Comparison

Fetters vs Meditation Timer

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

Head to head
About

Fetters

This app offers AI-guided self-inquiry to explore Buddhist psychology's ten fetters. Engage in personalized conversations, journal your insights, and connect with a community of fellow travelers. It provides a distraction-free, privacy-focused experience for personal contemplation.

Highlights
  • AI-guided self-inquiry
  • Progress tracking through ten fetters
  • Private journaling
  • Community presence
  • Offline functionality
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

A contemplative app guiding you through the ten fetters of Buddhist psychology. No beliefs required — only honest looking. THE PATH The Buddha identified ten fetters (samyojana) — mental patterns that bind us to suffering. This app guides you through each one using AI-powered self-inquiry based on the Liberation Unleashed methodology. AI-GUIDED INQUIRY Engage in deep, personalized conversations that point you toward direct experience. Not philosophy or belief — just honest looking at what's actually here. JOURNAL YOUR INSIGHTS Capture what you notice after each inquiry session. Writing deepens seeing. Review your journey over time. WALK TOGETHER, ALONE See who else is looking right now. Share insights with fellow travelers on the path. THE TEN FETTERS 1. Self-View (Sakkaya-ditthi) — The belief in a separate experiencer 2. Doubt (Vicikiccha) — Uncertainty about the path 3. Rites & Rituals (Silabbata-paramasa) — Attachment to practices 4. Sensual Desire (Kama-raga) — Craving pleasant experiences 5. Ill Will (Vyapada) — Aversion to unpleasant experiences 6. Desire for Form (Rupa-raga) — Attachment to material existence 7. Desire for Formless (Arupa-raga) — Attachment to subtle states 8. Conceit (Mana) — The sense of "I am" 9. Restlessness (Uddhacca) — Subtle mental agitation 10. Ignorance (Avijja) — Not seeing things as they are FEATURES - AI-guided self-inquiry conversations - Progress tracking through all ten fetters - Daily contemplation prompts - Private journaling with prompts - Community presence and messaging - Beautiful, distraction-free design - Offline reading, journaling, and timed practice - Guide and community require an internet connection - No email or password required - Privacy-focused SAFETY This app includes grounding practices and safety resources. If difficult experiences arise, support is available. INSPIRED BY Liberation Unleashed, Simply the Seen, and the Pali Canon. The path is ancient. The looking is now.

About

Meditation Timer

Features
Read full description

ZenTimer is a minimalist meditation timer for iPhone. Create custom timer presets with interval bells, custom bell markers, start and end bells, and finite or infinite sessions. Run sessions on a clean radial timer designed for focused practice. Track consistency with streaks, daily/weekly/monthly stats, meditation minutes, session counts, and cumulative progress. ZenTimer syncs completed sessions to Apple Health as Mindful Sessions and retries sync later when Health access is temporarily unavailable. Personalize each timer with calming backgrounds and sounds, then check progress from Home Screen widgets and Lock Screen Live Activity. No guided content, no social feed, no distractions - just meditation timing, bells, and progress.

Screenshots

Fetters3 screens
Meditation Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fetters at none against Meditation Timer's 6. Fetters also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence 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. Meditation Timer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Fetters asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fetters ships an update every 3 months, Meditation Timer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Fetters versus Meditation Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFettersMeditation Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB120 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperinDevsEli Willaert

In-app purchases

None

Fetters

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Meditation Timer

One-time6
  • Buy Me a Drink$3.99
  • Coffee Unlock$3.99
  • Fan$8.99
Show 3 more
  • Fan Unlock$8.99
  • Supporter$17.99
  • Supporter Unlock$17.99

Questions

Is Fetters free?
Fetters is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Meditation Timer free?
Meditation Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Fetters or Meditation Timer have ads?
Neither Fetters nor Meditation Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fetters or Meditation Timer?
Fetters ships an update every 3 months, and Meditation Timer every 2 months. Most recently, Fetters was updated on November 5, 2026 and Meditation Timer on October 25, 2026.

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