Comparison

Buddhist Sun vs Alan Watts

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

Head to head
About

Buddhist Sun

This app calculates Solar Noon and Dawn times with a speech countdown timer. It's designed for Buddhist monks and those observing 8 or 10 precepts, utilizing GPS and city search for accurate timing.

Highlights
  • Solar Noon calculation
  • Dawn time calculation
  • Speech countdown timer
  • GPS location services
  • City name search (40,000+ cities)
  • Safety buffer for dawn times
Features
Read full description

Know the Solar Noon based on your GPS Coordinates. Know the time when to stop eating for Buddhist monks and those who follow Uposatha Sīla. Countdown Timer for Solar Noon Uposatha Calendar Meditation Timer Sun Shade Screen Compass to point you in the direction of Sacred Buddhist Sites

About

Alan Watts

Explore the profound wisdom of a renowned philosopher and spiritual teacher. Access a vast, curated collection of remastered talks, lectures, and exclusive content for personal growth and self-discovery. Listen offline and track your progress through a comprehensive library.

Highlights
  • Remastered audio talks
  • Extensive streaming collection
  • Exclusive content access
  • Offline listening
  • Mark talks as completed
Features
Read full description

Dive into the wisdom of one of the most influential thinkers of our time with the Alan Watts app, presented by the official Alan Watts Org. Whether interested in philosophy, meditation, spirituality, or self-discovery, this app is the perfect resource for your personal journey. We've thoughtfully curated rare content and re-mastered old favorites to create the most authentic collection of Alan Watts' content available anywhere. Stream our vast collection of Alan Watts' talks, lectures, and seminars. The Alan Watts app lets you access Alan's wisdom wherever you go! Features: - Classic and Remastered Audio: We've restored and remastered your favorite Alan Watts content for a totally fresh experience. - Most Comprehensive Streaming Collection: Explore the most extensive collection of Alan Watts' talks and public lectures, streaming anywhere. - Exclusive Content: Access rare Alan Watts content exclusively available on the app. - Offline Listening: Download talks and listen anytime, anywhere, without needing an internet connection. - Mark Talks as Completed: Easily flag which recordings you've finished, helping you track your journey through Alan's library. To access all features and content you can subscribe to Alan Watts on a monthly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. *All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. Terms of Service: https://app.audiorista.com/pages/terms/4483/ Privacy Policy: https://app.audiorista.com/pages/privacy/4483/

Screenshots

Buddhist Sun4 screens
Alan Watts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Buddhist Sun at none against Alan Watts's 9. Buddhist Sun also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Alan Watts's advantage is ratings volume (152 vs 9). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Alan Watts sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Buddhist Sun asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buddhist Sun holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alan Watts has 152 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Buddhist Sun's written reviews are positive against 87% of Alan Watts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buddhist Sun ships an update every 10 days, Alan Watts every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Buddhist Sun versus Alan Watts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuddhist SunAlan Watts
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better4.7 (152 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better87.4% of reviews
Number of ratings9152 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB60 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPath Nirvana FoundationElectronic Educational Programs Inc.

Customer experience

Buddhist Sun

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Alan Watts

All ratings152 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive87.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.4%

Bugs and requests

Buddhist Sun

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Alan Watts

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App stops working when phone is locked
  • Issues with account access and renewal

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search by summary/topic functionality
  • Implement a queue system for playlisting
  • Provide an annual subscription plan
  • Improve UI cues for played/unplayed content

In-app purchases

None

Buddhist Sun

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Alan Watts

Subscriptions2
  • Alan Watts Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Alan Watts Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time7
  • Alan Watts - 199$1.99
  • Alan Watts - 799$7.99
  • Alan Watts - 1599$15.99
Show 4 more
  • Alan Watts - 2299$22.99
  • Alan Watts - 3399$33.99
  • Alan Watts - 5999$59.99
  • Alan Watts - 6499$64.99

Questions

Is Buddhist Sun free?
Buddhist Sun is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Alan Watts free?
Alan Watts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Buddhist Sun or Alan Watts?
Buddhist Sun is rated higher. Buddhist Sun averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Alan Watts averages 4.7 from 152 ratings.
Do Buddhist Sun or Alan Watts have ads?
Neither Buddhist Sun nor Alan Watts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buddhist Sun or Alan Watts?
Buddhist Sun ships an update every 10 days, and Alan Watts every 4 months. Most recently, Buddhist Sun was updated on September 10, 2026 and Alan Watts on August 26, 2026.

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