Comparison

Dharma Seed vs Sounds True

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

Head to head
About

Dharma Seed

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
Read full description

Features: • Stream dharma talks and guided meditations • Download your favorite dharma talks for offline playback • Search talk titles and descriptions by keyword • Browse the most recent talks • Find talks by specific teachers • Search a teacher's talks by keyword • View talks you have previously played • View teacher information • Support teachers with your donations Limitations: • Access to talks using a “retreat code” is not supported. Teachers offer their talks via Dharma Seed with the kind intention of dana, or generosity. These teachings are held to be priceless and made available to anyone who is interested, regardless of financial means. It is our deep wish and the wish of the teachers who offer teachings here that this continue. We also want our meditation teachers and Dharma Seed to thrive and continue their good work! To learn how you can offer support, please go to About - Donate in the app, or visit: https://dharmaseed.org/donate We hope you enjoy the app.

About

Sounds True

Access a vast library of online courses, audio programs, and exclusive content from world-renowned experts in mindfulness, healing, and personal growth. Connect with a global community, join live events, and explore a variety of wellness practices to support your journey inward.

Highlights
  • Access purchased courses and audio programs
  • Sounds True One membership content
  • Live Q&As and interviews with experts
  • Global community for connection and discussion
  • Immersive virtual retreats
  • Weekly group meditations
  • Variety of wellness practices
Features
Read full description

The Sounds True app is home to your entire Sounds True experience, from the online courses and audio programs you've purchased to the Sounds True One membership, including original series, guided practices, and live events with hundreds of world-renowned experts in mindfulness, healing, and personal growth. YOUR SOUNDS TRUE LIBRARY Access the online courses and audio programs you've purchased from Sounds True's 41 years of publishing — all in one place, available on-demand, on any device. SOUNDS TRUE ONE MEMBERSHIP Sounds True One is a global membership community committed to growth, healing, and connection, with unique learning opportunities from the world's most celebrated wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, including Caroline Myss, Pema Chödrön, Jack Kornfield, Thich Nhat Hanh, Adyashanti, Peter Levine, Gabor Maté, Richard C. Schwartz, and many more. Membership includes: ● Wisdom from World-Renowned Experts — Learn from leading voices in well-being, mindfulness, and personal growth. ● Exclusive Live Q&As & Interviews — Engage directly with sought-after teachers through interactive conversations and events. ● A Global Community — Share reflections, ask questions, and connect with members worldwide through live meditations and practice groups. ● Immersive Virtual Retreats — Join live, transformative retreats to cultivate self-awareness and growth. ● Weekly Group Meditations — Enhance your practice with meditations led by beloved Sounds True teachers and authors. ● A Variety of Wellness Practices — Explore meditation, mindful movement, qi gong and other techniques to support your well-being. ● Monthly Guided Experiences — A new theme each month to support your spiritual growth and self-discovery. ● Exclusive Original Series — Dive into our award-winning programs like Mystics Today, In the Flow, and Being with You. ● Special Member Discounts* — Get 20% off Sounds True online courses, plus exclusive event and course invitations. In just a few minutes a day, Sounds True can help you feel more connected to yourself and the world around you. Download today and continue your journey inward. - ▷ Already a Member? Sign-In to access your subscription. ▷ New? Subscribe in the app to get instant access. Sounds True offers auto-renewing subscriptions. You'll receive unlimited access to content on all your devices. Payment is charged to your account at confirmation of purchase. Pricing varies by location and is confirmed prior to purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period, or the trial period (when offered). Cancel anytime in Account Settings. For more information see our: Terms of Use: https://product.soundstrue.com/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy: https://product.soundstrue.com/privacy-policy/ Customer Support: membership@soundstrue.com

Screenshots

Dharma Seed4 screens
Sounds True4 screens

Verdict

The call

Dharma Seed and Sounds True both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Dharma Seed's written reviews are positive against 26% of Sounds True's. Dharma Seed also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Sounds True's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 80). On price, rating, ads 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. Sounds True sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Dharma Seed asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sounds True holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sounds True has 1.2K ratings behind it against 80, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Dharma Seed's written reviews are positive against 26% of Sounds True's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, Sounds True every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dharma Seed versus Sounds True: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDharma SeedSounds True
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (80 ratings)4.6 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.3% of reviews — better25.7% of reviews
Number of ratings801.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.116.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB71 MB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperDharma Seed Tape Library, Inc.Sounds True

Customer experience

Dharma Seed

All ratings71 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive85.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative8.0%

Sounds True

All ratings1,225 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral1.8%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive25.7%
Neutral12.4%
Negative61.9%

User reviews

Dharma Seed

From 80 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Sounds True

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 High-quality content
  • 💡 Variety of teachings and programs
  • 👍 Inspiring community

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Audio stops playing when screen locks
  • 👎 Poor customer support and technical issues
  • 🤯 Confusing navigation and app design

Bugs and requests

Dharma Seed

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Never completes install
  • Stalls at 90%
  • Unable to complete app download
  • No longer opens on iPhone
  • App isn't opening at all
Show 7 more
  • Loading bar stalls halfway
  • Great talks, rubbish app
  • App started interrupting itself with network connection error
  • Trouble loading lately
  • Only two talks on history list after update
  • Latest update frequently cuts out sound
  • Can't access older talks due to iOS 7 update

Requested features

22 requests
  • Add a favorite/like button for talks
  • Support for playlists
  • Follow authors/teachers
  • Transcripts
  • Ability to download talks
Show 17 more
  • Access private talks using retreat codes
  • Listen later feature
  • Playlist tab with '+' symbol
  • Ability to reorder playlists
  • View all talks for a retreat
  • Default talks for beginners
  • Direct ways to contribute dana
  • Privacy policy display
  • Offline mode
  • Dark mode
  • 15-second rewind feature
  • Save/favorite meditations for offline listening
  • History tab for listened talks
  • Android version
  • Caching or downloading to phone
  • Rating system for talks
  • Wishlist/later section

Sounds True

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to access purchased courses
  • App freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Inconsistent login and password issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search functionality to easily find content
  • Allow background audio playback when app is closed
  • Improve offline access to purchased content
  • Provide better integration between app and website

In-app purchases

None

Dharma Seed

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Sounds True

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly All Access$19.991 Month
  • Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$179.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly All Access$189.001 Year

Questions

Is Dharma Seed free?
Dharma Seed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sounds True free?
Sounds True is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dharma Seed or Sounds True?
Sounds True is rated higher. Dharma Seed averages 4.4 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while Sounds True averages 4.6 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Dharma Seed or Sounds True have ads?
Neither Dharma Seed nor Sounds True shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dharma Seed or Sounds True?
Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, and Sounds True every 2 months. Most recently, Dharma Seed was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sounds True on October 30, 2026.

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