Comparison

Meridian vs Steadfast

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

Head to head
About

Meridian

This app offers a straightforward approach to intermittent fasting, focusing on a clean interface and scientific insights into metabolic phases. It allows users to start and stop fasting with ease, track custom schedules, and understand their body's processes without intrusive features or upselling.

Highlights
  • One-tap start/stop timer
  • Metabolic phase insights
  • Built-in and custom schedules
  • Data stays on device
  • Optional Apple Health integration
  • Clean, intentional design
Features
Read full description

Meridian is the fasting app for people who are tired of fasting apps. No 15-screen onboarding quiz. No AI coach upselling you a meal plan. No gamification badges. No paywall on the timer. Just a clean, powerful tool that respects your intelligence and your time. START IN SECONDS One tap to start. One tap to stop. Meridian tracks your fasting window, shows what's happening in your body at each metabolic phase, and stays out of your way. Every schedule built in — 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, or set your own custom window. REAL SCIENCE, NOT SLOGANS Each body phase is grounded in peer-reviewed metabolic research. Know when glycogen depletes. Know when ketosis begins. Know when autophagy ramps up. Meridian tells you what's actually happening — with citations, not marketing copy. YOUR DATA STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE No account required. No cloud sync you didn't ask for. No analytics tracking your behavior. All data lives on your iPhone and stays there. Optional Apple Health integration reads and writes only with your explicit permission. DESIGNED WITH INTENTION Every screen earns its place. Meridian follows a less-but-better philosophy — no feature creep, no settings bloat, no dark patterns. Dark mode and light mode. Clean typography. A timer that's beautiful enough to leave on your nightstand. BUILT-IN SCHEDULES • 14:10 — Gentle start for beginners • 16:8 — The most popular protocol • 18:6 — Deeper metabolic benefits • 20:4 — The Warrior approach • OMAD — One Meal A Day • Custom — Set any window you want MERIDIAN PREMIUM Unlock deeper insights and advanced features for less than a coffee: • Detailed fasting history and trends • Body phase insights with metabolic data • Advanced streak tracking • Custom schedule presets • Full data export $1.99/month · $14.99/year (save 37%) · $39.99 lifetime No free trial. No tricks. At this price, you'll know within a day if Meridian is for you. Privacy policy: https://trymeridian.today/privacy-policy Terms Of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://trymeridian.today/support

About

Steadfast

This app helps you track your fasting windows and hydration with a simple, ad-free interface. It offers customizable schedules, water logging, and insights into your body's fasting zones. Premium features provide advanced analytics and customization options.

Highlights
  • One-tap fasting timer
  • Water tracking with goals
  • Fasting zone insights
  • Streak tracking
  • Hydration reminders
  • Home screen widgets
  • Apple Watch app
  • HealthKit integration
Features
Read full description

The simple fasting tracker for people who just want to fast — not navigate a bloated wellness platform. No account. No ads. No data collection. Free forever, with optional Premium for power users. Whether you're running 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, 14:10, OMAD, or a custom schedule, Steadfast tracks your fasting windows with a clean, focused interface that stays out of your way. EVERYTHING YOU NEED — FREE One-Tap Fasting Timer Start, pause, and complete fasts with a single tap. Choose from 9 presets (12:12 through 48-hour fasts) or dial in any custom duration. Water Tracking Built In Log water right from the Timer screen. Set your bottle size, pick a daily goal, and tap to log. Your hydration counts toward both your wellness goal AND Apple Health. Fasting Zones See what's happening in your body as you fast — from Fed State through Early Fasting, Fat Burning, Ketosis, and Autophagy. Evidence-based zone timings keep you informed and motivated. Fasting Streaks Stay motivated with streak tracking that rewards consistency. See your current streak and longest streak at a glance. Hydration Reminders Gentle nudges during active fasts to keep you drinking. Fully configurable — and never intrusive. Home Screen Widgets Fasting Timer, Fasting Heatmap, Hydration Heatmap, Combined Dashboard, and Water Quick-Add. All widgets match your app theme automatically. Apple Watch App Separate Fasting and Water tabs. Start fasts, log water, check your progress — all from your wrist. HealthKit Integration Water intake writes to Apple Health as dietary water. Weight syncs both ways. Your data stays yours. iCloud Sync Your fasts, water log, and streaks sync across all your devices. Fasting History and Calendar Review completed fasts with monthly stats — hours fasted, daily averages, and consistency tracking. PREMIUM — FOR THE EXTRA MILE Everything you need is already free. Premium unlocks: - Advanced Analytics — Heatmaps, week-over-week trends, and time-in-zones breakdowns - Custom Themes — Beach, Midnight, Slate, and more - CSV Export — Take your data wherever you need it - Extended Widget Library — Full widget gallery unlocked - Priority Support $3.99/month or $24.99/year — a fraction of what other fasting apps charge. WHY STEADFAST? Most fasting apps have expanded into calorie counters, meal loggers, AI coaches, and social networks — then locked basic features behind $70-80/year subscriptions. Steadfast does one thing well: help you fast consistently and stay hydrated. No bloat. No bait-and-switch. No account required. Just open the app and start. Built by ManifestLab. Questions or feedback? Reach us at support@manifestlab.dev. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://manifestlab.dev/steadfast/privacy

Screenshots

Meridian4 screens
Steadfast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Meridian at 17.6 against Steadfast's 26.2. On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Meridian sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Steadfast sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Meridian versus Steadfast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeridianSteadfast
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperZACHARY MARK MULLIGANCognitiveCore Technologies, LLC

Customer experience

Meridian

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Steadfast

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Meridian

Subscriptions2
  • Meridian Premium$1.991 Month
  • Meridian Premium$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Meridian Premium (Lifetime)$39.99
2 purchases

Steadfast

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Meridian free?
Meridian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Steadfast free?
Steadfast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Meridian or Steadfast have ads?
Neither Meridian nor Steadfast shows ads.

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