Mind Timer vs GonguZen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mind Timer
This app provides a straightforward timer for meditation sessions. It offers customizable intervals, various chime sounds, and background options to enhance your practice. It also includes instructions and a link to guided meditations.
- Meditation intervals
- 5 chime sounds
- 5 timer backgrounds
- Easy-to-use interface
- Meditation instructions
- Link to guided meditations
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Mind Timer is a simple app that keeps track of the time while you meditate. FEATURES ・Meditation intervals ・5 high quality chime sounds ・5 timer backgrounds ・Easy-to-use interface ・Instructions on how to use the app to meditate ・Link to the Guided Mind app's library of guided meditations
GonguZen
Find calm with a simple meditation timer for sleep, mindfulness, and breath. Enjoy a clean interface with no ads or account requirements. Offers guided breathing, ambient sounds, and progress tracking.
- Meditation timer with custom durations
- Real singing bowls and bells
- Breathing guidance
- Ambient nature and ocean sounds
- Sleep mode with fadeout
- Progress tracking and daily streaks
- Privacy-first design with no account needed
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Find calm in 1 minute. GonguZen is a simple meditation timer for sleep, mindfulness, and breath. No bloat, no ads, no account. Just sit, breathe, and listen. WHAT YOU GET FREE • Meditation timer with presets and custom durations • Real singing bowls and bells (3 sounds) • Breathing guidance to find your rhythm • Rain and ocean ambient sounds • Sleep mode with gradual fadeout • Interval bells during sessions • Daily streak and weekly progress charts • Daily reminder notification (opt-in) • Lock screen controls • Background audio playback • Light and dark themes GONGUZEN PREMIUM Unlock the full calm ritual: • Premium nature sounds: stream with birds, birds, jungle, fire, night, crickets, birdsong • Four visual scenes for deeper focus: forest with fireflies, fire with embers, ocean waves, night sky with stars Two ways to upgrade: • Lifetime - $19.99 one-time purchase. Pay once, keep forever. Family Sharing supported. • Yearly - $9.99 per year. Auto-renews until canceled. Family Sharing supported. WHY GONGUZEN Most meditation apps treat you like a project: streaks to maintain, courses to finish, push notifications to ignore. GonguZen treats you like an adult who knows how to breathe. Sit down. Set a time. Listen to a real singing bowl. Finish. That's the whole product. PRIVACY-FIRST Everything stays on your phone. No login, no ad tracking, no personalized ads. Anonymous crash reports help us fix bugs and respect your device privacy settings. TERMS GonguZen Premium Yearly is an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in App Store Settings - access remains active until the current period ends. Premium Lifetime is a one-time purchase with no recurring charges. Privacy Policy: https://gonguzen.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://gonguzen.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GonguZen at 4.0 against Mind Timer's 3.0. GonguZen also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). Mind Timer's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1) and iOS requirement (7.1 vs 15.1). 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
Both are free to download. Mind Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GonguZen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GonguZen holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mind Timer has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Mind Timer ships an update monthly, GonguZen every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mind Timer | GonguZen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (8 ratings) | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.1 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AppSimple LLC | SOMMER Media s.r.o. |
In-app purchases
Mind Timer
- Premium Features$1.99
GonguZen
- Premium Yearly$9.991 Year
- Premium Lifetime$19.99
Questions
Is Mind Timer free?
Is GonguZen free?
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Other comparisons
