# Insight Timer vs Box Breathing

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Insight Timer at 447K against Box Breathing's 318. Insight Timer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#16 vs unranked). Box Breathing's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 70%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Insight Timer sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Box Breathing sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Insight Timer against 4.8 for Box Breathing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Insight Timer has 447K ratings behind it against 318, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Insight Timer's written reviews are positive against 79% of Box Breathing's.

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, Box Breathing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Insight Timer | Box Breathing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (447K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899/reviews)** | [4.8 (318 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/box-breathing-float/id1605558336/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **447K** | 318 |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **78.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | — |
| Size | 232 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Insight Network Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/983080487) | [STRV s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/330549300) |

## What reviewers say

### Insight Timer

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

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #101 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


### Box Breathing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/box-breathing-float/id1605558336)

Enhance your well-being with guided breathwork exercises. This app offers personalized sessions based on a breathing test, with categories for calm, sleep, focus, and energy. Experience immersive audio, haptic feedback, and sound cues for stress reduction and improved performance.

**Highlights:** Personalized breathing test, Exercise categories (Calm, Sleep, Focus, Energize), Audio guide and sound cues, Haptic feedback, CO2 tolerance test, Stress and anxiety relief

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Float PRO - Monthly Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Float PRO Breathing Exercises | $39.99 | per year |
| Float PRO Breathing Exercises | $49.99 | per year |
| Float PRO Breathing Exercises | $69.99 | per year |
| Float PRO Breathing Exercises | $199.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Insight Timer free?

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

### Is Box Breathing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Insight Timer or Box Breathing?

Insight Timer is rated higher. Insight Timer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 447K ratings, while Box Breathing averages 4.8 from 318 ratings.

### Do Insight Timer or Box Breathing have ads?

Neither Insight Timer nor Box Breathing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Insight Timer or Box Breathing?

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, and Box Breathing every 3 weeks. Most recently, Insight Timer was updated on September 26, 2026 and Box Breathing on September 22, 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.*