# Dharma Seed vs SRF/YSS

The clearest difference is rating: SRF/YSS at 4.8 against Dharma Seed's 4.4. SRF/YSS also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (392 vs 77). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SRF/YSS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SRF/YSS has 392 ratings behind it against 77, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Dharma Seed's written reviews are positive against 83% of SRF/YSS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, SRF/YSS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dharma Seed | SRF/YSS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dharma-seed/id507779665/reviews) | **[4.8 (392 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/srfyss/id1380804297/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 77 | **392** |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 82.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dharma Seed Tape Library, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/507779668) | [Self-Realization Fellowship Church Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1380804296) |

## What reviewers say

### Dharma Seed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dharma-seed/id507779665)

Access a vast library of dharma talks and guided meditations. Stream content, download for offline listening, and search by keyword or teacher. Support teachers through donations.

**Highlights:** Stream dharma talks and guided meditations, Download talks for offline playback, Search talks by keyword and teacher, Browse recent talks, View previously played talks, Support teachers via donations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Vast library of talks
- 💎 Invaluable resource
- 🙏 Grateful for free content
- ✨ Wonderful app
- 💡 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Clunky and antiquated interface
- 🤔 Lacking modern features
- 📉 No longer opens
- 🚫 App not loading
- 🪲 Faulty tech

**Reported bugs**

- Never completes install
- Stalls at 90%
- Unable to complete app download
- No longer opens on iPhone
- App isn't opening at all

**Requested features**

- Add a favorite/like button for talks
- Support for playlists
- Follow authors/teachers
- Transcripts
- Ability to download talks


### SRF/YSS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/srfyss/id1380804297)

Explore spiritual teachings and guided meditations based on Paramahansa Yogananda's wisdom. Access digital lessons, audio recordings, and live online meditations to cultivate peace, joy, and a balanced spiritual life.

**Highlights:** Guided meditations, Live online meditations, Digital SRF/YSS Lessons, Audio recordings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Video instruction in Energization Exercises, SRF/YSS News and Events

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient access to lessons
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🌟 Exceptional content quality
- 🌍 Global accessibility
- 🔍 Helpful search and navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and login issues
- 📱 Limited functionality on mobile devices
- 🔒 Restrictive access controls
- 🔋 Requires constant internet connection

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatibility with latest iOS updates
- Unreliable login and authentication
- Broken lesson access for some users

**Requested features**

- Offline mode for lessons
- Landscape mode support
- Customizable highlighting and note-taking
- Integrated dictionary
- Widgets with inspirational content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dharma Seed free?

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

### Is SRF/YSS free?

SRF/YSS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dharma Seed or SRF/YSS?

SRF/YSS is rated higher. Dharma Seed averages 4.4 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while SRF/YSS averages 4.8 from 392 ratings.

### Do Dharma Seed or SRF/YSS have ads?

Neither Dharma Seed nor SRF/YSS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dharma Seed or SRF/YSS?

Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, and SRF/YSS every 2 months. Most recently, Dharma Seed was updated on September 19, 2026 and SRF/YSS on September 23, 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.*