Comparison

Coherence vs 5D Waves

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

Head to head
About

Coherence

Master your nervous system through guided breathwork. Access over 500 breathing patterns to shift your state, from calm and focus to energy and sleep. Connect with a global community in live sessions and create custom routines.

Highlights
  • Nervous system interface via breath
  • Shift states: calm, focus, energy, sleep
  • Daily global live breathing sessions
  • 500+ research-backed breathing patterns
  • Custom breathing sequence creator
  • Progress tracking and stats
  • Community features and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, ON DEMAND Coherence is a nervous system interface. Using the science of breath, shift into calm, focus, or energy in minutes. Your breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control - a direct line to your nervous system. Coherence gives you the patterns to use it. SHIFT YOUR STATE - Calm: Activate your parasympathetic system to release stress - Focus: Enter alert relaxation for deep work - Energy: Stimulate your system for peak performance - Sleep: Downregulate for faster, deeper rest BREATHE WITH THE WORLD Join the Daily Sync - a live global session where people worldwide breathe together in perfect unison. Watch participants appear around a real-time 3D Earth. Set an intention. Experience collective coherence. 500+ BREATHING PATTERNS Techniques selected from peer-reviewed research and proven traditions: - Coherence: Heart-brain synchronization (5.5s rhythm) - Box Breath: Used by Navy SEALs for composure under pressure - 4-7-8: Vagal activation for rapid calm - Physiological Sigh: The fastest way to reduce stress - Vortex: Fibonacci-based energizing sequence - Tummo: Traditional Tibetan inner heat practice - Sleep, Focus, Energy patterns and more CREATE YOUR OWN Build custom breathing sequences with our visual editor. Set phase durations, add music from Spotify or Apple Music, record your own voice guidance, and share with the community. TRACK YOUR REGULATION - Streaks and daily practice stats - Session history and insights - Weekly progress visualization - Level progression system COMPETE & CONNECT - Weekly leagues with promotion and demotion - Global leaderboards - User profiles and friends - Invite others to sync sessions DESIGNED FOR FOCUS - Minimalist dark interface - Zen mode fades the UI so nothing distracts you - Beautiful animations guide your breath - Sonic cues keep you on rhythm - Works with screen off - Works in airplane mode SUBSCRIPTION All features require an active subscription: - Monthly: $9.99/month - Annual: $39.99/year (3-day free trial) - Cancel anytime in App Store settings Take control of your nervous system. Terms of Use: https://www.coherencebreath.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.coherencebreath.com/privacy

About

5D Waves

Enhance your mindfulness journey with immersive soundscapes, soothing visuals, and AI-powered conversations. Explore curated playlists for sleep, focus, and relaxation, and utilize a tone generator for deeper meditation.

Highlights
  • Curated soundscape playlists
  • Immersive calming visuals
  • Pure tone frequency generator
  • AI-powered conversational assistant
  • Premium subscription for exclusive features
Features
Read full description

Shift your state through sound. 5D Waves pairs pure tone frequencies, immersive ambient soundscapes, and guided rhythmic breathwork to help you quiet mental clutter, drop into deep focus, and restore your nervous system. Whether you are settling into deep creative work, resetting between tasks, or winding down into restorative sleep, 5D Waves provides an intentional audio sanctuary free of visual noise and everyday digital friction. Key Features: *Pure Tone Frequencies: Carefully tuned solfeggio tones, binaural sound, and harmonic frequencies designed to align your mind and body. *Curated Ambient Soundscapes: Dynamic, rich audio spaces crafted for meditation, flow state, and deep relaxation. *Guided Breathwork: Minimalist visual pacing and audio cues to help down-regulate stress and ground your breathing in minutes. *Distraction-Free Design: A clean, unhurried interface that gets out of your way so you can simply press play and breathe. What 5D Waves Is Designed For: *Deep Focus Flow State: Block out chaotic background noise to write, code, create, and study with sustained clarity. *Daily Reset & Nervous System Balance: Take 5-minute pauses during the day to clear tension and regain perspective. *Restorative Sleep: Drift off naturally to soft, resonant low-end tones and steady ambient textures. *Subscription details: Unlock complete access to our full library of premium soundscapes and frequencies via monthly or annual plans. Manage or cancel anytime via your App Store settings. *Privacy & Terms: https://5dwaves.com/support

Screenshots

Coherence4 screens
5D Waves3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: 5D Waves at free with in-app purchases against Coherence's subscription. 5D Waves also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 85%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Coherence's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (597 vs 9). 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. Coherence sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and 5D Waves sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

5D Waves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Coherence has 597 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Coherence's written reviews are positive against 100% of 5D Waves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Coherence ships an update every 3 days, 5D Waves every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Coherence versus 5D Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCoherence5D Waves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (597 ratings)5.0 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings597 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB47 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJohn SweeneyWilliam Barksdale

Customer experience

Coherence

All ratings597 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative12.9%

5D Waves

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Coherence

Subscriptions6
  • Coherence Monthly Membership$14.991 Month
  • Coherence Membership3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Coherence Friend Pass14 Days trial$69.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Coherence Membership$69.991 Year
  • Coherence Membership1 Month trial$69.991 Year
  • Coherence3 Months trial$69.991 Year
2 purchases

5D Waves

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Coherence free?
Coherence is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 5D Waves free?
5D Waves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Coherence or 5D Waves?
5D Waves is rated higher. Coherence averages 4.8 out of 5 from 597 ratings, while 5D Waves averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.
Do Coherence or 5D Waves have ads?
Neither Coherence nor 5D Waves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Coherence or 5D Waves?
Coherence ships an update every 3 days, and 5D Waves every 2 weeks. Most recently, Coherence was updated on October 14, 2026 and 5D Waves on October 9, 2026.

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