# Insight Timer vs Experiment with Light

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Experiment with Light at none against Insight Timer's 14. Experiment with Light also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Insight Timer's advantage is ratings volume (448K vs 4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Insight Timer sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Experiment with Light asks for nothing beyond the download.

Insight Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Insight Timer has 448K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Insight Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Experiment with Light's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, Experiment with Light every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Insight Timer | Experiment with Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (448K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899/reviews)** | [4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/experiment-with-light/id1543380863/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **448K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 232 MB | 267 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Insight Network Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/983080487) | [Alain Foussat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543380865) |

## What reviewers say

### Insight Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #98 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

Access thousands of guided meditations, music tracks, and talks from world-renowned experts to calm your mind, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep. Daily new content is added, catering to both beginners and experienced practitioners.

**Highlights:** Thousands of guided meditations, Music tracks and ambient sounds, Meditation timer, Community discussion groups, Progress tracking, Offline listening (premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $9.99 | per month |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $59.99 | per year |
| Insight Premium Meditation | $59.99 | per year |
| MemberPlus Family | $89.99 | per year |
| Teacher Donation (XS) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Meditation Course: Single Use | $4.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (S) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Meditation Course: Multi Use | $19.99 | one-time |
| Truth Anxiety course – Own | $19.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (M) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (L) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Teacher Donation (XL) | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💤 Great for sleep and relaxation
- 🌍 Diverse range of teachers and content
- 🕰️ Customizable timer with bells/chimes
- 🆓 Generous free content
- 🧠 Helps with anxiety, stress, and mental health

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Overly commercialized with constant upselling
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with mandatory account creation
- 🔀 Confusing and cluttered user interface
- 🐛 Bugs, crashes, and technical issues
- 🔒 Paywall blocking access to core features

**Reported bugs**

- Timer frequently pausing or shutting down during use
- Inconsistent tracking of meditation streaks and progress
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Inability to leave reviews for meditations

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort/filter bookmarked meditations
- Option to disable opening quotes and mood check-ins
- Improved offline functionality and caching
- More customization options for the timer
- Better community features and social integration


### Experiment with Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/experiment-with-light/id1543380863)

Access Quaker "Experiment with Light" meditation recordings and scripts. Choose from four versions with male or female voice options, or read the full script. This app works offline once installed.

**Highlights:** Meditation recordings, Full scripts, Multiple versions, Male/female voice options, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Insight Timer free?

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

### Is Experiment with Light free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Insight Timer or Experiment with Light?

Insight Timer is rated higher. Insight Timer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 448K ratings, while Experiment with Light averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Insight Timer or Experiment with Light have ads?

Neither Insight Timer nor Experiment with Light shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Insight Timer or Experiment with Light?

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, and Experiment with Light every 3 weeks. Most recently, Insight Timer was updated on October 19, 2026 and Experiment with Light on October 16, 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.*