# Pillow vs NightBell

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NightBell at 100% against Pillow's 42%. NightBell also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Pillow's advantage is ratings volume (96K vs 3) and chart position (#181 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pillow sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. NightBell asks for nothing beyond the download.

NightBell holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pillow has 96K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Pillow's written reviews are positive against 100% of NightBell's.

Pillow ships an update every 10 days, NightBell every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pillow | NightBell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (96K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pillow-sleep-tracker/id878691772/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightbell/id6449867229/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **96K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 41.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#181** | — |
| Size | 691 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neybox Digital Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/624507369) | [Irina Deeva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752270459) |

## What reviewers say

### Pillow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pillow-sleep-tracker/id878691772)

**Currently charting:** #181 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app helps you understand and improve your sleep. It automatically tracks your sleep cycles, analyzes heart rate, and records audio events like snoring. Get personalized insights and tips to wake up feeling refreshed.

**Highlights:** Automatic sleep tracking, Smart alarm clock, Snore and sleep talking recorder, Sleep cycle analysis, Heart rate analysis, Personalized sleep tips, Sleep aid library

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pillow Premium - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Sleep Tracking | $49.99 | per year |
| Pillow Premium - Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Pillow Premium - Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Pillow Premium - Quarterly | $59.99 | per 3 months |
| Pillow Premium - Legacy | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for tracking sleep patterns
- 🚀 Automatic sleep detection
- 🎨 Colorful and intuitive interface
- 📊 Detailed sleep data and analysis
- 🔊 Audio recording of sleep sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate sleep tracking
- 🔒 Paywall for basic features
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Confusing alarm and nap features
- 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent sync between watch and phone

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Sleep data not syncing properly
- Audio recording issues
- Alarm not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit sleep sessions and data
- Sleep cycle trends and insights
- Dream journal integration
- More customization options for alarms and sounds


### NightBell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightbell/id6449867229)

This app monitors for sleepwalking episodes using motion sensors. It triggers a gentle alarm to wake you and can alert household members. A unique task-based system on a smartwatch helps differentiate between sleepwalking and being awake to prevent false alarms.

**Highlights:** Sleepwalking detection via motion sensors, Gentle alarm to wake user, Household member alerts, Smartwatch task for false alarm prevention, Designed for sleepwalker safety

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pillow free?

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

### Is NightBell free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pillow or NightBell?

NightBell is rated higher. Pillow averages 4.4 out of 5 from 96K ratings, while NightBell averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Pillow or NightBell have ads?

Neither Pillow nor NightBell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pillow or NightBell?

Pillow ships an update every 10 days, and NightBell every 11 days. Most recently, Pillow was updated on October 25, 2026 and NightBell on October 24, 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.*