Comparison

Timester vs Downshift

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

Head to head
About

Timester

This utility app assists users in practicing a specific meditation technique. It provides a focused environment for individuals dedicated to the meditation methods developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Highlights
  • Meditation timer
  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi technique support
  • Simple utility
  • iPhone compatible
Features
Read full description

The Timester app for iPhone is a simple utility app that serves to help people practicing the meditation technique developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

About

Downshift

Features
Read full description

Downshift offers guided breathing exercises for the moments you feel tense or stressed — box breathing, 4-7-8, resonance breathing and the physiological sigh — plus progressive muscle relaxation, a body scan and, with a watch or tracker, a daily nervous-system reading from your Apple Health data. Breathe along. Follow the animated orb through guided patterns: the Physiological Sigh, Resonance breathing, Box, 4-7-8, and more. Gentle haptics mark every inhale and exhale, so you can do it with your eyes closed. Build a daily rhythm. A simple daily checklist of evidence-based habits — morning light, movement, a caffeine cutoff, a steady bedtime — with a streak to keep you going. See your progress. Log your tension morning and evening and watch the trend over time. Let go of physical tension. Guided progressive muscle relaxation walks you head-to-toe. On your wrist and your Home Screen. A standalone Apple Watch app with guided breathing, complications, and your reading at a glance — plus Home and Lock Screen widgets. Yours, and private. Your Apple Health data stays on your device. Your notes sync privately through your own iCloud — no account with us, no servers of ours, no tracking. Ever. Free to download and use. No ads. Downshift supports everyday wellbeing and is not a medical device or a substitute for professional care.

Screenshots

Timester4 screens
Downshift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Downshift at none against Timester's 1. Downshift also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Timester's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Timester sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Downshift asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timester ships an update every 3 months, Downshift fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Timester versus Downshift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimesterDownshift
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (290 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings290 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB18 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRussell MitchellIoan-Cristian Vezure

Bugs and requests

Timester

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Calendar kicks back to old date
  • Meditation log not available
  • Forum not working

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Apple Watch companion app
  • Fade in/out alarms
  • Save multiple duration settings
  • Meditation reminder

Downshift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Timester

One-time1
  • Meditation Logging Capability$0.99
None

Downshift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Timester free?
Timester is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Downshift free?
Downshift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Timester or Downshift have ads?
Neither Timester nor Downshift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Timester or Downshift?
Timester ships an update every 3 months, and Downshift fortnightly. Most recently, Timester was updated on October 14, 2026 and Downshift on October 8, 2026.

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