Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Balance vs BetterSleep

Balance 4.9★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner Balance
BetterSleep 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65

Choose Balance for a more personalized meditation experience, while BetterSleep may be better for sound variety if you can pay.

Full reviews: Balance · BetterSleep

Balance offers a more tailored meditation experience with a focus on personal growth, while BetterSleep has faced criticism for locking many features behind paywalls. Users of Balance appreciate its guided meditations and personal touch, whereas BetterSleep users express frustration over recent changes that limit free access to sounds.

Head to head

features edge: BalanceR2R11R66R67
Balance Balance users appreciate the variety and personalization in meditation plans, but some note stagnation in content updates R2R11.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users enjoyed the sound mixing features but are frustrated with the recent paywall changes that limit access to previously free sounds R66R67.
ease of use edge: BalanceR25R29R65R72
Balance Balance is often described as user-friendly, especially for beginners R25R29, though some users find it lacking in flexibility .
BetterSleep BetterSleep has been described as having a steep learning curve, which can make initial use frustrating R65R72.
reliability tieR4R7R63R81
Balance Balance users report issues with app functionality and customer support, particularly after updates R4R7R10.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users also report glitches and issues with app stability, especially after updates R63R81.
price/value tieR1R14R61R67
Balance Balance has been criticized for limiting free features and offering a lifetime membership that some users feel is not worth it due to lack of new content R1R14.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users express dissatisfaction with the increased costs and loss of previously free sounds, feeling that the app has become too expensive for what it offers R61R67.
support tieR4R10R64R70
Balance Balance users report poor customer support experiences, especially regarding billing issues R4R10.
BetterSleep BetterSleep users also mention a lack of customer support, particularly when resolving billing disputes R64R70.
Pick Balance if

you want a more personalized meditation experience with a focus on personal growth.

Pick BetterSleep if

you prefer sound variety and are willing to pay for premium features.

Evidence note: Both apps have received mixed reviews, but Balance's users seem more consistently satisfied with the meditation experience, while BetterSleep's recent changes have led to significant user dissatisfaction.

Frequently asked

What are the main differences in pricing between Balance and BetterSleep?
Balance offers a free tier with in-app purchases, while BetterSleep has significantly limited free features and now charges for most sounds, with subscriptions starting around $5 R61R66.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Balance 5/5 · US Life changing app: February 2026 Update: This app is very stagnant. I purchased the lifetime membership back in 2020, thinking that new meditations and content would be added periodically. It’s now 2026 and none of the meditation “Plans” have changed, nor have any new ones been added. Rarely a new meditation will be added to “Singles”. I don’t know why they haven’t evolved at all since launching.
  2. [R11] Balance 4/5 · US Good and soothing voice quality: I’d give 5 stars, but I use this app daily and the meditations tend to get a little stale. It would be nice to have more frequent fresh meditations to choose from.
  3. [R66] BetterSleep 3/5 · US Have to Pay For Almost All the Sounds: I’ve always loved this app- i’ve used sounds to mix together my perfect mix to sleep to. Now all of the four sounds i’ve mixed together are all premium, and I’ve been forced to switch to a new app after being loyal to this one for years. The other features are fine… I’m just upset that I can barely use things for free on this app now.
  4. [R67] BetterSleep 1/5 · US Boooooooooo: I’ve used this app for years. Now, in the middle of the night when I need it I realize they’ve updated and locked almost every sound behind a paywall. Wtf?!? AND it’s a subscription paywall at that. Yall the worst!
  5. [R25] Balance 5/5 · US Wonderful resource: Love my Balance App. Allows me to easily check off my daily meditation (for emotional well being, focus and physical health) and it’s something I look forward to every day. It’s especially great for beginners uwho want to learn different kinds of meditation.
  6. [R29] Balance 5/5 · US Great for beginners and novices.: This is the structure that I needed with instructions and guidance that other apps don’t include. Easy to use and follow. So far I am in love with it!
  7. [R65] BetterSleep 4/5 · US Great App, but need more time to explore it.: I needed much more than a 7-day free trial to discover how to use this app, or even get familiar with it due to its steep learning curve. Thanks for allowing me 7 days free. If I had had more time, I would read a five I’m sure!
  8. [R72] BetterSleep 3/5 · GB Unless u gots money to sleep: I have used the app for a long time but with new updates the app is practically unusable unless u can pay as a student I afford anymore subscription which is a shame it really did help improve my insomnia but I guess it back to sleepless nights thanks guys 😀☹️🥲🙌
  9. [R4] Balance 1/5 · US Contacting the App: The free trial worked, but as soon as you pay the app stops working. Not to mention it is impossible to get any support regarding anything. Not even troubleshooting. Yes, some suggestions exist. But if the app doesn’t work. You just lost all your money on nothing.
  10. [R7] Balance 1/5 · US App stopped working: Hello Balance, a few days ago all the meditations I’ve tried on Balance have stopped working. As soon as the meditation is about to start it freezes. This is very upsetting. I have an iPhone 15. I recently updated the OS version and it still didn’t help. I uninstalled and reinstalled the App and still no luck. I also tried to open the Help in the settings menu and it also isn’
  11. [R63] BetterSleep 3/5 · US Glitch: I’m stuck on Home Screen I keep updating it but still doesn’t work it just at the loading screen I’m really confused please help me developers! I’m really sorry to bother y’all y’all work so hard for this app! User since 2025
  12. [R81] BetterSleep 3/5 · GB Amazing stories, but very glitchy: I love this app, the stories always put me to sleep comfortably, especially with my insomnia on most nights. However , the only thing that is annoying is how glitchy the app is. With the amount that I paid for premium, I wouldn’t expect it to always be glitchy. Everyday, when I put on a story, the app self-exits, freezes constantly and it ruins the quality of the
  13. [R1] Balance 1/5 · US Lifetime membership is a pointless: The app kept offering lifetime membership. It made it seem like I would have access to meditations as they were made available. I assumed some things may be limited compared to monthly membership but I was left with the same meditations as the free version. So what was the point of paying for the membership?
  14. [R14] Balance 2/5 · GB Nothing is free anymore: I had this app last year and it helped me so much with sleep and general intros to meditation. Have been feeling like getting back into meditating so I re-downloaded the app, only to find that nearly all the meditations and plans etc. that used to be free are now behind paywalls. There’s literally only like 3 that are free, not even the daily meditation is free which last
  15. [R61] BetterSleep 1/5 · US Greedy: Yall done got greedy. I’ve used this app for so many years, but will be deleting it as soon as I find a replacement. My favorite sounds that helped me sleep are no longer available without paying an extortionate fee. Disgrace and shame. Boo BetterSleep.
  16. [R10] Balance 1/5 · GB Charged me £65 even though I cancelled: I cancelled my Balance Mind and Meditation subscription well before the renewal date, yet the app still charged me £64.99. That is unacceptable. I then tried to contact support to request a refund and could not find clear contact details or a working support route in the app. The billing process lacks transparency and the support experience is poor. I expect
  17. [R64] BetterSleep 1/5 · US They lied: I purchased for $5 last year the lifetime access to premium. Only to find out tonight they have taken that away. What a rip off of an app to offer that last year then not only honor it but charge 5 times as much for a year access. They will ruin their entire platform if they continue like this. Very disappointing.
  18. [R70] BetterSleep 1/5 · US Customer Service Non-existent: I paid $5 for what I thought was a lifetime deal only to ask me to pay again a year later. I emailed customer support and got no answer.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store