# Mindfulness Coach vs UCLA Mindful

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Mindfulness Coach at 11K against UCLA Mindful's 172. Mindfulness Coach also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (94% vs 78%). UCLA Mindful's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mindfulness Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mindfulness Coach has 11K ratings behind it against 172, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Mindfulness Coach's written reviews are positive against 78% of UCLA Mindful's.

Mindfulness Coach ships an update every 9 months, UCLA Mindful every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mindfulness Coach | UCLA Mindful |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729/reviews)** | [4.5 (172 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 172 |
| Positive reviews | **93.7% of reviews** | 78.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 131 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)](https://appshunter.io/developer/430646305) | [UCLA Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/646973492) |

## What reviewers say

### Mindfulness Coach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729)

Learn and practice mindfulness with a guided training program. Access audio exercises, informational resources, and progress tracking tools to reduce stress and improve emotional balance. This app is free and respects your privacy.

**Highlights:** Self-guided mindfulness training, Audio-guided mindfulness exercises, Information library on mindfulness, Goal setting and progress tracking, Mindfulness mastery assessment, Customizable reminders, Access to support resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Helpful for mental health
- 🚀 Effective for mindfulness and relaxation
- 🚀 Great for beginners
- 🚀 Comprehensive content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs with timers and tracking
- 🐛 Difficulty navigating and finding specific content
- 🐛 White screen can be harsh on the eyes
- 🐛 Lack of music or background sounds

**Reported bugs**

- Timer not working properly
- Tracking/progress not saving consistently
- App crashing or freezing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better organization and filtering of content
- More variety in session durations
- Ability to import custom music/sounds


### UCLA Mindful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935)

Practice mindfulness meditation with guided sessions and educational content from UCLA Health. Learn to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and cultivate positive emotions through regular practice. Explore various meditation types, informative videos, and weekly recordings to enhance your well-being.

**Highlights:** Guided basic meditations, Wellness meditations for health conditions, Informative videos on mindfulness, Weekly live/virtual meditation recordings, Talks on mindfulness topics, Customizable meditation timer

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Free and accessible resource
- 🧘‍♀️ High-quality guided meditations
- 🗣️ Calming and comforting narrator voices (Diana Winston)
- 👍 Simple, easy to use, and navigate
- 🌍 Multiple languages offered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗣️ Presenter talks too much during meditations
- 🔌 Requires a good internet connection (streaming)
- 🔄 No offline access
- 📱 App doesn't rotate on iPad in landscape mode
- 🔊 Loud ding at the end of some tracks

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Loop repeat did not replay when screen is locked
- 🐛 Audio stops when iPhone screen locks/turns off
- 🐛 Back button disappears on search podcast tab
- 🐛 Search in previous podcast is slow to respond
- 🐛 Custom timer doesn't work as intended

**Requested features**

- Offline access/downloadable sessions
- More voice diversity (ethnicity and gender)
- Add to Apple Health for tracking mindful minutes
- Improve pausing points for Vietnamese meditations
- Remove the ding at the end of tracks


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mindfulness Coach free?

Mindfulness Coach is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is UCLA Mindful free?

UCLA Mindful is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mindfulness Coach or UCLA Mindful?

Mindfulness Coach is rated higher. Mindfulness Coach averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while UCLA Mindful averages 4.5 from 172 ratings.

### Do Mindfulness Coach or UCLA Mindful have ads?

Neither Mindfulness Coach nor UCLA Mindful shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mindfulness Coach or UCLA Mindful?

Mindfulness Coach ships an update every 9 months, and UCLA Mindful every 3 months. Most recently, Mindfulness Coach was updated on September 24, 2026 and UCLA Mindful on September 19, 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.*