Comparison

Madrona Meditation vs Transcend

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

Head to head
About

Madrona Meditation

This app offers guided meditations created by therapists to help users manage stress, anxiety, and distractions. It provides flexible sessions for daily support or deeper journeys, focusing on living more humanely.

Highlights
  • Therapist-curated content
  • Flexible session lengths
  • Focus on living more humanely
  • Integrates with Apple Health
  • Explores context and 'why' of practice
  • Guided by experienced clinicians
Features
Read full description

Madrona Meditation is an app for daily living & everything that comes with it—good, bad, or ugly. Madrona is the first meditation app created and curated by therapists. We’re integrating the contemplative with the clinical into original new content. To fill-in whenever you fall out. LIVE MORE HUMAN(ly) Too busy. Too distracted. Too anxious. Too exhausted. It’s inhuman! So, how about making a little space and time to reset and re-balance? Discover what it’s like to live in a more humane way, with room for your self, feelings and relationships. FLEXIBLE. CONSISTENT. EASY. Madrona is always here for you, whatever your schedule allows. 5 minutes between meetings, 30 minutes for a walk, 1 hour on weekends, or stuck at the airport Whether you need a quick one-off for daily support or full-blown course as part of a deeper journey: Our meditations are always flexible and friendly. FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE Meditation is more than a soothing voice and simple instructions. Minds. Behaviors. Relationships. Emotions. Discover what it means to love being human. Explore the context and "why" of your practice, letting your curiosity lead the way. Madrona is a journey for those who want to learn, not just follow. GUIDES YOU CAN TRUST No self-appointed “influencers.” No pseudo-spiritual narcissists. No overconfident public intellectuals. Madrona is created and curated by master’s and doctoral level clinicians, with thousands of hours of meditation training. We have practiced with Buddhist monks, in monasteries, and with renowned teachers. Before ever teaching another soul, we lived, breathed, and worked with these practices for years. You'll have the option to save your meditation sessions as Mindful Minutes in your Apple Health App. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS Madrona offers two auto-renewing subscriptions: $14.99 per month $119.99 per year This price is for US customers, and pricing in other countries may vary. The actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on your country of residence. If you select the auto-renewing subscription membership option, payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase and your Madrona subscription will automatically renew in a year unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your credit card will be charged for renewal through your Apple ID account within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can turn off an auto-renewing subscription at any time from your Apple ID Settings but refunds will not be issued for any unused portion of the term. Here is a link to our Privacy Policy: https://www.madronameditation.com/privacy/ Here is a link to our Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Transcend

Reprogram your subconscious mind using brainwave science and AI-personalized content while you sleep. This app delivers goal-oriented suggestions and integrates new beliefs through unique audio and breathwork techniques for lasting transformation.

Highlights
  • Sleep programming with goal-oriented suggestions
  • Suggestive breathwork for stress reduction
  • Subliminal affirmations with Neural Stacking
  • AI-personalized content generation
  • Binaural beats and customizable soundscapes
  • Targets specific brainwave frequencies
Features
Read full description

Reprogram your subconscious mind while you sleep. Transcend uses brainwave science to create lasting change—not just temporary relaxation. Instead of generic meditation, we guide your mind toward specific frequencies to reach your subconscious and help install new beliefs, habits, and identities. ▸ SLEEP PROGRAMMING Goal-oriented suggestions delivered while you sleep, when your conscious "gatekeeper" is offline and your subconscious is most open. Wake up different. ▸ SUGGESTIVE BREATHWORK Shift out of stress (Beta) and into a receptive, relaxed state (Alpha). Our breathwork primes your mind for change before every session. ▸ SUBLIMINAL AFFIRMATIONS Integrate new beliefs into daily life with "Neural Stacking"—pairing affirmations with everyday tasks so change sticks. ▸ AI-PERSONALIZED CONTENT Advanced AI generates affirmations and suggestions tailored to YOUR goals—confidence, wealth, relationships, focus, or breaking a habit. ▸ BINAURAL BEATS & SOUNDSCAPES Customizable audio environments and voice guides to settle your mind into the right state. TRANSFORM EVERY AREA: • Stress & Anxiety • Confidence & Self-Esteem • Wealth & Abundance • Sleep & Relaxation • Relationships & Love • Health & Fitness • Focus & Productivity • Breaking Bad Habits • And 50+ more goals WHY IT WORKS: Your mind moves through different brainwave states. By guiding you toward Delta (deep sleep), Theta (subconscious access), and Alpha (relaxed receptivity), Transcend delivers suggestions when you're most open to change. Start with 10 free sessions. Transform your life today. Terms of Use: https://trancend.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://trancend.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Madrona Meditation4 screens
Transcend4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Madrona Meditation at none against Transcend's shown. Madrona Meditation also leads on ratings volume (30 vs 1). Transcend's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Madrona Meditation sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Transcend sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Transcend holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Madrona Meditation has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Madrona Meditation's written reviews are positive against 100% of Transcend's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Madrona Meditation ships an update every 3 weeks, Transcend every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Madrona Meditation versus Transcend: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMadrona MeditationTranscend
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (30 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings30 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.0.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB272 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMadrona Meditation, LLCTrancend LLC

Customer experience

Madrona Meditation

All ratings30 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Transcend

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Madrona Meditation

Subscriptions15
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership14 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 12 more
  • Monthly Discounted Membership3 Months trial$9.991 Month
  • Madrona Monthly14 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership1 Year trial$14.991 Month
  • Madrona Monthly1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Annual Membership14 Days trial$35.991 Year
  • Annual 50% off Promo14 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Annual 20% off Membership1 Month trial$95.991 Year
  • Annual Discounted Membership3 Months trial$99.991 Year
  • Annual Membership1 Year trial$119.991 Year
  • Madrona Annual1 Month trial$119.991 Year
  • Annual Membership14 Days trial2 variants$119.991 Year
8 purchases

Transcend

Subscriptions8
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Transcend Premium Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Transcend Premium Membership3 Days trial$19.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Transcend Premium Yearly7 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Transcend Premium Membership3 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Madrona Meditation free?
Madrona Meditation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Transcend free?
Transcend is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Madrona Meditation or Transcend?
Transcend is rated higher. Madrona Meditation averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Transcend averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Madrona Meditation or Transcend have ads?
Transcend shows ads; Madrona Meditation does not.
Which is updated more often, Madrona Meditation or Transcend?
Madrona Meditation ships an update every 3 weeks, and Transcend every 2 days. Most recently, Madrona Meditation was updated on October 27, 2026 and Transcend on October 6, 2026.

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