Comparison

My Mala vs Japa

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

Head to head
About

My Mala

This app provides a digital alternative to traditional prayer beads for spiritual practices. It helps users count mantras and holy chants with a user-friendly interface, offering a convenient way to maintain spiritual practice without physical beads.

Highlights
  • Digital mala for counting mantras
  • User-friendly interface
  • Spiritual practice aid
  • Accurate prayer tracking
  • Convenient alternative to physical beads
Features
Read full description

Mala / Prayer beads is commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists for spiritual practices. To count the mantras and the holy chants, Mala (prayer beads) is used. This 'Mala' application helps you in reciting religious mantras or chants whenever you need to find the peace of mind. With smoothly designed and easy to use interface it is going to provide you a friendly experience. There is no more need to carry "Mala/ Prayer Beads "in your busy scheduled lifestyle in your wallets/ purse. Just install the application and start your spiritual practice instantly. The smoothly designed interface of this 'Mala' app assists you in counting religious mantras in a very friendly way. Just tap your fingers on the beads on the application screen and move ahead for the next recitation. Traditionally, "Mala", come as a string of 108 beads and on completion of series (108 beads turn) will give you the same feeling of the traditional "Mala" which you carry for worship/ recitation/ praying purpose. Helping you in getting concentrated by keeping the connection with the finger movements and your mind, the app is your spiritual mentor. This app will help you to count them in an accurate manner. This will allow the user to keep track of how many prayers have been said with a minimal amount of conscious effort, which in turn allows greater attention to be paid to the prayers themselves. This app also makes “prayer” easier as a simple touch will not be as tight as of a “Mala” beads when used with an app. Mala / Prayer beads are central to the life of many Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and many more religions. Prayers/ Mala are repeated along with the names of favorite gods for hours on daily basis.

About

Japa

This app offers a distraction-free digital mala for mantra repetition, helping users maintain focus and discipline during meditation. It features customizable beads, a timer, progress tracking, and gentle feedback, designed for a calm and immersive practice.

Highlights
  • Digital mala counter
  • Customizable bead count
  • Meditation timer
  • Progress tracking
  • Goal-based practice
  • Haptic and sound feedback
  • Pause and resume functionality
Features
Read full description

Jap-Mala — A Simple, Distraction-Free Meditation Companion Jap-Mala is a thoughtfully designed meditation app that helps you focus on mantra repetition (japa) without distractions. Inspired by the traditional mala, the app provides a calm, tactile experience that lets you stay fully immersed in your practice—whether you meditate for a few minutes or complete long sādhanā sessions. Designed for simplicity, Jap-Mala replaces physical bead counting with a gentle, intuitive digital mala, while preserving the rhythm, awareness, and discipline of traditional meditation. Key Features • Digital Mala Counter Count each mantra with a simple tap—no buttons, no clutter. • Customizable Mala Beads Choose the number of beads per mala to match your personal practice. • Meditation Timer Automatically tracks the duration of your meditation sessions. • Progress Tracking See total beads completed and malas finished at a glance. • Goal-Based Practice Set a target count and receive a gentle indication when your goal is achieved. • Haptic & Sound Feedback Subtle vibration confirms each count. Optional sound cues indicate mala completion and goal achievement. • Pause & Resume Anytime Take breaks when needed without losing your progress. • Eyes-Closed Friendly Designed to be used without looking at the screen—perfect for deep focus.   Designed for Calm & Focus Jap-Mala is intentionally minimal: • No social features • No notifications • No unnecessary visuals • Just a peaceful interface that supports mindfulness, repetition, and inner stillness. Who Is This App For? • Practitioners of mantra meditation • Users following japa, nāma-smaraṇa, or breath-based practices • Anyone seeking a simple, distraction-free meditation counter • Beginners and experienced meditators alike Privacy First Your meditation data stays on your device. Jap-Mala does not require account creation or personal information. Begin Your Practice Whether you meditate daily or occasionally, Jap-Mala helps you stay present, consistent, and focused—one bead at a time. Download Jap-Mala and experience meditation the traditional way, with modern simplicity.

Screenshots

My Mala4 screens
Japa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: My Mala at 3.6 against Japa's 2.5. My Mala also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Japa's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 54%). On price and device support 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. Japa sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. My Mala asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

My Mala holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of My Mala's written reviews are positive against 63% of Japa's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

My Mala ships an update fortnightly, Japa every 9 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
My Mala versus Japa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMy MalaJapa
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (19 ratings) — better2.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews53.6% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynapseIndia LLCABCOM

Customer experience

My Mala

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative32.1%

Japa

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

My Mala

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Japa

One-time1
  • Donation for ad removal$0.99

Questions

Is My Mala free?
My Mala is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Japa free?
Japa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, My Mala or Japa?
My Mala is rated higher. My Mala averages 3.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Japa averages 2.5 from 4 ratings.
Do My Mala or Japa have ads?
Japa shows ads; My Mala does not.
Which is updated more often, My Mala or Japa?
My Mala ships an update fortnightly, and Japa every 9 months. Most recently, My Mala was updated on November 1, 2026 and Japa on November 1, 2026.

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