Comparison

Sym Breathing vs Hang Buddy

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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.

About

Hang Buddy

Features
Read full description

Hang Buddy is your dedicated timer and companion for dead hanging, helping you build grip strength, decompress your spine, and improve shoulder mobility. Why dead hang? Research shows that grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of overall health and longevity. Dead hanging builds functional strength in your hands, wrists, and forearms whilst decompressing your spine and stretching your shoulders. Features: Guided timer — Customisable session length with visual countdown and progress ring Get-ready countdown — Time to get on the bar before your session begins Apple Health integration — Automatically save every session as a workout Apple Watch app — Track sessions directly from your wrist Reminders — Set up to 10 daily nudges to hang throughout the day Audio feedback — Optional second-by-second ticks and 10 second chimes to keep you focused Session history — Review your hanging progress over time Start small, build big. Begin with 10-20 second hangs and work your way up. Hang Buddy helps you stay consistent with gentle reminders and automatic tracking, so all you need to focus on is hanging on.

Screenshots

Sym Breathing4 screens
Hang Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sym Breathing at Free against Hang Buddy's $1.99. Hang Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads 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

Sym Breathing is free to download; Hang Buddy costs $1.99 up front. Sym Breathing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Hang Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sym Breathing versus Hang Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSym BreathingHang Buddy
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (37 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB4 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDaniel LubbersManicgrin Media Ltd

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Sym Breathing

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Annually7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$24.99
None

Hang Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sym Breathing free?
Sym Breathing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hang Buddy free?
Hang Buddy costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sym Breathing or Hang Buddy have ads?
Neither Sym Breathing nor Hang Buddy shows ads.

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