Downshift vs Karuma
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Downshift
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Downshift offers guided breathing exercises for the moments you feel tense or stressed — box breathing, 4-7-8, resonance breathing and the physiological sigh — plus progressive muscle relaxation, a body scan and, with a watch or tracker, a daily nervous-system reading from your Apple Health data. Breathe along. Follow the animated orb through guided patterns: the Physiological Sigh, Resonance breathing, Box, 4-7-8, and more. Gentle haptics mark every inhale and exhale, so you can do it with your eyes closed. Build a daily rhythm. A simple daily checklist of evidence-based habits — morning light, movement, a caffeine cutoff, a steady bedtime — with a streak to keep you going. See your progress. Log your tension morning and evening and watch the trend over time. Let go of physical tension. Guided progressive muscle relaxation walks you head-to-toe. On your wrist and your Home Screen. A standalone Apple Watch app with guided breathing, complications, and your reading at a glance — plus Home and Lock Screen widgets. Yours, and private. Your Apple Health data stays on your device. Your notes sync privately through your own iCloud — no account with us, no servers of ours, no tracking. Ever. Free to download and use. No ads. Downshift supports everyday wellbeing and is not a medical device or a substitute for professional care.
Karuma
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MORE CALM. MORE BODY AWARENESS. MORE KINDNESS TOWARDS YOURSELF. Karuma is a completely free app that helps you pause, notice what you feel, understand your nervous system and gradually experience more calm and connection. Short, accessible exercises support relaxation, self-love, body awareness and resilience. Every week, a new exercise awaits you, with clear guidance and practical tools you can use at your own pace. Karuma was developed by a music therapist and a registered healthcare psychologist. The app draws on Polyvagal Theory, positive psychology and body-based approaches. WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN KARUMA • A new exercise for calm and relaxation every week• Exercises for self-love and treating yourself with greater kindness• Practices that help you notice your body’s signals• Clear explanations of your nervous system and Polyvagal Theory• Exercises inspired by positive psychology• A check-in to pause and notice how you are, without judgement• A first-aid toolkit with short exercises for difficult or ove
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Karuma at every 4 days against Downshift's fortnightly. Karuma also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Downshift ships an update fortnightly, Karuma every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Downshift | Karuma |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ioan-Cristian Vezure | BrainArts BV |
In-app purchases
Downshift
No in-app purchases
Karuma
No in-app purchases









