# Meditation Timer | Samsara vs Transcend Timer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Transcend Timer at none against Meditation Timer | Samsara's 6. Transcend Timer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). Meditation Timer | Samsara's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (431 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meditation Timer | Samsara sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Transcend Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Transcend Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meditation Timer | Samsara has 431 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Meditation Timer | Samsara's written reviews are positive against 100% of Transcend Timer's.

Meditation Timer | Samsara ships an update every 10 days, Transcend Timer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and August 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meditation Timer | Samsara | Transcend Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (431 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-samsara/id592333521/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcend-timer/id6762544559/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **431** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 90.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bart Jacobs](https://appshunter.io/developer/409409242) | [Martin Di Giglio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814382701) |

## What reviewers say

### Meditation Timer | Samsara

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-samsara/id592333521)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Samsara Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Samsara Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Samsara Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Samsara Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Samsara Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Samsara Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Crashing on launch for some users
- Chimes cutting off prematurely

**Requested features**

- 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


### Transcend Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcend-timer/id6762544559)

This app provides a guided meditation experience with customizable phases for warming up, meditating, and cooling down. It automatically logs sessions to Apple Health and prioritizes user privacy with no account or internet required.

**Highlights:** Three-phase meditation timer (Warm Up, Meditate, Cool Down), Customizable phase durations, Screen stays on during sessions, Automatic Apple Health logging, Adjustable brightness reduction, Background operation with screen lock, No account or internet required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meditation Timer | Samsara free?

Meditation Timer | Samsara is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Transcend Timer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Meditation Timer | Samsara or Transcend Timer?

Transcend Timer is rated higher. Meditation Timer | Samsara averages 4.7 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Transcend Timer averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Meditation Timer | Samsara or Transcend Timer have ads?

Neither Meditation Timer | Samsara nor Transcend Timer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meditation Timer | Samsara or Transcend Timer?

Meditation Timer | Samsara ships an update every 10 days, and Transcend Timer every 2 months. Most recently, Meditation Timer | Samsara was updated on September 20, 2026 and Transcend Timer on August 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.*