Amitabha Sutra vs Bodhi Tree
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Amitabha Sutra
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Just trace with your finger. That alone quiets your mind. Sutra copying often brings to mind gathering tools, grinding ink, sitting in seiza—this app skips all that and lets you do shakyo with just your smartphone. Trace the model characters shown on the screen with your finger. It feels like coloring. Stroke order mistakes or poor handwriting don’t matter—because you’re tracing, errors don’t occur in the first place. That removes the pressure to “write well,” letting you focus only on moving your finger. Included text: the Amitabha Sutra. About 280 characters, taking roughly 15–30 minutes to complete—neither too short nor too long, just enough to make your mind feel clear. Main features - Auto-advance: when you finish tracing a character, it automatically moves to the next one. No need to tap the screen, so you can stay immersed. You can switch to manual advance in settings if you prefer. - Furigana on all kanji: readings are shown for every character, so old or unfamiliar forms won’t slow you down. - Plain-language translation: check a modern-Japanese translation of the Amitabha Sutra anytime. Knowing the meaning gives each character you trace more weight. - Shakyo history: date, time, and counts are recorded automatically, helping you track and keep up your practice. Who it’s for Honestly, it’s for people who tried meditation or mindfulness but found “just sitting and doing nothing” hard. Tracing gives your attention a clear place to rest, making it much easier for many people than silent sitting meditation. Common uses: - Turning off your brain before sleep - Centering yourself before work or study - Calming persistent anxiety or restlessness - Jump-starting focus for those who struggle to concentrate - Learning the proper readings and meaning of the Amitabha Sutra How to use Open the app and tap “Start,” then trace the displayed characters with your finger. Beginning with gassho (palms together) helps mark the transition. Use recitation audio or silence—your choice. When you finish, the app returns to the menu and records the session. Experience the calm after completing a shakyo. Terms of use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Bodhi Tree
A quiet companion for Buddhist practice and study, offering daily teachings, guided meditations, and a library of sutras and mantras. It prioritizes privacy with on-device storage and optional iCloud sync, designed for personal reflection without engagement tactics.
- Daily teachings and verses
- Guided meditation timer
- Extensive sutra and mantra library
- Private journaling space
- Buddhist calendar with alerts
- Optional Apple Health integration
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Bodhi Tree is a quiet companion for Buddhist practice and study, grounded in real scripture and available in English and Traditional Chinese. Open it for today's teaching or a simple meditation timer. Lotus Breath offers a short guided practice. No account, social feed, ads, or tracking. Bodhi Tree brings together daily verses, sutras, guided Practice Paths, meditation, and private reflection in one app that works offline. Its readings include the Dhammapada, Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, and selected suttas from the Pali Canon. It supports newcomers and longtime practitioners across Theravada, Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, and broader Mahayana traditions. WHAT'S INSIDE • TODAY: Read a daily teaching suited to the tradition you follow. Open the verse to see its source and reflection. • PATHS: Follow six guided Practice Paths with short daily steps, including Calm Anxiety, Following the Breath, Letting Go, The Four Hearts, Impermanence, and Sleep. • MOMENTS: Find scripture based readings for anger, loss, change, relationships, and other parts of daily life. • MEDITATE: Use a quiet timer with singing bowl, temple bell, or zen bowl sounds, interval bells, and Lotus Breath. • REFLECT: Keep private journal entries, end of session notes, bookmarks, and daily check ins. Search helps you return to past entries. • YOU: Set traditions, reminders, language, appearance, iCloud sync, and saved teachings. • WIDGETS: Keep today's teaching on your Home Screen. BUILT FOR PRACTICE Bodhi Tree is designed for a steady, personal practice. There are no streak penalties or infinite feeds. Bell of Mindfulness reminders are optional and configurable. PRIVACY Your reflections, bookmarks, and journal entries stay on your device. Optional iCloud sync uses your personal iCloud account. Bodhi Tree has no third party analytics, advertising SDKs, or trackers. Apple Health access is optional and only saves completed meditation sessions as Mindful Minutes when you grant permission. FULLY FREE Every feature is available without a subscription or paywall. If Bodhi Tree supports your practice, the You tab offers three optional one time contributions. Contributions do not unlock content or create an entitlement. Payments are processed by Apple. A NOTE FROM US Bodhi Tree is named for the tree under which the Buddha is said to have awakened. May this app offer a clear place to read and sit. Bodhi Tree Privacy Policy: https://forestoceanlife.github.io/bodhi-tree/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Bodhi Tree at every 3 weeks against Amitabha Sutra's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Amitabha Sutra sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bodhi Tree sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Amitabha Sutra ships an update every 3 months, Bodhi Tree every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Amitabha Sutra | Bodhi Tree |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | QOOQ inc. | Ming Chieh Lin |
In-app purchases
Amitabha Sutra
- Unlock Full Sutra$6.99
Bodhi Tree
- Monthly Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Annual Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Amitabha Sutra free?
Is Bodhi Tree free?
Do Amitabha Sutra or Bodhi Tree have ads?
Which is updated more often, Amitabha Sutra or Bodhi Tree?
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