# Sleep Cycle vs Night Shift Therapy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Night Shift Therapy at none against Sleep Cycle's 11. Sleep Cycle's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and chart position (#51 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sleep Cycle sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Night Shift Therapy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sleep Cycle ships an update weekly, Night Shift Therapy every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sleep Cycle | Night Shift Therapy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sleep-cycle-tracker-and-sounds/id320606217/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **31K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 39.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#51** | — |
| Size | 293 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sleep Cycle AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/320606220) | [Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564551941) |

## What reviewers say

### Sleep Cycle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sleep-cycle-tracker-and-sounds/id320606217)

**Currently charting:** #51 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #74 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app uses sound analysis to track sleep patterns, identify potential issues, and build healthier sleep routines. It features an AI sleep coach, a smart alarm to wake you gently, and tools to record snoring and sleep talking.

**Highlights:** AI sleep coach, Smart Alarm clock, Sleep pattern tracking, Snore and cough detection, Sleep sounds library, Sleep analysis

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sleep Cycle Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium | $11.99 | per year |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Sleep Cycle Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Premium: Unlock all features | $39.99 | per year |
| Sleep Cycle Premium | $57.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate sleep tracking
- 👍 Gentle alarm wakes you up during light sleep
- 📊 Detailed sleep data and insights
- 🌙 Soothing sleep aid sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Alarm not always reliable, sometimes doesn't go off
- 🔋 High battery drain, especially on Apple Watch
- 💰 Expensive subscription model, limited free features
- 📉 Inaccurate sleep tracking in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or stops recording sleep randomly
- Inconsistent time zone handling, causing alarm issues
- Microphone issues, unable to detect certain sounds

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit sleep data and notes
- Nap tracking and power nap functionality
- More customization options for alarms and sleep aid
- Improved integration with Apple Health and other devices


### Night Shift Therapy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/night-shift-therapy/id1564551939)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sleep Cycle free?

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

### Is Night Shift Therapy free?

Night Shift Therapy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sleep Cycle or Night Shift Therapy have ads?

Neither Sleep Cycle nor Night Shift Therapy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sleep Cycle or Night Shift Therapy?

Sleep Cycle ships an update weekly, and Night Shift Therapy every 10 months. Most recently, Sleep Cycle was updated on October 28, 2026 and Night Shift Therapy on October 27, 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.*