Comparison

TheHold vs Breath Timer 2

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

Head to head
About

TheHold

Features
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TheHold is your companion for conscious breathing – from energizing Power Breathing to calm, guided techniques for focus, relaxation and better sleep. Clean, ad-free, and with analytics that really make your progress visible. GUIDED BREATHING TECHNIQUES β€’ Power Breathing – powerful breathing followed by a breath hold. Choose 5 to 100 breaths and your pace. β€’ 4-7-8 – a long exhale to calm you down, ideal before sleep. β€’ Box Breathing – an even rhythm (4-4-4-4) for focus and steady nerves. β€’ Coherent Breathing – slow resonance breathing for balance and heart-rate variability. Inhale/exhale up to 15 s, duration 3–20 minutes. β€’ Extended Exhale – exhale longer than you inhale for deep calm. β€’ Physiological Sigh – the fastest way to release stress in the moment. Every technique explains in one sentence what it does – so you always know why you're breathing. YOUR HEART IN VIEW β€’ Heart-rate recording during every session with Apple Watch – including the guided techniques. β€’ A Heart area with your pulse trend over time, heart-rate variability (HRV) from Apple Health, and pulse recovery after breath holds. β€’ Plain-language explanations for every metric. SOUNDS YOU'LL ACTUALLY LIKE Let each phase guide you – with natural sound recordings (English and German) or in System Sound mode using only subtle vibration. Optional background music and gentle haptics. Adjustable per exercise. PROGRESS THAT MOTIVATES β€’ A clear dashboard with personal best, average hold, streak and a personal goal. β€’ Charts for trend, distribution, rounds and time of day over 7 days, 30 days, 90 days or a year. β€’ A calendar with every completed session and a β€œToday” view for a quick glance. β€’ A detailed overview of the guided techniques: how often, how long, last practised. APPLE WATCH & APPLE HEALTH β€’ Start sessions right on your Apple Watch – with comfortable controls and tangible haptics. β€’ Completed sessions are saved as mindful minutes in Apple Health. β€’ Your settings are remembered per routine. THOUGHTFUL & PRIVATE β€’ Bilingual: English and German. β€’ A daily reminder to make breathing a habit. β€’ iCloud sync keeps your sessions across all your devices. β€’ No tracking, no ads, no servers of our own – your data stays yours. Whether to wake up in the morning, clear your head during the day, or wind down at night – TheHold gets you there in just a few breaths. Breathe. Hold. Feel the difference. Note: TheHold is not a medical device and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Never perform breath-hold exercises in or near water or while driving. SUBSCRIPTION & PURCHASE TheHold is free for one week. After that you choose: β€’ One-time purchase (lifetime) – pay once, no subscription. β€’ Monthly subscription – €2.99/month (price may vary by region; the current price is shown in the app). Subscription details: β€’ Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. β€’ The subscription automatically renews for one month unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. β€’ Renewal is charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. β€’ You can manage and cancel your subscriptions anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://jkornbrodt.de/TheHold-Datenschutz-EN.html

About

Breath Timer 2

Features
Read full description

Breath Timer 2 is the simplest, most effective breathing timer for deep breathing exercises, box breathing, and guided breathwork. It can help you reduce anxiety, manage stress, and sleep better. And it's all free. A few minutes of paced breathing is one of the most effective tools for your mental and physical wellbeing. Breath Timer 2 makes it effortless. BREATHING TECHNIQUES β€’ Box Breathing (4-4-4-4) - used by Navy SEALs to stay calm under pressure β€’ 4-7-8 Breathing - a powerful technique for falling asleep faster β€’ Diaphragmatic Breathing - deep belly breathing for full-body relaxation β€’ Resonance / HRV Breathing - balance your nervous system β€’ Pranayama - deep breathing for relaxation and stress relief β€’ Custom Patterns - create any breathing exercise you want FEATURES β€’ Simple, intuitive interface β€’ Visual breath guide - several timer faces to choose from β€’ Soothing sounds and calming human voices β€’ Session length - from 1 minute to full meditation sessions β€’ Works offline β€’ No account needed β€’ Extensive customization - create your own breathing patterns PERFECT FOR β€’ Stress and anxiety relief β€’ Falling asleep at bedtime β€’ Panic attack support β€’ Meditation and mindfulness β€’ Yoga and pranayama practice β€’ Pre-workout focus β€’ Productivity and mental clarity Download Breath Timer 2 and take your first deep breath today. Terms of Service: https://breathtimer.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://breathtimer.app/privacy EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TheHold4 screens
Breath Timer 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TheHold at every 2 weeks against Breath Timer 2's every 4 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. TheHold sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Breath Timer 2 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TheHold ships an update every 2 weeks, Breath Timer 2 every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
TheHold versus Breath Timer 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheHoldBreath Timer 2
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks β€” betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size51 MB251 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJOERG KORNBRODTAl Bailey

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TheHold

One-time1
  • FreePremium$2.99
5 purchases

Breath Timer 2

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Support$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Support - Large$4.991 Month
One-time3
  • Tip$1.99
  • Tip - Large$9.99
  • Tip - XL$19.99

Questions

Is TheHold free?
TheHold is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Breath Timer 2 free?
Breath Timer 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TheHold or Breath Timer 2 have ads?
Neither TheHold nor Breath Timer 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TheHold or Breath Timer 2?
TheHold ships an update every 2 weeks, and Breath Timer 2 every 4 weeks. Most recently, TheHold was updated on October 30, 2026 and Breath Timer 2 on November 9, 2026.

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