# Pocket Meditation Timer vs Calming Sounds

The clearest difference is ads: Calming Sounds at none against Pocket Meditation Timer's shown. Calming Sounds also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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.

Calming Sounds holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 79% positive.

Pocket Meditation Timer ships an update every 7 months, Calming Sounds every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Meditation Timer | Calming Sounds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-meditation-timer/id515571863/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calming-sounds/id1483074321/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 78.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [倩 赵](https://appshunter.io/developer/376557917) | [Gurmokh Sangha](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483074320) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Calming Sounds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calming-sounds/id1483074321)

Discover a curated collection of sounds designed to aid meditation, promote relaxation, and eliminate distractions. Enjoy nature, water, white noise, Zen, and LoFi beats. Set a timer for continuous playback, even with your screen locked.

**Highlights:** Nature sounds, Water sounds, White noise, Zen sounds, LoFi beats, Sleep timer, Background playback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Calming and relaxing sounds
- 🙌 No ads or in-app purchases
- 💤 Helps with sleep and relaxation
- 🎶 Wide variety of sound options
- 🕰️ Ability to set timers for sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Limited sound selection
- ⏱️ 10-minute playback limit
- 🔀 Inconsistent sound playback
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Sounds randomly stopping during playback
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- More sound options (e.g., brown noise, binaural beats)
- Ability to customize timer duration
- Background playback without time limits
- Additional music and ambient sound choices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Meditation Timer free?

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

### Is Calming Sounds free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Meditation Timer or Calming Sounds?

Calming Sounds is rated higher. Pocket Meditation Timer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Calming Sounds averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Pocket Meditation Timer or Calming Sounds have ads?

Pocket Meditation Timer shows ads; Calming Sounds does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Meditation Timer or Calming Sounds?

Pocket Meditation Timer ships an update every 7 months, and Calming Sounds every 3 months. Most recently, Pocket Meditation Timer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Calming Sounds 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.*