Comparison

Healthy Oregon Project vs Ember Timer

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

Head to head
About

Healthy Oregon Project

This research study app allows users to contribute to understanding disease causes by completing health and behavior surveys. It also connects participants with potential research opportunities and provides updates on health resources.

Highlights
  • Enroll in research study
  • Complete health and behavior surveys
  • Access health resources
  • Discover research opportunities
  • Receive study updates
  • Secure data storage
Features
Read full description

The Healthy Oregon Project (HOP) is a no-cost research study from Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR). The goal of this study is to understand the causes of cancer and other diseases in order to save lives. In your HOP app, you can complete surveys on health, wellness, and behaviors that scientists will use to answer research questions related to health. HOP also acts as a resource to connect participants with research opportunities they may be eligible to participate in. You can use this app to create a secure account and enroll in the HOP study. With the HOP app, you’ll have access to: • Learn more about the study and sign a consent form to participate • Complete surveys and study activities about your health, wellness, and behaviors to contribute to early detection research • Receive updates about the study, health resources, and opportunities to join additional research studies To participate, you must be 18 years old or older. Your survey responses and information provided will be part of a research repository that will be used by researchers from OHSU and other organizations to answer important scientific questions about health and to identify participants for future research opportunities. HOP aims to enroll more than 100,000 people from in and around Oregon. HOP is ongoing and does not have a projected end date. All data collected will be stored securely to ensure your privacy is maintained. For more information about HOP, visit www.HealthyOregonProject.com or email us at HealthyOregonProject@ohsu.edu.

About

Ember Timer

A minimalist meditation timer focused on silent, haptic alerts. Set your duration with a drag and begin a session with a glowing candle animation. Gentle vibrations and visual cues signal the end of your meditation.

Highlights
  • Silent meditation timer
  • Haptic feedback alerts
  • Candle flame animation
  • Simple duration setting
  • Apple Health sync
  • Offline use
Features
Read full description

A candle in a dark room. That's it. Ember Timer is a meditation timer stripped to its essence. No guided audio. No streak counters. No social features. No settings screens. Just a warm flame on a dark background, and silence. Set your duration with a simple drag. Tap to begin. The candle glows in silence. When time is up, a gentle haptic heartbeat and soft velvet ripples bring you back — no jarring alarms, no sudden brightness. It may look simple. That is its strength. In a world of meditation apps competing for your attention, Ember Timer asks for nothing. It sits quietly until you need it, does one thing with care, and gets out of your way. - Warm candle flame animation on deep indigo - Gentle haptic heartbeat upon completion - Soft velvet curtain alert with rippling waves - Tap the golden koi to view past sessions, synced with Apple Health - No accounts, no ads, no tracking - No internet connection required Designed with intention. A quiet space to sit.

Screenshots

Healthy Oregon Project4 screens
Ember Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ember Timer at 100% against Healthy Oregon Project's 17%. Ember Timer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Healthy Oregon Project's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and ratings volume (10 vs 2). On 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

Healthy Oregon Project is free to download; Ember Timer costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ember Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Healthy Oregon Project has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Healthy Oregon Project's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ember Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Healthy Oregon Project ships an update every 3 weeks, Ember Timer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Healthy Oregon Project versus Ember Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHealthy Oregon ProjectEmber Timer
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB2 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperVibrent Health, Inc.WILLEM DAVID LARSEN

Customer experience

Healthy Oregon Project

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

Ember Timer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Healthy Oregon Project

No in-app purchases

None

Ember Timer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Healthy Oregon Project free?
Healthy Oregon Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ember Timer free?
Ember Timer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Healthy Oregon Project or Ember Timer?
Ember Timer is rated higher. Healthy Oregon Project averages 3.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Ember Timer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Healthy Oregon Project or Ember Timer have ads?
Neither Healthy Oregon Project nor Ember Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Healthy Oregon Project or Ember Timer?
Healthy Oregon Project ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ember Timer every 5 days. Most recently, Healthy Oregon Project was updated on November 8, 2026 and Ember Timer on October 31, 2026.

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