# Cold Shower Therapy vs Ice Barrel

The clearest difference is rating: Cold Shower Therapy at 4.4 against Ice Barrel's 3.7. Cold Shower Therapy also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 44%) and ratings volume (107 vs 31). Ice Barrel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cold Shower Therapy sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Ice Barrel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cold Shower Therapy holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 107 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Cold Shower Therapy's written reviews are positive against 44% of Ice Barrel's.

Cold Shower Therapy ships an update monthly, Ice Barrel every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cold Shower Therapy | Ice Barrel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (107 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-shower-therapy/id693240707/reviews)** | [3.7 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-barrel/id6448100865/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **107** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **71.9% of reviews** | 43.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 2 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Impossible X LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/708988184) | [Ice Barrel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683494023) |

## What reviewers say

### Cold Shower Therapy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-shower-therapy/id693240707)

This app helps you build mental toughness by tracking your daily cold shower practice. Monitor your streaks, view progress with stats, and join a community of individuals challenging their comfort zones. Daily reminders and a global leaderboard encourage consistency.

**Highlights:** Track cold shower streaks, View progress with stats, Calendar history view, Global leaderboard competition, Daily consistency reminders, Theme customization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cold Shower for Yesterday | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3-Months Optional Patronage | $2.99 | one-time |
| 6-Months Optional Patronage | $5.99 | one-time |
| 12-Months Optional Patronage | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Motivates cold showers
- 👍 Tracks streaks and stats
- 👍 Simple and effective
- 👍 Good for discipline
- 👍 Inspires self-improvement

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Data loss and resets
- 🐛 Login and sign-in issues
- 🐛 App not working in recent years
- 🐛 Outdated interface

**Reported bugs**

- Account creation errors
- Cannot get back into the app after signing out
- App is buggy and outdated
- App is broken and no longer works
- Stopped logging showers

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit starting date
- Manual add option for past showers
- Adjustable prep time beyond 5 seconds
- Increase alarm volume
- Option to shut off music prompt


### Ice Barrel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ice-barrel/id6448100865)

This app enhances cold water therapy by allowing remote control of a connected chiller, tracking session progress, and offering guided coaching. It also facilitates connections with other cold therapy practitioners.

**Highlights:** Remote chiller control, Session tracking, Guided coaching, Community connection, Temperature control, Notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cold Shower Therapy free?

Cold Shower Therapy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ice Barrel free?

Ice Barrel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cold Shower Therapy or Ice Barrel?

Cold Shower Therapy is rated higher. Cold Shower Therapy averages 4.4 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while Ice Barrel averages 3.7 from 31 ratings.

### Do Cold Shower Therapy or Ice Barrel have ads?

Neither Cold Shower Therapy nor Ice Barrel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cold Shower Therapy or Ice Barrel?

Cold Shower Therapy ships an update monthly, and Ice Barrel every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cold Shower Therapy was updated on October 22, 2026 and Ice Barrel on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*