# Insight Timer vs Healstack

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Healstack at none against Insight Timer's 14. Insight Timer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, Healstack every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Insight Timer | Healstack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (448K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **448K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 231 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Insight Network Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/983080487) | [Joshua Trommel](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779522177) |

## What reviewers say

### Insight Timer

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

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #95 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


### Healstack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/healstack/id6785764864)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Insight Timer free?

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

### Is Healstack free?

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

### Do Insight Timer or Healstack have ads?

Neither Insight Timer nor Healstack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Insight Timer or Healstack?

Insight Timer ships an update weekly, and Healstack every 3 weeks. Most recently, Insight Timer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Healstack on October 5, 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.*