's 2. UCLA Mindful also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Middle Way Wisdom's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Middle Way Wisdom sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $36.90 per year. UCLA Mindful asks for nothing beyond the download.

UCLA Mindful ships an update every 3 months, Middle Way Wisdom every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UCLA Mindful | Middle Way Wisdom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **176** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 23 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UCLA Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/646973492) | [CHANG HAO LI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882627276) |

## 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


### Middle Way Wisdom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/middle-way-wisdom/id6794537849)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Middle Way Wisdom Annual | $36.90 | per year |
| Middle Way Wisdom Lifetime | $86.90 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UCLA Mindful free?

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

### Is Middle Way Wisdom free?

Middle Way Wisdom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do UCLA Mindful or Middle Way Wisdom have ads?

Neither UCLA Mindful nor Middle Way Wisdom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UCLA Mindful or Middle Way Wisdom?

UCLA Mindful ships an update every 3 months, and Middle Way Wisdom every 6 weeks. Most recently, UCLA Mindful was updated on November 3, 2026 and Middle Way Wisdom on October 31, 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.*