# Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell vs Mindful Timer

The clearest difference is rating: Mindful Timer at 5.0 against Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell's 4.5. Mindful Timer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell's advantage is ratings volume (216 vs 10). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Mindful Timer sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mindful Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell has 216 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mindful Timer's.

Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell ships an update every 4 months, Mindful Timer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell | Mindful Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/enso-meditation-timer-and-bell/id840637879/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-timermeditation-timer/id6752609355/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fascinative Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773420025) | [Burnt Cinnamon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840159207) |

## What reviewers say

### Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/enso-meditation-timer-and-bell/id840637879)

This app provides a minimalist and elegant timer for meditation and mindfulness sessions. It features customizable bells, interval reminders, and progress tracking to enhance your practice without distractions.

**Highlights:** Easy-to-use meditation timer, High-quality bell sounds, Preparation timer, Interval timer and bell, Progress indicators, Progress reports and stats, Background operation, Distraction-free mode

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ensō Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| Nepalese Singing Bowl Low | $0.99 | one-time |
| Meditation Gong | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ceremonial Bell 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ceremonial Bell 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Japanese Temple Bell 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Short Meditation Bell | $0.99 | one-time |
| Long Meditation Bell | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nepalese Singing Bowl Medium | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tibetan Singing Bowl Low | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tibetan Singing Bowl Medium | $0.99 | one-time |
| Value Pack (All Bells) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Beautiful, simple, and elegant design
- ⏱️ Effective meditation timer with interval bells
- 📊 Helpful progress tracking and session history
- 🔔 High-quality, soothing bell sounds
- 🧘‍♀️ Supports focused, unguided meditation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when trying to change bell settings
- 🔒 Lack of app support and unresponsive developers
- 🕰️ Maximum meditation time limited to 1 hour
- 💰 Paid features like additional bells are expensive
- 🔇 Abrupt ending when using background music

**Reported bugs**

- Timer stops when receiving notifications
- Presets not loading correctly into timer screen
- Meditation time not recorded if session ends early

**Requested features**

- Extend maximum meditation time beyond 1 hour
- Add option for multiple ending bells (e.g. triple bell)
- Implement Apple Watch app and haptic feedback
- Allow saving/loading of custom meditation presets
- Improve progress tracking and data visualization


### Mindful Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindful-timermeditation-timer/id6752609355)

This app provides a simple, unguided interval timer for self-guided meditation, breathwork, and yoga practices. It features customizable timers, gentle bells, and a distraction-free interface. Save your favorite routines and track your weekly sessions without any ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Multiple automatic timers, Customizable interval bells, Save preset routines, Weekly session tracking, Gentle bell sounds, Distraction-free design, Offline functionality

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium: Bell Sounds, Insights | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium: Bell Sounds, Insights | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell free?

Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mindful Timer free?

Mindful Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell or Mindful Timer?

Mindful Timer is rated higher. Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell averages 4.5 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while Mindful Timer averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell or Mindful Timer have ads?

Neither Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell nor Mindful Timer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell or Mindful Timer?

Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell ships an update every 4 months, and Mindful Timer weekly. Most recently, Ensō | Meditation Timer & Bell was updated on September 18, 2026 and Mindful Timer on September 26, 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.*