Comparison

Breath Meditation Timer vs Oku

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

Head to head
About

Breath Meditation Timer

Features
Read full description

How to Use (Both Watch and iOS) 1. *Settings Configuration*: - Tap the settings gear icon. - Choose the desired meditation duration (default is 20 minutes). - Set the number of intervals to divide the session into (default is 4). 2. *Starting the Timer*: - Exit the settings page. - Press the play button to start the timer. The play button will transform into a pause button, allowing you to pause and resume the timer as needed. You can also tap the center of the screen to start or pause the timer. - Note: The watch and phone apps maintain separate settings. 3. *Viewing Progress*: - The session progress will be displayed inside the progress bar ring. 4. *Resetting the timer*: - Press the "restart" button (counter clockwise arrow) in the upper left to reset the timer. Mindful Minutes and Apple Health Integration - The app can upload the number of mindful minutes to your Apple Health data if you permit it. - After finishing your first session, iOS will prompt you to allow mindful minutes to be recorded. - Minutes are uploaded upon session completion or early exit, ensuring every mindful minute is recorded. Feedback and Feature Requests - For feedback and feature requests, email petewil at live dot com. - The app is free with no ads or in-app purchases. While there are no guarantees for fixes or updates, I do plan to fix major bugs and keep up to date with iOS. Using the Meditation Timer Silently (Vibration Only) on the Watch - Until CoreHaptics is available, only pre-selected vibrations with sound can be used. - To silence sounds, put the watch in silent mode: (see screenshot on this page) - Press the side button. - Tap the bell icon. - This setup is ideal for silent meditation in crowded places (e.g., planes, trains, buses). - Remember to turn off silent mode when done. Using the Meditation Timer silently on the phone Just use the mute switch on the side of your phone, and then the timer will only vibrate and not play sounds. Turning on Focus Mode on the Watch - To avoid interruptions, enable focus mode: - Tap the watch side button. - Scroll to the moon icon to enter the built-in focus mode. - Select the desired focus mode (sleep focus or personal focus). - Disable focus mode after your session. Re-enabling mindful minutes upload If you change your mind about Breath Meditation Timer having permission to write mindful minutes to Apple Health, you can change it as follows: - Open the apple health app on the phone - Tap the sharing icon at the bottom (the one that looks like two people next to each other) - Down near the bottom tap on "Apps and Services" - Choose "Breathe Meditation Timer" - Under "Allow Breath Meditation Timer top write", turn on or off "Mindful Minutes" Distraction free: To avoid distractions, I've turned off the time and cell phone signal in the top bar for the iPhone and iPad version of the app. In the future I plan to add a setting so you can turn it back on if you want it. App Background - How this came about: While leading silent meditation sessions, we would often ring a bell every 5 minutes out of our 20 minute meditation. This gave those practicing meditation a chance to switch between different practices during our session. While we could use a phone app that has a bell ring sound, it seemed more fun to ring a physical bell. This watch app is designed to vibrate on your wrist at the interval boundaries so you can then ring a physical bell if you desire. - The app uses wrist vibrations at interval boundaries, allowing users to ring a physical bell if desired. - It's also beneficial for quiet meditation in public spaces, such as on public transit. Enjoy your meditation sessions with our meditation timer app. If you have any questions or need support, feel free to reach out!

About

Oku

A straightforward meditation timer designed for simplicity. It allows users to set meditation durations and choose a completion sound without distractions from subscriptions, guided sessions, or ads. Focus on your practice with just a press of a button.

Highlights
  • Customizable meditation timer (1-90 minutes)
  • Choice of completion sounds (singing bowl, bell, chime)
  • Ad-free experience
  • No subscriptions required
  • No account needed
  • Simple, distraction-free interface
Features
Read full description

A meditation timer that gets out of your way. No subscriptions. No guided sessions. Just press start and sit. I built Oku because every meditation app I tried wanted me to subscribe, watch a tutorial, or pick from a library of guided sessions. I just wanted to sit down, meditate and track my sessions. So that's what this app does. Set your time anywhere from 1 to 90 minutes with a simple drag gesture. Pick a completion sound you like: singing bowl, soft bell, or warm chime. Press begin. That's the whole app. No subscriptions. No account. No ads.

Screenshots

Breath Meditation Timer3 screens
Oku3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Oku at monthly against Breath Meditation Timer's every 14 months. Oku also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Breath Meditation Timer ships an update every 14 months, Oku monthly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Breath Meditation Timer versus Oku: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBreath Meditation TimerOku
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter WilliamsonClarissa Watanabe

In-app purchases

None

Breath Meditation Timer

No in-app purchases

None

Oku

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Breath Meditation Timer free?
Breath Meditation Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Oku free?
Oku is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Breath Meditation Timer or Oku have ads?
Neither Breath Meditation Timer nor Oku shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Breath Meditation Timer or Oku?
Breath Meditation Timer ships an update every 14 months, and Oku monthly. Most recently, Breath Meditation Timer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Oku on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons