Comparison

Five Things vs Waveful (Remove Ads)

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

Head to head
About

Five Things

Features
Read full description

Five Things is a daily reflection app built around one small promise: write five things today, then come back tomorrow. Start with Gratitude. Notice people, moments, wins, needs, hopes, tiny joys, lessons and let-gos in a simple five-line ritual. It is quick enough for a busy morning, quiet enough for the end of the day, and structured enough to become part of real life. The app is inspired by social science on gratitude, brief mindfulness and social connection: small repeated moments of noticing can help people see patterns, remember what matters and feel less alone. Five Things turns that idea into a gentle daily habit. You can keep everything private, or choose Full Social to add to the anonymous Gratitudes wall and see what other people are appreciating today. It is community without a noisy feed. What you can do: - Write five things in your daily journal - Switch between Gratitudes, Wins, Hopes, Needs and more - Build a streak and revisit your history - See recurring words and themes in a word cloud - Add widgets, reminders and guided resets with THING5 Premium - Share gratitude with the community only when you choose Write five. Notice more. Make reflection part of your day. Standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Waveful (Remove Ads)

This wellness app uses frequency-based sounds inspired by scientific research to enhance relaxation, focus, and meditation. Explore various sound categories like ambient noise, guided breathing, and specific Hz tones for a more comfortable listening experience.

Highlights
  • Frequency-based soundscapes
  • Relaxation and sleep support
  • Focus and concentration aid
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Ambient noise options
  • Meditation tones
Features
Read full description

* Sound-based Wellness App Inspired by Frequency Research This wellness app provides frequency (Hz)-based sounds inspired by scientific papers and research studies. Explore sound categories such as Motion Comfort, Relaxation, Focus Support, Meditation, Ambient Noise, and Guided Breathing to create a more comfortable listening experience in everyday life. * Available Sounds 1. 100Hz Motion Comfort / Gentle Low-Frequency Support - Inspired by research published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine by researchers from Nagoya University, Japan (2025) 2. 432Hz Relax Mode / Relaxation & Sleep Support - Inspired by research published in EXPLORE by researchers from the University of Florence, Spain (2019) - Inspired by research published in Journal of Applied Oral Science by researchers from Valdivia, Chile (2020) 3. 528Hz Relaxation Tone / Calm & Relaxation Support - Inspired by research published in Health by researchers from Juntendo University, Japan (2018) 4. Binaural Beats Focus Support / Concentration Aid - Inspired by research published in Psychological Research by researchers from UNED, Spain (2019) - Inspired by research published in PLOS ONE by researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany (2023) 5. 40Hz Gamma-Inspired Sound / Cognitive Focus Support - Inspired by research published in Journal of Neuroscience by researchers from the Pamplona Medical School, Spain (2002) 6. Ambient Noise Layer / White, Pink & Brown Noise - Inspired by research published in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, USA (2022) - Inspired by research published in Frontiers in Psychology by researchers from Hamburg University Hospital, Germany (2015) 7. Guided Breathing / 4-7-8 & Box Breathing - Inspired by research published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews by researchers from the University of Caen Normandy, France (2022) 8. 963Hz Meditation Tone / Deep Meditation - Direct clinical evidence regarding the specific effects of 963Hz remains limited. - This feature is designed as a high-frequency meditation sound intended to support deep meditation and immersive listening experiences rather than medical treatment. 9. 639Hz Harmonic Energy / Harmonious Atmosphere - Direct clinical evidence regarding the specific effects of 639Hz is currently limited. - This feature is intended to provide a soft harmonic tone for creating a calm and harmonious atmosphere. 10. 72Hz Deep Grounding / Low Frequency Grounding - Direct clinical evidence regarding the specific grounding effects of 72Hz has not been established. - This feature is designed as a low-frequency sound intended to create a calm and stable listening environment. 11. 1122Hz Clarity Tone / Clear High-Frequency Tone - Direct clinical evidence regarding the specific effects of 1122Hz remains limited. - This feature is intended to provide a clear and crisp high-frequency listening experience that may support focus and mental clarity. * Recommended Listening Time - Motion Comfort: 1 min - Sleep / Relaxation: 20–45 min, default 30 min - Stress Relief: 10–30 min, default 15 min - Focus: 15–45 min, default 25 min - Meditation: 10–30 min, default 15 min - Energy / Awakening: 5–15 min, default 10 min - Cognitive Focus Support: 10–20 min, default 15 min - Deep Grounding: 5–20 min, default 10 min - Spiritual / Intuition Sounds: 5–20 min, default 10 min *How to Use 1. Wear earphones or headphones for a more immersive experience. 2. Select your preferred category and press play. 3. Customize the playback timer as needed. * Key Features - Custom Hz settings - Background playback - Multiple timer options This app is a wellness tool inspired by research. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Individual experiences may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for health-related concerns.

Screenshots

Five Things4 screens
Waveful (Remove Ads)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Five Things at Free against Waveful (Remove Ads)'s $1.99. Five Things also leads on device support (6 vs 2). Waveful (Remove Ads)'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). On ads and iOS requirement 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

Five Things is free to download; Waveful (Remove Ads) costs $1.99 up front. Five Things sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Waveful (Remove Ads) asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Five Things ships an update every 11 days, Waveful (Remove Ads) every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Five Things versus Waveful (Remove Ads): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFive ThingsWaveful (Remove Ads)
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating—3.5 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas RichardsonPurple Night Inc

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Five Things

Subscriptions1
  • THING5 Premium$0.991 Month
One-time9
  • Five Tiny Joys$1.99
  • Five Highlights$1.99
  • Five Lessons$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Five People$1.99
  • Five Needs$1.99
  • Five Let-Gos$1.99
  • Five Hopes$1.99
  • Five Kind Acts$1.99
  • Premium Lifetime$9.99
None

Waveful (Remove Ads)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Five Things free?
Five Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Waveful (Remove Ads) free?
Waveful (Remove Ads) costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Five Things or Waveful (Remove Ads) have ads?
Neither Five Things nor Waveful (Remove Ads) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Five Things or Waveful (Remove Ads)?
Five Things ships an update every 11 days, and Waveful (Remove Ads) every 4 days. Most recently, Five Things was updated on September 8, 2026 and Waveful (Remove Ads) on September 23, 2026.

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