# Bowl Timer vs Zazen Meditation Timer

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Zazen Meditation Timer at 18 against Bowl Timer's 4. Bowl Timer's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bowl Timer against 4.9 for Zazen Meditation Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 18 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Bowl Timer ships an update every 2 months, Zazen Meditation Timer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bowl Timer | Zazen Meditation Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bowl-timer/id6740139131/reviews)** | [4.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zazen-meditation-timer/id6758103634/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 51 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Johannes Roth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788486127) | [Jake Sager](https://appshunter.io/developer/654819574) |

## What reviewers say

### Bowl Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bowl-timer/id6740139131)

This app helps you meditate without distractions using calming bowl gongs. You can customize session lengths and intervals, with all settings saved locally. It's completely free, offline, and ad-free.

**Highlights:** Guided meditation with bowl gongs, Customizable session lengths up to 60 minutes, Split sessions into 1-5 intervals, Local settings saving, Total meditation time tracking, 100% free and offline

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Zazen Meditation Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zazen-meditation-timer/id6758103634)

A straightforward meditation timer designed for simplicity. It includes essential features like interval bells and progress tracking, with no advertisements or unnecessary additions.

**Highlights:** Interval bells, Statistics tracking, Streak tracking, Ad-free experience, No upsells or bloat

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bowl Timer free?

Bowl Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Zazen Meditation Timer free?

Zazen Meditation Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bowl Timer or Zazen Meditation Timer?

Bowl Timer is rated higher. Bowl Timer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Zazen Meditation Timer averages 4.9 from 18 ratings.

### Do Bowl Timer or Zazen Meditation Timer have ads?

Neither Bowl Timer nor Zazen Meditation Timer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bowl Timer or Zazen Meditation Timer?

Bowl Timer ships an update every 2 months, and Zazen Meditation Timer every 6 weeks. Most recently, Bowl Timer was updated on November 12, 2026 and Zazen Meditation Timer on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*