When comparing i-Qi clock & meditation timer vs Insight Timer Meditation Timer, the Slant community recommends i-Qi clock & meditation timer for most people. In the question“What are the best meditation timer apps for ios?” i-Qi clock & meditation timer is ranked 1st while Insight Timer Meditation Timer is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose i-Qi clock & meditation timer is:
While this app does not have the Background App Refresh feature, there have not been instances where the bell did not go off for a meditation session.
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Pros
Pro Reliable
While this app does not have the Background App Refresh feature, there have not been instances where the bell did not go off for a meditation session.
Pro Gorgeous sounds
The sound engine which emulate the reverberation of the bells is impressive. Multiple strikes overlap, even the sounds of different bells can overlap as well.
Pro Easy to setup
You choose the bell, when the bell should play, how many times the bell should repeat, the volume by % and optionally you can give the event a name. Set it and forget it.
Pro Can be used as a wake up alarm
For the devout meditator, you can elect to wake up to bells. Two choices are available. The Golden Ratio alarm starts with distantly spaced bell strikes and over time the interval becomes shorter and shorter. Continuous Chimes which is in a fixed interval of your choosing defaulting at 10 seconds between bell strikes.
Pro Has reminder function
This app does not feature an explicitly stated "reminder" feature to do meditation session, but the wake-up alarm serves the same function. You can set multiple alarms for throughout the day if you wish.
Pro Good free course
Has a good free intro course.
Pro Huge range of meditations
Pro Select the opening screen
You can choose from three options as the opening screen (the first thing you see when you open the app):
- Community map
- Timer
- Meditation library
Pro Detailed metrics on your meditation activity
The application features a statistics section where you can view your past meditation activity. Metrics include amount of time spent and your overall statistics for a certain time period. It also is a good method to see how your meditation is evolving.
Pro High sound quality
The meditation bells in Insight Timer have a very high sound quality which helps to bring a person into a meditative state.
Pro Able to engage with worldwide community
Insight Timer is used by over half a million users in over 140 countries and features a world map, discussion groups and the ability to share your progress with friends.
Pro Notifications can be disabled while the timer is running
Pro Built-in journal feature
When you're finished with a meditation session, the app allows you to write notes about that session. These notes are stored in a journal and can be exported.
Cons
Con Main screen is a menu
The main screen features a clock that only shows the quarter marks like the cardinal directions, largely useless for actually telling time. At the bottom are the links to playing with the bells, wake up alarm, meditation session presets, and settings. The meditation presets should be the main screen as that is the primary function for the app. Minor gripe/ con.
Con Infrequent updates
The app is simple enough that frequent updates are not necessary. However, the fact remains that the developer is not aggressive about improving the app. This is a blessing and a curse.
Con No integration with Health Kit
Con No han instrument
A zen instrument comprised of a thick wooden board that is struck by a wooden mallet. It is struck at dawn, dusk and the end of the day. It is used to summon participants to the zendo (meditation hall) for daily zazen (meditation). The pattern of strikes always includes three roll downs.
Con Glitchy
When using several bells, they often don't sound at the right time.
Con Too cluttered for a meditation app
Con Quickly drains battery
Insight Timer has some technical issues and the application won't close in the background in some cases. This causes your Android device to be quickly drained of its battery.
Con The marketing banner is horrible
Everytime you open the app you have a huge banner in your face trying to sell you stuff. It's the worst thing about the app.
Con Expensive in-app purchase for bell intervals
There's an in-app purchase of roughly $6 that will add an interval feature between bells, to let the user know how far they've progressed in a session.