Comparison

Now Timer vs Presence Bell Meditation Timer

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

Head to head
About

Now Timer

Features
Read full description

Gong Timer is a small, calm app for people who want less noise and more presence. No feeds, no accounts, no pressure — just your breath and a simple timer. Breathe with structure • Gentle guided breathing patterns for sleep, stress, and everyday meditation • Clear ratios like 4-2-6-2 or 3-3-3-3, easy to follow at a glance • Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) for balance and focus Stillness in one tap • Start a session with a single tap • Minimal timer screen with no distractions • Choose how long you sit and let the app stay out of the way A quiet calendar • See your past meditations on a soft monthly view • Notice your rhythm over time, without streaks or gamification Privacy and offline first • Works fully offline once installed • No login, no tracking, no ads • Your data stays on your device Gong Timer is for anyone who wants a small, beautiful tool to return to their breath — at bedtime, between meetings, or in the middle of a chaotic day. Less, but better.

About

Presence Bell Meditation Timer

A simple, distraction-free meditation timer with customizable bells and ambient sounds. Track your practice and progress without ads or intrusive tracking. Choose between a monthly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.

Highlights
  • Customizable bell sounds
  • Ambient soundscapes
  • Interval timers
  • Preset configurations
  • Session tracking
  • Home screen widgets
  • Focus mode
Features
Read full description

Presence Bell is a calm, unguided meditation timer for iPhone and iPad. Choose how long to sit, add gentle interval bells, and practice in your own way. No ads. No account. No tracking. Made by an indie developer with a psychology background, as a thoughtful tool built with genuine care for your practice. YOUR PRACTICE STAYS YOURS Your meditation data is personal, so it stays on your device. No account required. No behavior tracking. No dark patterns. ANCHOR YOUR PRACTICE Set your session length and interval bells, with a different sound for the start, the intervals, and the finish. Choose from four bells: Temple Bell, Singing Bowl, Soft Chime, and Crystal Bell. Or keep it silent. INTERVAL BELLS Gentle bells at the interval you choose bring you back to the present. They're perfect for longer sits or a wandering mind. The timer ring is split at each bell, so you always know where you are in your session. CURATE YOUR SOUNDSCAPE Layer your bells with five ambient recordings, or sit in silence: • Gentle Rain • Heavy Rain • Ocean Waves • Forest • Fireplace PRESETS Save your favorite setups: a morning sit, an evening wind-down, a quick breathing break. Start one with a tap from the app, the Quick Start widget, or Control Center. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS & CONTROL CENTER • Quick Start: start a saved preset instantly • Today's Practice: see whether you've meditated today • Daily Wisdom: a new mindfulness quote each day • Weekly Stats (Pro): streak, sessions, and minutes this week • Meditation Streak (Pro): your current streak at a glance • Control Center: start a session with one tap Your widgets follow the theme you choose. MADE FOR IPAD, TOO Presence Bell runs natively on iPad, with the same timer, bells, presets, and themes. Prop it up beside your cushion and let the ring fill slowly. CELEBRATE WITHOUT GUILT Every session ends with a short summary. With Pro, track sessions, streaks, and progress over weeks, months, and years. No guilt about "broken streaks" or missed days, just gentle acknowledgment of your consistency. LET PRESENCE FIND YOU Schedule mindfulness reminders for the times that suit you. With Pro, add random reminders throughout your day: gentle nudges to pause and breathe. "Three deep breaths. That's all." THEMES Four color palettes, Nature, Ocean, Twilight, and Sunset, each in light, dark, or auto mode. Nature is free. FOCUS MODE Your screen stays awake. No interruptions. Just practice. FREE • Full meditation timer with interval bells • All 4 bell sounds, plus silence • 5 ambient soundscapes, plus silence • Up to 3 saved presets • Quick Start, Today's Practice, and Daily Wisdom widgets • Control Center button • Scheduled reminders • Nature theme in light, dark, or auto • iPhone and iPad PRO • Unlimited presets • Detailed statistics and insights • Streak tracking • Weekly Stats and Meditation Streak widgets • Random mindfulness reminders • Ocean, Twilight, and Sunset themes Choose a monthly subscription, or unlock Pro forever with a one-time lifetime purchase. NOT ANOTHER MEDITATION APP No guided meditations. No courses. No social features. No gamification. Just a beautifully crafted timer that honors your practice, whatever that looks like. PERFECT FOR • Zen meditation • Vipassana • Mindfulness practice • Breathing exercises • Yoga sessions • Focus time • Daily mindfulness breaks I personally read and respond to every support message. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://presence-bell.pages.dev/privacy/

Screenshots

Now Timer4 screens
Presence Bell Meditation Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Now Timer at none against Presence Bell Meditation Timer's 4. Now Timer also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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. Presence Bell Meditation Timer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Now Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Now Timer ships an update every 2 weeks, Presence Bell Meditation Timer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Now Timer versus Presence Bell Meditation Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNow TimerPresence Bell Meditation Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDev Pramoth NandhakumarAnastasia Sosnovskikh

In-app purchases

None

Now Timer

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Presence Bell Meditation Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.491 Month
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Lifetime$9.99
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Now Timer free?
Now Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Presence Bell Meditation Timer free?
Presence Bell Meditation Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Now Timer or Presence Bell Meditation Timer have ads?
Neither Now Timer nor Presence Bell Meditation Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Now Timer or Presence Bell Meditation Timer?
Now Timer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Presence Bell Meditation Timer every 4 months. Most recently, Now Timer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Presence Bell Meditation Timer on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons