Comparison

Halio vs Contempla

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

Head to head
About

Halio

This app guides you through intentional breathwork sessions to calm your nervous system and enhance focus. It offers simple inhale/exhale cues, breath holds, and customizable patterns in a minimalist interface. Use it for midday resets, pre-meeting focus, or winding down before bed.

Highlights
  • Guided breathwork sessions
  • Breath hold timers
  • Customizable breath patterns
  • Minimalist design
  • Private data storage
  • Multiple use cases
Features
Read full description

Breathe on purpose. Halio helps you reset your nervous system through short, guided breathwork sessions so you can meet the day with clarity. How it helps: Intentional breath patterns calm reactivity, settle the mind, and create a reliable “reset” you can use anywhere. Features: Guided breathwork: Simple inhale/exhale cues with recovery prompts Breath holds: Smooth countdowns to deepen the effect Custom patterns: Choose breaths, rounds, and pacing that feel right Minimal design: Quiet visuals that don’t get in the way Private by default: Session stats stored on your device Use cases: Midday reset • Pre-meeting focus • Post-work decompression • Wind-down before bed Roadmap: Apple Health support, heart-rate syncing, guided series, and activity logging. Note: Halio supports general wellbeing and is not a medical device. If you’re pregnant or have cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, consult a professional first. Terms of Use & Subscription Disclosure By downloading or using this app, you agree to our standard Terms of Use. If you purchase a premium subscription, payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store Account Settings anytime after purchase. • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://halio.app/privacy/

About

Contempla

This app supports your meditation practice with a simple timer and community features. Connect with friends to share your practice sessions and discover new techniques from a global library. It's designed to serve your personal contemplative journey.

Highlights
  • Simple meditation timer
  • Friend connections for practice sharing
  • Global Library of practices
  • Supports various meditation traditions
  • Bug reporting and fast fixes
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Contempla. Contempla is a meditation practice and community app. Most apps in this space offer guided meditations and lots of features to dress up your contemplative practice. Contempla doesn't do this. Instead, Contempla focuses on supporting your practice in the way you need it to happen. Your timer is always one tap away, and everything in the app is in service to your relationship with practice. Contempla works for any tradition: mindfulness, shamatha, vipassana, breathwork, lectio divina, dhikr, and more. Contempla is constantly under development. Our current favorite features are the ability to add friends so they can see whenever you sit, and the ability to contribute and discover practices from a shared Global Library. If you find a bug or notice a way something could be improved, please report it right away through Settings. We fix bugs fast, usually within a week. Your feedback genuinely shapes what we build next. Privacy Policy: https://contempla.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://contempla.app/terms

Screenshots

Halio4 screens
Contempla4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Halio at none against Contempla's 2. Contempla's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Contempla sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Halio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Halio against 5.0 for Contempla. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Halio ships an update monthly, Contempla fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Halio versus Contempla: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHalioContempla
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCollin McNultyContempla PBC

In-app purchases

None

Halio

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Contempla

Subscriptions2
  • Contempla+14 Days trial$5.001 Month
  • Contempla+14 Days trial$40.001 Year

Questions

Is Halio free?
Halio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Contempla free?
Contempla is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Halio or Contempla?
Halio and Contempla are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Halio or Contempla have ads?
Neither Halio nor Contempla shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Halio or Contempla?
Halio ships an update monthly, and Contempla fortnightly. Most recently, Halio was updated on October 9, 2026 and Contempla on September 30, 2026.

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