Comparison

Sleep Session vs DreamWave

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

Head to head
About

Sleep Session

Features
Read full description

SLEEP TRACKING Start a session and let Sleep Session monitor your night automatically. Track your sleep stages (Awake, Light, Dream, and Deep) and understand exactly how you slept with clear, detailed charts. RELAXING SOUNDS & PLAYLISTS Drift off effortlessly with a curated library of sleep sounds: • ASMR - Ocean waves, rain, campfire, brown noise, and more • Lo-Fi - Soft, calming beats for deep relaxation • Relax - Ambient soundscapes and guided audio • ASMR Playlists - Tingles, tapping, and immersive textures Seamless crossfading ensures uninterrupted relaxation all night long. SMART ALARM Wake up on time, every time. Choose from a variety of alarm sounds designed for a gentle and effective wake-up experience. Works even when your device is in silent mode. MICROPHONE INSIGHTS Optionally detect snoring and nighttime disturbances. All audio processing happens securely on-device and no recordings are stored or shared. SLEEP JOURNAL Reflect and improve over time. Log your nights, review past sessions, and understand how your habits impact your sleep quality. STATISTICS & TRENDS Visualize your progress with powerful analytics. Track sleep duration, quality, and consistency across daily, weekly, and monthly views. SLEEP RANK Stay motivated with a rewarding progression system. Earn points for consistent, quality sleep and climb from Iron to Diamond. PRIVACY FIRST Your data stays yours. All processing is done on-device, with secure end-to-end encryption for syncing. Start improving your sleep today. Download Sleep Session and wake up feeling your best. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sleepsessionapp.com/privacy

About

DreamWave

Features
Read full description

Hear your snoring, see your night, and wake up gently, with nothing but your iPhone on the nightstand. DreamWave listens while you sleep, detects snoring, and can wake you early with a Smart Alarm when you start to stir. Everything is processed privately on your device. No account, no cloud, no Apple Watch required. If you do wear one, DreamWave reads your sleep stages from Apple Health for an even richer picture. WAKE UP AT THE RIGHT MOMENT • Smart Alarm: pick a wake time and a window. With Apple Watch, it taps your wrist when you stir in the last 30 minutes. Without one, a running sleep session listens for you stirring. Either way it rings no later than your set time. • Rings even on silent, and keeps ringing on the lock screen if iOS closes the app overnight. • Choose your alarm sound. HEAR EXACTLY WHEN YOU SNORE • On-device snore detection using Apple's sound classifier. • Snores are grouped into spells. Play about 10 seconds of the loudest moment to hear what your partner hears. • Nightly and 7-day snore trends, intensity timeline and snore score. • Keeps recording through phone calls and Bluetooth changes during the night. SEE EVERY STAGE OF YOUR NIGHT • Sleep score from your sleep against your own goal and how much you snored, plus the exact time you fell asleep and woke up. • Deep, REM, light and awake breakdown and sleep efficiency when an Apple Watch is used. • Sleep debt, consistency streaks and a personal sleep coach. WORKS WITHOUT A WATCH • Forgot to start tracking? DreamWave can estimate the night from your iPhone's motion history. • A bedtime nudge when your phone has been still for a while, and a morning summary notification so you know how you slept without opening the app. • Honest numbers: metrics that need a Watch are clearly labelled instead of guessed. DISCOVER YOUR SLEEP DNA • After 21 nights, see your chronotype, your strengths and what to focus on, and share your Sleep DNA card. DRIFT OFF FASTER • 17 soothing rain, ocean, forest and fire soundscapes. • Dream Journal to capture dreams by voice or text. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Audio is analysed on your iPhone and never uploaded. • No account and no tracking. Your Health data stays on your device. • Available in English, Español, Français, हिन्दी, Bahasa Melayu and Filipino. DREAMWAVE PREMIUM Unlock Smart Alarm, Snore Report with playback, Sleep Coach, Sleep DNA and Dream Journal. • Lifetime: pay once, keep Premium forever (Family Sharing supported), or • Weekly subscription with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://dreamwave.mantravali.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://dreamwave.mantravali.com/privacy.html DreamWave is a wellness app, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you suspect a sleep disorder, please talk to a doctor.

Screenshots

Sleep Session4 screens
DreamWave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DreamWave at every 4 days against Sleep Session's every 2 weeks. DreamWave also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sleep Session sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and DreamWave sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sleep Session ships an update every 2 weeks, DreamWave every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Sleep Session versus DreamWave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSleep SessionDreamWave
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size492 MB105 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCristiano PerdigaoNaresh Singh

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Sleep Session

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly1 Year trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

DreamWave

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Premium7 Days trial$0.997 Days
One-time1
  • DreamWave Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Sleep Session free?
Sleep Session is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DreamWave free?
DreamWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sleep Session or DreamWave have ads?
Neither Sleep Session nor DreamWave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sleep Session or DreamWave?
Sleep Session ships an update every 2 weeks, and DreamWave every 4 days. Most recently, Sleep Session was updated on November 9, 2026 and DreamWave on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons