Comparison

mySleepButton vs Smart Bites

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

Head to head
About

mySleepButton

This app uses a "cognitive shuffle" technique to help users fall asleep by distracting their minds with imagery. It offers guided meditations and can be used with audio devices for a screen-free experience.

Highlights
  • Cognitive shuffle technique
  • Guided imagery for sleep
  • Affective body scan meditation
  • Configurable meditation pack
  • Audio playback on external devices
  • Siri shortcuts
Features
Read full description

mySleepButton® is a CogSci Apps® invention. Its purpose is to help you fall asleep with the "cognitive shuffle", as featured in the The New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes Magazine, Canadian Government’s Institute of Health Research, The BC Medical Journal online, Popular Science Magazine, Forbes Magazine ("disrupt all patterns and rest in blissful chaos"), LifeHacker ("surprisingly effective"), etc. It’s so easy: Just lie in bed, touch the “Put Me to Sleep” button, imagine the various descriptions it reads to you, and let yourself fall asleep… pleasantly. That is the Cognitive Shuffle! O, The Oprah magazine, calls mySleepButton “An easy little game to trick yourself to sleep.” The Guardian wrote: "My top recommendation remains the visualisation method known as the “cognitive shuffle”: download the MySleepButton app". Quartz says mySleepButton is “a drug-free sleep trick for your restless mind”. International Business Times of London says “mySleepButton App Hijacks Thoughts to Help Sleep”. Into mindfulness meditation? mySleepButton also contains a configurable "affective body scan" meditation pack. It taps into the brain's body maps. Still awake after the meditation? Instantly proceed to guided shuffled imagery. You can try mySleepButton for FREE! There's no subscription fee. Buy the pack(s) that you like, and shuffle your thoughts to sleep. The goal of mySleepButton is to keep your mind off your concerns while putting it in an imagery rich state conducive to sleep. mySleepButton can also be triggered with Air Pods and played on Apple's Home Pod (or other devices) if you don't want an iPhone or iPad in your bed room. It even has Siri shortcuts. So, why not enjoy a dreamy transition to sleep? “Shuffle Your Thoughts to Sleep” with mySleepButton.

About

Smart Bites

This app helps you make healthier food choices by scanning barcodes to provide a 1-100 quality score. It offers personalized guidance, suggests better alternatives, and tracks the impact of your food on your gut health, energy, and mood.

Highlights
  • Barcode scanner with 1-100 food scores
  • Smarter food replacement suggestions
  • Meal and recipe scoring
  • AI nutrition guidance
  • Track energy, sleep, mood, appetite, gut health
Features
Read full description

SCIENCE-based food scanner for gut microbiome & metabolic health. • SCAN food barcodes for simple quality scores & smarter options. • SCORE whole meals with a quick photo of your plate. • SWAP foods in meals & recipes with nutrient-balanced guidance. • SUSTAIN health impacts on your gut, energy, mood, & sleep. Powered by NCS, a best-in-class scoring system developed by microbiome expert and UW Medicine gastroenterologist Dr. Chris Damman. It translates complex nutrition labels into simple 1–100 scores using key nutrient ratios—like carb-to-fiber—that signal balance and are linked to microbiome & metabolic health. Designed to support the gut microbiome's activation of natural appetite-control hormones like GLP-1. Complements therapies like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Works with most eating styles: Mediterranean, Vegetarian, Low-Carb, Keto, Vegan, and Standard American. **See GutBites.org for supporting evidence** _____________________________ →Key Features← • Free barcode scanner with 1–100 food scores • Smarter options to replace less healthy foods • Meal & recipe builder with nutrient ratio scoring • Barry Smart, AI assistant, for nutrition guidance • Track energy, sleep, mood, appetite, gut health SMART BITES. Smart nutrition in your pocket. To fuel your best. __________________________ Smart Bites is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle, or medications. Smart Bites is powered by by fatsecret nutrition API. (www.fatsecret.com) Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://gutbites.org/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

mySleepButton2 screens
Smart Bites4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: mySleepButton at 4.5 against Smart Bites's 3.6. mySleepButton also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 55%) and ratings volume (214 vs 21). Smart Bites's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. mySleepButton sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smart Bites sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

mySleepButton holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: mySleepButton has 214 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of mySleepButton's written reviews are positive against 55% of Smart Bites's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mySleepButton ships an update every 5 months, Smart Bites every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
mySleepButton versus Smart Bites: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermySleepButtonSmart Bites
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (214 ratings) — better3.6 (21 ratings)
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews — better55.0% of reviews
Number of ratings214 — better21
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB115 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCogSci Apps Corp.Chris Damman

Customer experience

mySleepButton

All ratings210 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive72.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative20.9%

Smart Bites

All ratings21 ratings
Positive61.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative38.1%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative45.0%

Bugs and requests

mySleepButton

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes after iOS updates
  • Purchased content not restoring properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More diverse content and voices
  • Randomized word/scene order
  • Support for additional languages
  • Apple Watch app

Smart Bites

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

mySleepButton

One-time1
  • Give thanks & support our R&D$9.99
5 purchases

Smart Bites

Subscriptions5
  • Smart Bites NCS (Starter)$2.991 Month
  • Smart Bites NCS (Basic)$3.991 Month
  • Smarter Bites (Monthly)$4.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Smart Bites NCS (Pro)$4.991 Month
  • Smart Bites NCS (Elite)$5.991 Month

Questions

Is mySleepButton free?
mySleepButton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smart Bites free?
Smart Bites is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, mySleepButton or Smart Bites?
mySleepButton is rated higher. mySleepButton averages 4.5 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Smart Bites averages 3.6 from 21 ratings.
Do mySleepButton or Smart Bites have ads?
Neither mySleepButton nor Smart Bites shows ads.
Which is updated more often, mySleepButton or Smart Bites?
mySleepButton ships an update every 5 months, and Smart Bites every 2 weeks. Most recently, mySleepButton was updated on November 6, 2026 and Smart Bites on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons