Comparison

Session vs Madu

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

Head to head
About

Session

This minimalist timer is designed for focused interval training. Quickly set work, rest, and round durations for boxing, HIIT, and circuit workouts. Stay on track with clear countdowns and audio cues.

Highlights
  • Simple round timer interface
  • Adjustable work, rest, and rounds
  • Optional warm-up timer
  • Audio bells for round cues
  • Clear countdown display
  • Distraction-free design
Features
Read full description

SESSION is a minimalist interval timer designed for real training. No clutter. No complicated setup. Just start your rounds and focus on the workout. Perfect for: • Boxing • Muay Thai • HIIT • Circuit training • Strength intervals • Home workouts SESSION lets you quickly set work time, rest time, and rounds so you can stay focused inside the round. FEATURES • Simple round timer interface • Adjustable work, rest, and rounds • Optional warm-up timer • Audio cues for work and rest intervals • Clear countdown display • Clean, distraction-free design Whether you're training in the gym, garage, or at home, SESSION keeps your workout structured and focused. Start the round. Stay in the round.

About

Madu

A minimalist wellness clock offering guided breathing exercises and a silent support feature for connecting with trusted individuals. It prioritizes privacy with no tracking or ads, allowing users to create custom breathing patterns and experience calm through haptic feedback.

Highlights
  • Guided breathing patterns
  • Customizable breathing sequences
  • Haptic feedback for blind navigation
  • Silent support signal
  • Minimalist clock interface
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

A clock that breathes with you — and lets someone know when you need them. Madu is a minimalist wellness clock for guided breathing and silent support. No subscriptions. No tracking. Just calm. BREATHE THROUGH IT All patterns free. No paywall. 4-7-8: The Sleep Switch — anxiety and sleep Box Breathing: Tactical Calm — reset under pressure Coherent: Deep Reset — nervous system regulation Physiological Sigh: Instant Reset — no counting required Custom Patterns — build and save your own rhythm BLIND ZEN MODE Close your eyes and follow the pulses. Haptics guide every inhale, hold, and exhale — no screen needed. BUILD YOUR OWN Design any sequence from scratch — your steps, your durations. Five curated templates included. Works with Blind Zen Mode. YOUR PRACTICE, REFLECTED See your rhythm over time — your most-used pattern, when you tend to practice, and the notes you leave after a session. Export any year as a keepsake PDF. It all stays private, on your device. LET SOMEONE KNOW Sometimes you don't have the words. One tap silently signals someone you trust. When they respond, your screen transforms and your phone pulses a quiet heartbeat — you feel them arrive before you even look. A CLOCK REIMAGINED Six themes. Gentle particles. A mood word that shifts with the hour. PREMIUM One-time purchase. Unlocks the Builder tab, unlimited saved patterns, and premium themes. All named patterns and Support Mode are free for everyone. No subscription, ever. PRIVACY FIRST No account. No ads. No tracking. Health data and practice reflections stay on your device; Support Mode uses Apple's CloudKit — your data never touches our servers. Madu is a wellness tool, not a medical device. If you are in crisis, please contact a qualified professional or emergency services.

Screenshots

Session4 screens
Madu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Session at none against Madu's 1. Session also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). Madu's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Madu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Session 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 Session against 5.0 for Madu. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Session ships an update every 2 months, Madu fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Session versus Madu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSessionMadu
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShane LandryJimmy Yeow

Customer experience

Session

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Madu

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Session

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Madu

One-time1
  • Madu Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Session free?
Session is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Madu free?
Madu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Session or Madu?
Session and Madu are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Session or Madu have ads?
Neither Session nor Madu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Session or Madu?
Session ships an update every 2 months, and Madu fortnightly. Most recently, Session was updated on October 11, 2026 and Madu on October 17, 2026.

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