Comparison

Breathful vs SlackTide Breathing

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

Head to head
About

Breathful

This app helps you track the effectiveness of your mindfulness meditation practice by quantifying your progress. It allows you to log sessions, count distractions, and monitor improvements over time to validate your chosen meditation techniques.

Highlights
  • Track meditation effectiveness with data
  • Quantify focus improvement
  • Log 10-minute mindfulness sessions
  • Count 'distractions' during sessions
  • Monitor average distractions dropping
  • Archive sessions by date and time
Features
Read full description

Breathful tracks the effectiveness of your meditation with data. Watch the numbers change as you develop your ability to focus and quantify your improvement over time. Rather than endorse a particular method for practicing mindfulness meditation, Breathful acknowledges that there is a common theme amongst all techniques: Focus on being mindful of your breathing - Breathful. ------------------------------------------------------------ Mindfulness 101 The object of mindfulness is witnessing one’s own present experience without any attachment or reactivity... In other words, any thoughts that arise during mindfulness practice are acknowledged, and then allowed to pass. Directing one's attention to breathing helps maintain a present state of mind. ------------------------------------------------------------ So what is Breathful and how is it different from other meditation timer apps? Breathful is a useful tool that allows users to engage in ten-minute “sessions” of mindfulness practice. Actively monitor each session by attaching a number of “distractions” - when the session ends, it will be archived in the session log by date and time, along with the number of distractions encountered during the session. When you see the average number of distractions dropping, you'll know your method of mindfulness is an effective one. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING BREATHFUL: - A new session is started by tapping on the timer circle, which will then start a ten minute countdown. - If at any point the user taps on the screen while the timer is running, then a "distraction" will be recorded. *Note: It is up to the user to decide what constitutes a "distraction" and you may not want to record minor distractions lasting only a split-second... what constitutes a minor vs. major distraction is up to you. Improve your focus with mindfulness training and let Breathful quantify your progress! If you've had your doubts about meditation in the past, here's your chance to gather your own statistics and come to your own conclusion.

About

SlackTide Breathing

This minimalist app guides you through the 4-7-8 breathing technique using a visual breathing ring and clear phase labels. It offers customizable session lengths and gentle haptic feedback for a focused and calming experience.

Highlights
  • Guided 4-7-8 breathing pattern
  • Calm breathing ring animation
  • Clear phase labels
  • Customizable session goals
  • Gentle haptic feedback
  • Minimalist single-screen design
  • VoiceOver accessibility
Features
Read full description

Breathe 4‑7‑8 on your wrist. This minimalist Apple Watch app guides you through the classic 4‑7‑8 breathing pattern with a calm breathing ring, clear phase labels, and a large seconds countdown. Start quickly, stay focused, and finish a short session in about a minute—or keep going continuously. HOW IT WORKS • Choose your goal: 3, 5, 10, or Continuous cycles • Follow the guidance: Inhale (4) → Hold (7) → Exhale (8) • Watch the ring animate with each phase and a big, easy-to-read countdown • Feel gentle haptics for start, every phase transition, completion, or an early stop DESIGNED FOR LOW COGNITIVE LOAD • Single-screen experience—no menus to dig through mid-session • OLED-friendly deep ocean gradient and calm, consistent phase colors • Goal selector is only available while idle and stays hidden/disabled during sessions • Readable typography with a monospaced timer for quick glances ACCESSIBILITY • VoiceOver-friendly labels and sensible contrast for a clear, glanceable experience Note: This app is for guided breathing practice and relaxation. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice.

Screenshots

Breathful3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SlackTide Breathing at 5.0 against Breathful's 3.0. SlackTide Breathing also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). Breathful's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SlackTide Breathing holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Breathful ships an update every 6 months, SlackTide Breathing every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Breathful versus SlackTide Breathing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBreathfulSlackTide Breathing
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCookies & MilkApta Care LLC

Customer experience

Breathful

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

SlackTide Breathing

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Breathful

No in-app purchases

None

SlackTide Breathing

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Breathful free?
Breathful is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SlackTide Breathing free?
SlackTide Breathing is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Breathful or SlackTide Breathing?
SlackTide Breathing is rated higher. Breathful averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SlackTide Breathing averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Breathful or SlackTide Breathing have ads?
Neither Breathful nor SlackTide Breathing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Breathful or SlackTide Breathing?
Breathful ships an update every 6 months, and SlackTide Breathing every 2 weeks. Most recently, Breathful was updated on November 6, 2026 and SlackTide Breathing on October 31, 2026.

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