# Expand vs Lucent

The clearest difference is rating: Lucent at 5.0 against Expand's 4.0. Lucent also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). Expand's advantage is ratings volume (302 vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Expand sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Lucent asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lucent holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Expand has 302 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Expand ships an update monthly, Lucent every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Expand | Lucent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expand-beyond-meditation/id1552705313/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lucent-meditation/id6754166608/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 49.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 67 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [THE MONROE INSTITUTE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552705315) | [LumaNexus LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813743101) |

## What reviewers say

### Expand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expand-beyond-meditation/id1552705313)

Access profound states of expanded awareness with guided meditations and proprietary sound science. Explore topics like relaxation, joy, insight, and sleep to foster meaning, relieve stress, and release unwanted patterns. Discover inner wisdom and joy through active imagination and perception.

**Highlights:** 100+ guided meditations, Monroe Sound Science audio technology, Multi-day mini-courses, Guided reflection and journaling, Custom-generated soundscapes, Focus on active imagination and perception

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expand Plus Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Expand Plus Yearly | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful meditation tool
- 👍 Lovely and helpful
- 👍 Great way to practice
- 👍 Transformative
- 👍 First class app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Money maker
- 🔒 How do you get a premium subscription?
- 🐛 Cuts off sometimes?
- 🔍 Where's the guidance?
- 🐛 Annoyed

**Reported bugs**

- Paid but no play
- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Sound shuts off when the iphone goes to sleep

**Requested features**

- Longer guided meditations
- What's new section for meditations
- Ability to turn off background music
- Monthly charge option


### Lucent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lucent-meditation/id6754166608)

Organize and access your personal guided meditations. Upload your own audio files to create a structured daily practice, track your progress, and set reminders to stay mindful throughout the day.

**Highlights:** Play guided meditations, Upload personal meditations, Create playback queues, Set daily practice commitments, Track streaks and progress, Personalized reminders

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Expand free?

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

### Is Lucent free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Expand or Lucent?

Lucent is rated higher. Expand averages 4.0 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Lucent averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Expand or Lucent have ads?

Expand shows ads; Lucent does not.

### Which is updated more often, Expand or Lucent?

Expand ships an update monthly, and Lucent every 5 months. Most recently, Expand was updated on October 27, 2026 and Lucent on October 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*