# Pillow vs Better Sleep

The clearest difference is ads: Pillow at none against Better Sleep's shown. Pillow also leads on ratings volume (96K vs 9) and review sentiment (42% vs 25%). Better Sleep's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pillow sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Better Sleep sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Better Sleep holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pillow has 96K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of Pillow's written reviews are positive against 25% of Better Sleep's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pillow ships an update every 9 days, Better Sleep every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pillow | Better Sleep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (96K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pillow-sleep-tracker/id878691772/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-sleep-sleep-tracker/id6467185754/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **96K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **41.8% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#141** | — |
| Size | 691 MB | 171 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neybox Digital Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/624507369) | [Nourishing Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708358285) |

## What reviewers say

### Pillow

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

**Currently charting:** #141 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app analyzes your sleep cycles automatically using your Apple Watch, iPhone, or iPad. It functions as a smart alarm to wake you at your lightest sleep stage and records audio events like snoring. Explore sleep trends and compare your quality with Apple Health metrics.

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

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| 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 |

**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


### Better Sleep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-sleep-sleep-tracker/id6467185754)

This app helps you improve your sleep quality by tracking your sleep patterns, recording nighttime sounds, and offering a variety of calming audio content. It provides insights to build healthier sleep habits and create a more relaxing bedtime routine for both adults and children.

**Highlights:** Sleep tracking and trend analysis, Snoring and sleep talking recording, Extensive library of white noise and nature sounds, Guided sleep meditations, Soothing sleep stories for all ages, Baby sleep aid audio

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Better Sleep Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Better Sleep Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| Better Sleep Plus | $14.99 | per month |
| Better Sleep Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Better Sleep Plus | $24.99 | per year |
| Better Sleep Plus | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pillow free?

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

### Is Better Sleep free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pillow or Better Sleep?

Better Sleep is rated higher. Pillow averages 4.4 out of 5 from 96K ratings, while Better Sleep averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Pillow or Better Sleep have ads?

Better Sleep shows ads; Pillow does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pillow or Better Sleep?

Pillow ships an update every 9 days, and Better Sleep every 6 days. Most recently, Pillow was updated on October 31, 2026 and Better Sleep 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.*