Sym Breathing vs Coherence
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sym Breathing
This app offers guided breathwork to help you achieve a calm and balanced state. It uses a steady 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance well-being. Features include customizable cues, daily affirmations, and a night mode for sleep.
- Guided 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm
- Customizable audio, visual, and haptic cues
- Daily affirmations for positive mindset
- Night mode for reduced blue light
- Seamless audio integration with other apps
- Effortless session initiation
Read full descriptionHide full description
SYM BREATHING A simple way to slow down, breathe evenly, and find a calmer rhythm. Sym Breathing guides you through a balanced 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale using smooth visual, audio, and haptic cues. This slow, even rhythm is commonly known as coherent breathing or resonant breathing. Choose a session length, tap the breathing sphere, and follow along. No complicated routines. No overwhelming controls. Just a simple breathing practice you can return to whenever you need a few quiet minutes. GUIDED BREATHING, YOUR WAY Follow the expanding and contracting breathing sphere, listen for gentle audio cues, feel subtle haptic feedback, or combine all three. Choose the guidance that works best for you and your surroundings. A SIMPLE, BALANCED RHYTHM Sym Breathing uses a 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale, approximately 5.5 breaths per minute. The app keeps the rhythm for you, so you can focus on breathing instead of counting seconds or watching a clock. CHOOSE YOUR SESSION Select a breath count for a defined practice or choose an open-ended session and breathe for as long as you like. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS Begin with a daily affirmation that offers a brief moment of positive reflection before your breathing practice. NIGHT MODE Switch to a warm red interface for a softer visual experience in low-light environments or before bed. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN AUDIO Keep listening to music, ambient sounds, podcasts, or other audio while you breathe. Adjust the breathing cue volume independently to create the experience you prefer. COHERENT BREATHING Slow, balanced breathing practices are commonly used for relaxation, mindfulness, stress management, and supporting autonomic regulation. Research has also explored resonant breathing in relation to heart rate variability, or HRV. Sym Breathing makes this practice easy to follow by guiding each inhale and exhale for you. PREMIUM Unlock all premium features with a monthly or annual subscription. The annual subscription includes a 7-day free trial. Unless canceled before the trial ends, the subscription automatically renews at the displayed annual price. Subscriptions can be managed or canceled through your App Store account settings. HEALTH DISCLAIMER Sym Breathing is intended for general wellness, relaxation, and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you experience discomfort or dizziness while practicing breathwork, stop the session. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new wellness practice if you have questions or concerns about your health. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Breathe slowly. Find your rhythm.
Coherence
Master your nervous system through guided breathwork. Access over 500 breathing patterns to shift your state, from calm and focus to energy and sleep. Connect with a global community in live sessions and create custom routines.
- Nervous system interface via breath
- Shift states: calm, focus, energy, sleep
- Daily global live breathing sessions
- 500+ research-backed breathing patterns
- Custom breathing sequence creator
- Progress tracking and stats
- Community features and leaderboards
Read full descriptionHide full description
YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, ON DEMAND Coherence is a nervous system interface. Using the science of breath, shift into calm, focus, or energy in minutes. Your breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control - a direct line to your nervous system. Coherence gives you the patterns to use it. SHIFT YOUR STATE - Calm: Activate your parasympathetic system to release stress - Focus: Enter alert relaxation for deep work - Energy: Stimulate your system for peak performance - Sleep: Downregulate for faster, deeper rest BREATHE WITH THE WORLD Join the Daily Sync - a live global session where people worldwide breathe together in perfect unison. Watch participants appear around a real-time 3D Earth. Set an intention. Experience collective coherence. 500+ BREATHING PATTERNS Techniques selected from peer-reviewed research and proven traditions: - Coherence: Heart-brain synchronization (5.5s rhythm) - Box Breath: Used by Navy SEALs for composure under pressure - 4-7-8: Vagal activation for rapid calm - Physiological Sigh: The fastest way to reduce stress - Vortex: Fibonacci-based energizing sequence - Tummo: Traditional Tibetan inner heat practice - Sleep, Focus, Energy patterns and more CREATE YOUR OWN Build custom breathing sequences with our visual editor. Set phase durations, add music from Spotify or Apple Music, record your own voice guidance, and share with the community. TRACK YOUR REGULATION - Streaks and daily practice stats - Session history and insights - Weekly progress visualization - Level progression system COMPETE & CONNECT - Weekly leagues with promotion and demotion - Global leaderboards - User profiles and friends - Invite others to sync sessions DESIGNED FOR FOCUS - Minimalist dark interface - Zen mode fades the UI so nothing distracts you - Beautiful animations guide your breath - Sonic cues keep you on rhythm - Works with screen off - Works in airplane mode SUBSCRIPTION All features require an active subscription: - Monthly: $9.99/month - Annual: $39.99/year (3-day free trial) - Cancel anytime in App Store settings Take control of your nervous system. Terms of Use: https://www.coherencebreath.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.coherencebreath.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Sym Breathing at freemium against Coherence's subscription. Sym Breathing also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 84%). Coherence's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (566 vs 35). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Sym Breathing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Coherence sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Sym Breathing against 4.8 for Coherence. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Coherence has 566 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Sym Breathing's written reviews are positive against 84% of Coherence's.
Sym Breathing ships an update every 3 weeks, Coherence every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on August 2, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sym Breathing | Coherence |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (35 ratings) — better | 4.8 (566 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews — better | 84.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 35 | 566 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 176 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Lubbers | John Sweeney |
Customer experience
Sym Breathing
Coherence
In-app purchases
Sym Breathing
- Monthly$0.991 Month
- Annually7 Days trial$4.991 Year
- Lifetime$24.99
Coherence
- Coherence Monthly Membership$14.991 Month
- Coherence Membership3 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Coherence Friend Pass14 Days trial$69.991 Year
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Coherence Membership$69.991 Year
- Coherence Membership1 Month trial$69.991 Year
- Coherence3 Months trial$69.991 Year
Questions
Is Sym Breathing free?
Is Coherence free?
Which has better reviews, Sym Breathing or Coherence?
Do Sym Breathing or Coherence have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sym Breathing or Coherence?
Other comparisons















