Comparison

mindLightz vs HeartMath

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

Head to head
About

mindLightz

Transform your device into a light and sound machine. Mix binaural sounds, isochronic tones, and ambient effects with your own audio library. Create custom settings or use 84 preset programs for different brain states.

Highlights
  • Audio-Visual Stimulation (AVS)
  • Binaural sounds and isochronic tones
  • Customizable audio mixer
  • 25 built-in ambient sound effects
  • 84 preset programs
  • Manual mode for custom settings
Features
Read full description

The mindLightz AVS App (previously named iLightz) is the most advanced and user friendly platform for transforming your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a state of the art "light and sound" machine. This free App is, by itself, a Deluxe "Audio Mixer" allowing the user to combine and individually adjust the volume levels of our precisely produced binaural sounds or isochronic tones with any of 25 built-in ambient sound effects "mixed" with any audio file in your library. These capabilities alone make this App one of the very best and most versatile binaural sound generator Apps available today. With the purchase of our separately available mindLightz™ Bluetooth Glasses, users can experience the Planet's first completely wireless "Audio-Visual Stimulation" (AVS) system. By utilizing the power of Apple’s iOS, we have been able to simplify the user interface while delivering exciting new features and producing the most advanced and sophisticated AVS system available today. The mindLightz™ App includes 84 unique preset programs designed to help users achieve different brain-states. Additionally our "manual" mode allows you to easily create your own custom settings. Finally, we would like to ask all our users to please contact us first before leaving any negative reviews. Leaving a one star rating with a review only stating "App does not work" provides us no meaningful feedback or any way to investigate what maybe wrong. As we add new features and capabilities to our App and as Apple continues to update iOS and expand the number of devices, there is always the possibility of some problems or issues arising with our App and hardware. This, in fact, happened to a recent update which was approved just as Apple released iOS 8.3. Unfortunately, our update, which had been thoroughly tested, turn out not to "play" well with iOS 8.3. We immediately began working on a fix and had it released to the App Store within 1 week. Unfortunately, that was not fast enough as some users had already re-rated and re-reviewed our App negatively without ever contacting us. So, if you find a bug, or are having problems with our optional hardware, PLEASE contact us FIRST as we take ALL problems very seriously and will do whatever necessary to make things right, especially if it involves our iLightz II or mindLightz™ AVS hardware. Thank you for your help, understanding and continued support!

About

HeartMath

This app helps you manage stress, improve focus, and achieve optimal performance by aligning your heart, mind, and emotions. It offers guided sessions, immersive journeys, and coherence practices based on over 30 years of research.

Highlights
  • Real-time HRV Coherence Measurement
  • Coherence Training
  • Scientifically Validated Techniques
  • Guided Learning Sessions
  • Progress Tracking
  • Heart-Brain Coherence Benefits
Features
Read full description

Align your heart, mind, and emotions to help you manage stress, improve focus, and perform at your best. Enjoy HeartMath’s free intro experience to access your heart’s natural intelligence and see your heart-brain coherence as real-time feedback. Then start your 7-day free trial to explore a comprehensive collection of guided sessions, immersive journeys, and coherence practices designed to help you experience greater calm, focus, clearer thinking, and a more balanced you. **Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor owners: Use your sensor to unlock a lifetime subscription.** Built on 30+ years of research on the heart-brain connection and supported by over 500 research studies, HeartMath is used in wellness and resilience programs at organizations including Stanford Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente, as well as in professional sports, the military, law enforcement, leading universities, non-profit organizations, and major corporations. It is used by coaches, trainers, and health professionals for stress education and resilience training. The HeartMath system is more than stress management: it’s a journey to more heart-centered living. This app puts HeartMath’s practical, research-supported tools right at your fingertips. Make mental and emotional well-being an achievable part of your daily life. The HeartMath technology is for stress education and resilience training. It is not a medical device. We encourage you to consult a health professional before making any medical decisions. KEY FEATURES • Real-time HRV coherence feedback: Use your phone’s camera or upgrade to the Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor for a more precise signal and a free app subscription. • Coherence training: Whether you choose the game or the guided mode, watch your heart-rhythm pattern and coherence change in real time. • Research-Supported: Techniques developed from 30+ years of scientific research to help boost focus, positive feelings, and your ability to manage stress. • Guided learning: Explore guided meditations, courses, and videos led by HeartMath trainers. • Progress tracking: View your progress over time with a variety of chart options. WHAT REGULAR COHERENCE PRACTICE CAN SUPPORT Heart-brain coherence is a balanced, focused state you create yourself through calm breathing and positive focus. Coherence supports the body’s natural ability to shift from tension to calm, helping you manage everyday stress and build inner balance. • SUPPORTS STRESS MANAGEMENT & EMOTIONAL BALANCE • SUPPORTS FOCUS AND MENTAL CLARITY — coherent states are associated with more focus, clarity, and creativity. • SUPPORTS RESILIENCE — regular practice can help you adapt to and recover from challenging situations more quickly. • ENHANCES EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND SELF-AWARENESS — practice can support a greater sense of inner calm and a more mindful relationship with your emotions. Subscription terms: • Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each year. • You can cancel your subscription at any time in your account settings. • You will not be refunded for any unused portion of a subscription. • Price is subject to change. • Subscriptions are not available in all countries. • Full subscription terms: https://my.heartmath.com/terms If you’d like to purchase an Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor to unlock complimentary lifetime access to the HeartMath app, please visit the HeartMath website.

Screenshots

mindLightz4 screens
HeartMath4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: mindLightz at none against HeartMath's 5. mindLightz also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 26.0). HeartMath's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (4.6K vs 82). On price, review sentiment, 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. HeartMath sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.00 per year. mindLightz asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HeartMath holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HeartMath has 4.6K ratings behind it against 82, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of mindLightz's written reviews are positive against 73% of HeartMath's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mindLightz ships an update every 4 months, HeartMath every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
mindLightz versus HeartMath: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermindLightzHeartMath
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (82 ratings)4.9 (4.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews — better73.1% of reviews
Number of ratings824.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS9.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB185 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMind GearHeartMath Inc.

Customer experience

mindLightz

All ratings82 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative20.0%

HeartMath

All ratings4,564 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews171 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative21.6%

Bugs and requests

mindLightz

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

HeartMath

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sensor connection issues on newer devices
  • App crashes and freezes on iPhone 16 Pro
  • Inaccurate heart rate and coherence readings
  • Screen sleep behavior disrupting sessions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Allow playing music/sounds during sessions
  • Provide audio feedback on coherence levels
  • Add session history customization and details
  • Improve sensor compatibility with older devices

In-app purchases

None

mindLightz

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

HeartMath

Subscriptions4
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$39.001 Year
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$59.001 Year
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial2 variants$79.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is mindLightz free?
mindLightz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HeartMath free?
HeartMath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, mindLightz or HeartMath?
HeartMath is rated higher. mindLightz averages 4.7 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while HeartMath averages 4.9 from 4.6K ratings.
Do mindLightz or HeartMath have ads?
Neither mindLightz nor HeartMath shows ads.
Which is updated more often, mindLightz or HeartMath?
mindLightz ships an update every 4 months, and HeartMath every 3 weeks. Most recently, mindLightz was updated on September 29, 2026 and HeartMath on October 1, 2026.

Other comparisons