Comparison

Meditation Timer | Samsara vs Timefully

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

Head to head
About

Meditation Timer | Samsara

This minimalist app provides a customizable timer for various meditation and mindfulness practices. It features calming chimes, detailed statistics, and iCloud support for seamless data syncing across devices. Designed for simplicity, it helps users focus on their practice without distractions.

Highlights
  • Customizable meditation timer
  • Support for various practices (mantra, mindfulness, zazen, yoga, reiki)
  • Collection of calming chimes (Tibetan bells, singing bowls)
  • Detailed practice statistics and progress tracking
  • iCloud support for data syncing across devices
  • Profile management for easy switching between practices
Read full description

For the past twelve years, Samsara has been the meditation timer of tens of thousands of people around the world. This meditation timer is designed for iPad and iPhone, and caters to a wide range of practices, including mantra meditation, transcendental meditation, tm for short, mindfulness, zazen, yoga, reiki, shiatsu, and more. This elegant mindfulness app brings a unique approach to incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life. It's a perfect choice for practitioners of various flavors of meditation and mindfulness. Samsara's clean and minimalist design keeps your focus steady. The app's interface is thoughtfully crafted with simplicity at its core, ensuring your yoga, meditation, or mindfulness session isn't interrupted by complex features or visually overwhelming elements. Profiles make it easy to switch between practices. Switching between profiles takes a second. Whether you are moving between a yoga session and a mindfulness timer, or shifting between personal and group sessions, your settings can be adjusted with just a few simple taps. This meditation timer includes a collection of calming chimes, such as Tibetan bells, singing bowls, and meditation bells. They allow you to personalize your sessions and create the ideal atmosphere for your practice. The bells and chimes are gentle reminders, guiding your yoga or meditation journey and helping you build a deeper connection with your practice. The app provides detailed, insightful statistics for those who want it. Stay motivated by tracking your progress and patterns over time. Monitor the duration, frequency, and type of your practices to get a deeper understanding of your journey and gain insights into your personal growth. Samsara optionally integrates with Apple's HealthKit. This meditation timer comes with iCloud support, one of the most requested features. Your profiles and sessions are stored in iCloud on Apple's servers. Communication with iCloud is encrypted end-to-end, which means it is safe and secure. What does that mean for you? You don't run the risk of losing your data when you lose your device. Switching to a new device is also a breeze. Another benefit is that you can use Samsara on multiple devices, sharing profiles and sessions. It works like magic. Download Samsara for free and let it be your meditation timer during your practice. Privacy Policy: https://www.adropofzen.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Timefully

This app provides a distraction-free meditation timer designed to help users build consistent habits. It offers customizable timers, rewarding progress tracking with virtual tree growth, and detailed statistics to motivate your practice.

Highlights
  • Customizable meditation timer with unlimited presets
  • Virtual tree growth for practice motivation
  • Comprehensive session statistics and charts
  • Emotion and note tracking
  • Multiple user profiles
  • Apple Watch integration with heart rate tracking
Features
Read full description

Timefully helps meditators build a practice that lasts. A beautifully simple meditation timer with deep tracking, tree-growth motivation, and comprehensive statistics — trusted by 40,000+ meditators worldwide and rated 4.8 stars. WHY TIMEFULLY? Timefully is designed for meditators who know what they want — a distraction-free timer that stays out of your way, tracks your progress, and keeps you motivated. No guided content, no social feed, no ads. Just a powerful, beautiful tool for the practice you already have — Vipassana, Zen, mindfulness, mantra, yoga, or breathwork. YOUR TIMER, YOUR WAY • Unlimited presets per profile — create as many as you need • Unlimited segments: warm-up, main, intervals, cool-down, and more • Tap any segment to adjust its duration during setup • Open session mode for indefinite meditation • Count up or count down — your choice • Simple Mode hides the clock for deeper focus • Beautiful curated backgrounds, or use your own photos • Live Activity and Dynamic Island keep your session in view BEAUTIFUL BELLS & SOUNDS • 40 bell sounds: Tibetan bells, singing bowls, gongs, wind chimes, flutes, and more • Starting and ending bells (1–3 rings each) • Interval bells at set times or repeating • 6 ambient sounds: Rain, Forest, Ocean, Wind, Fireplace, Birds • Add your own custom sounds • Fade-in option and volume control • Silent mode with haptics TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Automatic session tracking from the timer • Manual entry — including backfilling past sessions • Post-session mood and emotion tracking • Notes and reflections, with a word cloud built from your notes • 6 statistics reports with weekly, monthly, and yearly views • Monthly calendar glance view • AI insights with Apple Intelligence STAY MOTIVATED • Set daily and weekly practice goals • Grow virtual trees through consistent practice • 6 tree species: Oak, Cherry Blossom, Mangrove, Maple, Olive, Wisteria • Earn milestones and achievements, and keep your streak • Inspiring quotes after each session — or turn all in-app text off for quiet, focused sessions BUILT FOR APPLE WATCH • Standalone timer on your wrist • Real-time heart rate and HRV during sessions • Haptic guidance and Always-On Display support • Complications, and sessions saved as workouts • Fully 1:1 with iPhone — including intervals MULTIPLE PROFILES & PRESETS • Profiles for different practices: Meditation, Yoga, and more • Unlimited presets per profile, each with its own background • Quick switching between configurations PRIVATE BY DEFAULT • No account required — your data stays in your own iCloud • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch • Export and import your data anytime (Open Sit, CSV and JSON) SEAMLESS INTEGRATION • Apple Health — sessions saved as Mindful Minutes • Siri & Shortcuts, with a ready-made Timefully Shortcut and Action Button support • Do Not Disturb automation • 6 Home Screen widgets and 4 Lock Screen widgets ON YOUR MAC • Native macOS app, ideal for desk meditation during work breaks • Large screen for comprehensive statistics • iCloud sync keeps your practice in step with iPhone and iPad PRICING AND TERMS The timer is always free — no account, no ads, no trial limits. Timefully Pro unlocks iCloud sync, Apple Watch heart rate & HRV, statistics & AI insights, tree growth, achievements & streaks, mood tracking, unlimited profiles, premium bells, and widgets. Timefully Pro offers two auto-renewing subscription options: Monthly: $2.99 per month Annual: $11.99 per year You can also purchase Lifetime access for a one-time payment of $24.99. These prices are for United States users. Pricing in other countries may vary. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: https://www.timefully.co/terms PRIVACY POLICY: https://www.timefully.co/privacy

Screenshots

Meditation Timer | Samsara4 screens
Timefully4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Timefully at 4 against Meditation Timer | Samsara's 2. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Meditation Timer | Samsara sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Timefully sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Meditation Timer | Samsara against 4.8 for Timefully. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 431 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Meditation Timer | Samsara's written reviews are positive against 85% of Timefully's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Meditation Timer | Samsara ships an update every 10 days, Timefully every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Meditation Timer | Samsara versus Timefully: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeditation Timer | SamsaraTimefully
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (431 ratings)4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better85.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4311.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB391 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBart JacobsLalune Creative AB

Customer experience

Meditation Timer | Samsara

All ratings431 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews475 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.3%

Timefully

All ratings1,083 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews160 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral6.9%
Negative8.1%

User reviews

Meditation Timer | Samsara

From 431 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and effective
  • 👍 Elegant and uncluttered design
  • 👍 High-quality bell sounds
  • 👍 Customizable settings
  • 👍 Integrates with Apple Health

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Timer randomly resets
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 💰 Subscription model locks out previous features
  • 🔔 Intrusive reminder to leave a review

Timefully

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and efficient
  • 🚀 Streamlined interface
  • 💡 Helpful tracking features
  • 🌳 Enjoyable tree growth metaphor
  • 👍 Customizable timer settings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional timer issues
  • 🔋 Inconsistent Apple Watch integration
  • 💰 Subscription model concerns
  • 🔍 Limited emotion/mood tracking options

Bugs and requests

Meditation Timer | Samsara

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashing on launch for some users
  • Chimes cutting off prematurely

Requested features

6 requests
  • Apple Watch support
  • More color options for highlights
  • Additional sound effects like other bells and instruments
  • Ability to delete saved profiles
  • Option to continue timer after initial duration
Show 1 more
  • Ability to set multiple timers within a single session

Timefully

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Timer not always completing sessions
  • Apple Watch integration problems
  • Incorrect activity log data

Requested features

5 requests
  • More bell/chime sound options
  • Ability to adjust timer from Apple Watch
  • Option to disable tree growth feature
  • Expanded emotion/mood tracking
  • Sync progress across devices

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Meditation Timer | Samsara

Subscriptions5
  • Samsara Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Samsara Premium Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Samsara Premium Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Samsara Premium Yearly14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Samsara Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Samsara Premium Lifetime$59.99
5 purchases

Timefully

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Quarterly$5.993 Months
  • Annual2 variants$11.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Timefully Annual, 14-day Trial14 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Meditation Timer | Samsara free?
Meditation Timer | Samsara is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Timefully free?
Timefully is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Meditation Timer | Samsara or Timefully?
Timefully is rated higher. Meditation Timer | Samsara averages 4.7 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Timefully averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Meditation Timer | Samsara or Timefully have ads?
Neither Meditation Timer | Samsara nor Timefully shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Meditation Timer | Samsara or Timefully?
Meditation Timer | Samsara ships an update every 10 days, and Timefully every 6 days. Most recently, Meditation Timer | Samsara was updated on September 20, 2026 and Timefully on September 18, 2026.

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