Insight Timer is a great option for users seeking a wide variety of free and affordable guided meditations with strong community features and a customizable timer. Ziva Meditation is better suited for users who prefer a structured course focused on a specific technique aimed at reducing stress, anxiety, and improving sleep, and are willing to invest in a one-time purchase for lifetime access.
| Attribute | Insight Timer | Ziva Meditation |
|---|---|---|
| Guided Meditation Variety | Vast library with over 150,000 free meditations, diverse styles (mindfulness, yoga, etc.), and specific themes (sleep, anxiety, focus). Adds 80+ new free meditations daily. | Combines mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting techniques. Designed to help users access clarity, creativity, and resilience. |
| Teacher Expertise and Credentials | Features experts, neuroscientists, psychologists, and teachers from institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford. Includes renowned teachers like Tara Brach, Mark Williams, and Jack Kornfield. | Created by Emily Fletcher, a former Broadway performer who trained in India for three years. She is considered an expert in meditation for performance and has taught over 50,000 people the Ziva Technique. |
| Meditation Timer Functionality | Highly customizable meditation timer. Allows setting duration, interval chimes, and ambient sounds. Provides high-fidelity recordings of traditional Asian meditation instruments. Allows saving custom timer presets. Timer is accessible offline for everyone. | Not available |
| Offline Accessibility | Timer is accessible offline for everyone. Downloading guided meditations, talks, and music tracks for offline use is a premium feature. | The Ziva technique can be practiced anywhere without technology as Ziva does not have a dedicated app. |
| Customizable Meditation Lengths | Offers lessons ranging from a few minutes to longer sessions. Allows filtering by time for short meditations. | The Ziva technique involves a 17-minute, three-part meditation, ideally performed twice per day. The online course, zivaONLINE, recommends 15 minutes twice a day. |
| Progress Tracking and Statistics | Tracks meditation progress, consecutive days, total minutes, and milestones. Provides statistics and integrates with Apple Health Mindful Minutes. Offers "Milestone" stars for completing consecutive days of meditation. | The Ziva Breathing & Wellness App integrates with wearable devices to track health trends. |
| Community Features and Support | Features discussion groups and community features. Allows connecting with other meditators and joining chat groups. Enables adding friends and viewing their social posts. | Ziva offers a private online community for support and questions. |
| Integration with Other Apps | Integrates with Apple Health Mindful Minutes. Can be synced with health-tracking gadgets and smartwatches. | The Ziva Breathing & Wellness App integrates with wearable devices to track health trends. |
| Subscription Cost and Free Content Availability | Premium plan costs $9.99 monthly or $59.99 annually, with a seven-day free trial. Free version available with a wide range of meditations. | The zivaONLINE course costs $399 for lifetime access or six monthly payments of $75. Ziva Meditation also offers a free masterclass, live events, and a quiz. A 3-lesson preview is available for free. |
| User Interface and Ease of Navigation | Generally has a user-friendly interface with a clean navigation system. Utilizes a minimalist design with a dark theme. Offers a simple menu bar for easy access to different sections. | The Ziva Breathing & Wellness App is user-friendly. The Ziva Online course offers a simple and straightforward approach to meditation. |
| Specific Meditation Themes | Covers themes like sleep, anxiety, stress reduction, recovery, self-love, focus, and relationships. | Designed to reduce stress, overcome anxiety, and improve sleep. |
| Audio Quality and Soundscapes | Offers thousands of music tracks and ambient sounds. Provides high-quality audio. Allows layering ambient sounds. | Not available |