# Meditation Timer vs Thriving Minds

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thriving Minds at none against Meditation Timer's 6. Thriving Minds also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.4). Meditation Timer's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Meditation Timer ships an update fortnightly, Thriving Minds every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meditation Timer | Thriving Minds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-zenitizer/id6444767911/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **220** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 178 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Manuel Kehl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656696237) | [Aipsychi Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732636431) |

## What reviewers say

### Meditation Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-zenitizer/id6444767911)

This app provides a distraction-free environment for your meditation practice. Create custom routines, use interval bells for focus, and enjoy calming soundscapes. Track your progress with detailed statistics and stay motivated with daily goals and reminders.

**Highlights:** Customizable meditation routines, Interval bells for focus, Calming soundscapes, Meditation statistics and tracking, Daily goal setting and streak tracking, Smart reminder notifications, Widgets for Home Screen and Lock Screen

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Zenitizer+ Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Zenitizer+ Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Zenitizer+ Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Zenitizer+ Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Zenitizer+ Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |
| Zenitizer+ Lifetime | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple, intuitive, and distraction-free interface
- 🔔 Customizable bells, chimes, and sound options
- ⌚ Excellent Apple Watch integration
- 🎵 High-quality nature sounds and audio
- 💰 Affordable one-time or annual subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💳 Confusing pricing model (free version very limited)
- 🔔 Default 1-minute interval bells too frequent for some users
- 📢 Aggressive subscription prompts in free version
- 🎵 Sound effects too quiet compared to bells
- 🎨 Could use visual refresh in some areas

**Reported bugs**

- Interval bells not functioning properly in some cases
- App hijacks AirPods from other devices without option to disable
- Apple Watch vibration cannot be turned off
- Crashes on Apple Watch (reported as fixed in v1.12.2)
- Subscription paywall appears before free trial experience

**Requested features**

- Mixer controls for independent bell and effects volume adjustment
- White noise and additional frequency options
- Custom background music upload capability
- Meditation reminders/notifications
- Dynamic Island and Lock Screen activity controls


### Thriving Minds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thriving-minds/id6743543301)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meditation Timer free?

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

### Is Thriving Minds free?

Thriving Minds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Meditation Timer or Thriving Minds have ads?

Neither Meditation Timer nor Thriving Minds shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meditation Timer or Thriving Minds?

Meditation Timer ships an update fortnightly, and Thriving Minds every 4 weeks. Most recently, Meditation Timer was updated on October 25, 2026 and Thriving Minds on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*