# Mindfulness Bell vs Pocket Meditation Timer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pocket Meditation Timer at none against Mindfulness Bell's 2. Pocket Meditation Timer also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 59%). Mindfulness Bell's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mindfulness Bell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Pocket Meditation Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mindfulness Bell holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mindfulness Bell has 12K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Mindfulness Bell's written reviews are positive against 79% of Pocket Meditation Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mindfulness Bell ships an update every 3 weeks, Pocket Meditation Timer every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mindfulness Bell | Pocket Meditation Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindfulness-bell/id380816407/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-meditation-timer/id515571863/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 58.6% of reviews | **79.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 38 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spotlight Six Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/337472902) | [倩 赵](https://appshunter.io/developer/376557917) |

## What reviewers say

### Mindfulness Bell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindfulness-bell/id380816407)

This app plays the sound of a Tibetan Singing Bowl at set or random intervals to help you return to the present moment. It includes a meditation timer to enhance your practice. The app continues to ring even when not actively open.

**Highlights:** Tibetan Singing Bowl sounds, Scheduled interval reminders, Random interval reminders, Meditation timer, Background operation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bell Upgrade One Year | $1.99 | per year |
| Full Upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Lovely bell sounds
- 💤 Helpful for meditation and mindfulness
- ⏰ Useful timer and reminder features
- 🕰️ Simple and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Bell doesn't always sound as expected
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 📵 Doesn't work when phone is locked
- 🤔 Confusing or limited settings

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when starting timer
- Purchased bells not working as expected
- Random bell feature not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Allow customization of bell sounds
- Add option to run in background without draining battery
- Improve reliability of bell notifications
- Expand timer and scheduling options


### Pocket Meditation Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-meditation-timer/id515571863)

This app helps users focus on their meditation practice without worrying about time. It offers customizable timers with unique sounds, background options, and reminders to support mindfulness and stress reduction.

**Highlights:** Customizable meditation schedules, Prepare, interval, and cool down timers, Unique sound options for each section, Shake to change background images, Unlimited practice reminders, Password protection

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🕰️ Customizable timer options
- 🔔 Pleasant chime sounds
- 🧘‍♀️ Helpful for meditation practice
- 📊 Syncs with Health app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Disruptive ads with sound
- 🔇 Ads ruin meditation experience
- 🔁 Can't save multiple timer settings
- 🔋 Battery drain issues

**Reported bugs**

- Timer issues (minutes counting as seconds, not working properly)
- App freezing or crashing

**Requested features**

- Option to pay for ad-free version
- Ability to save multiple timer presets
- Background ambient sounds during meditation
- Interval chimes at custom time points


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mindfulness Bell free?

Mindfulness Bell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pocket Meditation Timer free?

Pocket Meditation Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mindfulness Bell or Pocket Meditation Timer?

Mindfulness Bell is rated higher. Mindfulness Bell averages 4.6 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Pocket Meditation Timer averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Mindfulness Bell or Pocket Meditation Timer have ads?

Pocket Meditation Timer shows ads; Mindfulness Bell does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mindfulness Bell or Pocket Meditation Timer?

Mindfulness Bell ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pocket Meditation Timer every 7 months. Most recently, Mindfulness Bell was updated on October 31, 2026 and Pocket Meditation Timer on October 29, 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.*