Comparison

mySleepButton vs Ocean Waves

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
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

Ocean Waves

Immerse yourself in calming ocean wave sounds for relaxation, focus, or sleep. Control playback, set timers, and enjoy stereo and spatial audio. Unlock advanced features like extended timers and night mode with a premium upgrade.

Highlights
  • Immersive wave sound playback
  • Adjustable sleep timer
  • Background audio support
  • Stereo and spatial audio options
  • AirPlay and Bluetooth streaming
  • Apple Watch control
Features
Read full description

***** Over 300,000 Downloads! ***** Ocean Waves is a simple app that keeps playing wave sound. Unwind with Ocean Waves, a player that delivers immersive wave sounds right to your device. Whether you're looking to relax, focus, or drift off to sleep, Ocean Waves has you covered—now controllable via Apple Watch. *** Main Features and How to Use *** - Play/Pause Waves: Tap the play-pause button. - Sleep Timer: Set your timer with a dial and hit "SET". To cancel, turn the dial to 0 and press "CANCEL". - Background Play: Ocean Waves plays even when the app is in the background. Continue to listen while using other apps (as long as those apps don't require sound). *** Other Features *** - Stereo Sound: By using speakers or headphones that support stereo playback, the wave sound can be heard differently in each ear, providing a more immersive experience. - AirPlay Support: Using the iOS system, you can easily stream between Apple devices and enjoy high-quality wave sounds. - Bluetooth Support: You can connect wirelessly to audio equipment and enjoy the sound source wirelessly. *** Unlock More with Paid Version *** The premium version is available for purchase within the app. One-time Purchase Plan: $15.99 Annual Plan: $5.99 Monthly Plan: $2.99 - Features: - Remove ads. - Extended timer up to 12 hours. *Note: The timer may not work correctly if the device is locked. - You can change the maximum time for the timer. (It's useful for meditation and Pomodoro if set to less than an hour.) - Night mode settings with reduced screen brightness. In automatic adjustment mode, the beach scenery beautifully adapts to the time of day. - You can configure 3D spatial audio settings. Within the 3D audio space, bird sounds appear in different locations each time. Moreover, listening with AirPods equipped with head tracking technology enhances the spatial experience. - You can configure volume fade settings. The volume of the ocean waves will smoothly change during playback and pause. *** Payment Notes *** - Prices and currencies may vary by country, region, and time. - Charged via Apple ID account. - We do not accept cancellations or refunds for the one-time purchase plan. - We do not accept cancellations or refunds for the current year of the yearly plan. - We do not accept cancellations or refunds for the current month of the monthly plan. *** Terms of Use (EULA) *** https://www.codepaint.app/terms/ocean-waves *** Privacy Policy *** https://www.codepaint.app/privacy-policy *** Special Thanks *** - skyseeker: https://www.skyseeker.net/ - satoshidesuken: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCInHng6_oS27vjQP45zj2rw

Screenshots

mySleepButton2 screens
Ocean Waves2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: mySleepButton at none against Ocean Waves's shown. mySleepButton also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Ocean Waves's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (2K vs 209). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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 13 one-off in-app purchases and Ocean Waves 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

Ocean Waves holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ocean Waves has 2K ratings behind it against 209, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 73% and 72% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mySleepButton ships an update every 4 months, Ocean Waves weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 5, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
mySleepButton versus Ocean Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermySleepButtonOcean Waves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (209 ratings)4.7 (2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews — better72.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2092K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCogSci Apps Corp.Codepaint Inc.

Customer experience

mySleepButton

All ratings206 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive72.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative20.9%

Ocean Waves

All ratings2,047 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews161 reviews
Positive72.0%
Neutral9.9%
Negative18.0%

User reviews

mySleepButton

From 209 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 No fuss, just works
  • 👍 Effective for insomnia
  • 👍 Puts me to sleep quickly
  • 👍 Helps shut down racing thoughts
  • 👍 Better than sleeping pills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Audio quality issues (crackling, clicking)
  • 🔧 Requires in-app purchases to unlock full functionality
  • 🔧 Repetitive content in free version

Ocean Waves

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌊 Relaxing ocean sounds
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🌙 Helps with sleep and relaxation
  • 🆓 Free basic version available

Room to improve

  • 🚫 Ads disrupt the experience
  • ⏱️ Timer issues or lack of timer
  • 🔈 Repetitive or unnatural sound quality
  • 💰 Expensive paid version

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

Ocean Waves

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App stops working or playing unexpectedly
  • Inability to cancel or delete subscription
  • Inconsistent behavior after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • More sound variety and customization options
  • Improved timer functionality
  • Ability to use app while using other apps
  • No ads or less intrusive ads

In-app purchases

13 purchases

mySleepButton

One-time13
  • Disable iAd$0.99
  • Album d'items simples$3.99
  • 単語パック$3.99
Show 10 more
  • 简单事物专辑$4.99
  • Simple-Things Pack$5.99
  • Drawing Pack2 variants$5.99
  • Scenes Pack$5.99
  • Album d'items à dessiner$5.99
  • Simple-Things Pack$6.99
  • Album d'items simples$6.99
  • Scenes Pack$8.99
  • Body Scan Pack$8.99
  • Kids Pack (4+)$8.99
5 purchases

Ocean Waves

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly Plan7 Days trial$5.991 Year
One-time3
  • Premium Lifetime Plan - Offer2 variants$6.99
  • Premium Lifetime Plan - Offer$7.99
  • Premium Lifetime Plan$15.99

Questions

Is mySleepButton free?
mySleepButton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ocean Waves free?
Ocean Waves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, mySleepButton or Ocean Waves?
Ocean Waves is rated higher. mySleepButton averages 4.5 out of 5 from 209 ratings, while Ocean Waves averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.
Do mySleepButton or Ocean Waves have ads?
Ocean Waves shows ads; mySleepButton does not.
Which is updated more often, mySleepButton or Ocean Waves?
mySleepButton ships an update every 4 months, and Ocean Waves weekly. Most recently, mySleepButton was updated on August 5, 2026 and Ocean Waves on September 24, 2026.

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