Sumbi vs NightMeow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sumbi
This app encourages users to spend less time on their phones by gamifying digital detox. Users engage in timed "dives" away from their devices, earning virtual sea creatures based on their focus duration. It offers a peaceful, non-punitive approach to building healthier digital habits.
- Timed phone-free dives
- Unlock virtual sea creatures
- Personalized ocean environment
- Buddy dive feature
- Night sea creatures
- Diary-like dive log
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The longer you put your phone down, the deeper your life gets. Start the timer, set your phone down, and sea creatures come to your ocean. From exam prep to digital detox, dive with Sumbi. Sumbi is a study focus timer and digital detox app named after the "sumbisori," the whistling breath of Jeju haenyeo, Korea's legendary free-diving women. Start a dive when you want time away from your phone. While your phone rests, your ocean deepens, and sea creatures come to live in it. Who dives with Sumbi - Students who need a study timer for exams and deep focus - Anyone fighting phone addiction or doomscrolling - People who want to cut screen time and rebuild concentration - ADHD brains that need a gentle, visual reason to stay off the phone - Anyone who just wants to watch a calm ocean and breathe What makes Sumbi different 1. One dive = one focus session. Keep your phone down while the timer runs, and the dive succeeds. If you fail, nobody scolds you. 2. Your focus time becomes an ocean. Successful dives bring creatures from shallow water, deep water, even the abyss. 3. Collect and raise your sea creatures. The more you dive, the wider and deeper your ocean grows. 4. Gift creatures to your dive buddies. Focus is deeper together. 5. No ads, no noise. Sumbi never drags you back with notifications. Coming back is your choice. Study timer, pomodoro, or deep work Pick any length with the dial: a short pomodoro-style session or hours of exam prep. Every dive adds to your daily focus record. When haenyeo divers surface, they release a long whistling breath: "hooo-ee." Your day deserves a breath that deep. Have a good dive. Hoo-ee! Contact: sumbi@niceday.io
NightMeow
This app helps you focus by using a cute cat-themed timer. As you study, virtual cats appear and grow, rewarding your concentration. You can also block distracting apps and websites, and view your progress in a daily room.
- Cat-themed focus timer
- Collectible feline companions
- Distraction blocking
- Lock Screen Live Activities
- Daily room for records
- Customizable study day start
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Quiet nights. Focus time shared with cats. NightMeow is a study timer with little feline companions. Tap the box to start. As you focus, a small friend inside begins to appear. [A little friend that grows with your focus] The box peeks open at 10 minutes. Meet a kitten at 25 minutes and a grown cat at 50. Keep studying, and a new box appears every 90 minutes. Focus without a pause button, then finish your session to save your record. [Your daily room and cat collection] When you finish, see the friends who joined you and revisit your records in each day's room. Each page shows up to 13 visitors, with more on the next page. Sessions shorter than one minute record time only. Discover different cats and invite them to your next study session. [Share your room] Swipe between days or jump to a date with the calendar. Share a 4:5 image of your room directly from the share button, without saving it to Photos first. [Made for iPhone and iPad] Study in portrait or landscape with layouts that adapt to your screen. [A day that fits your routine] Choose midnight, 5 AM, or any whole hour from midnight to 8 AM as the start of your study day. Changes apply to sessions started after the effective time shown in the app. Past records stay unchanged. [Focus on your Lock Screen] Enable Live Activities to see your study time on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island on supported devices. The timer keeps running when the screen is off. [Block distractions while you study] Optionally allow Screen Time access and choose apps, websites, or categories to restrict. They are blocked when you start studying and unblocked when you finish. Blocking automatically ends after a maximum of 12 hours, and you can revoke access in device settings. You can also use the timer without blocking anything. [Simple and quiet] • No ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases • No account required • Study records stored on your device • Record backup and restore • Korean, English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese Support and feedback: ddubangstudio@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NightMeow at none against Sumbi's 3. Sumbi's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model 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. Sumbi sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. NightMeow asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sumbi ships an update weekly, NightMeow every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Sumbi | NightMeow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 나이스데이 | subin kang |
Customer experience
Sumbi
NightMeow
In-app purchases
Sumbi
- Shallow Sea Creature$0.99
- Deep Sea Creature$1.99
- Abyssal Creature$2.99
NightMeow
No in-app purchases









