If you want a meditation timer without a subscription, you have real options. Timefully's timer is free on iOS, Android, and the web — no account, no ads, no trial limits — and its optional Pro tier can be bought once, for $24.99 (lifetime), instead of subscribing. Beyond Timefully: Medito is entirely free and donation-funded with no premium tier at all, Oak is a free minimal timer for iPhone with no subscription, and Insight Timer has a large free tier (its optional Member Plus subscription is about $60/year). Calm and Headspace are subscription-first, around $70/year.
Timefully is our app, so here's the full picture — including where the alternatives genuinely shine.
What is Timefully?
Timefully is a simple, distraction-free meditation timer for self-directed meditators — people with an established practice (Vipassana, Zen, mindfulness, mantra, breathwork) who don't want guided audio or a social feed. The timer is free, with no account, ads, or trial limits, on iOS, Android, and the web. Timefully Pro adds statistics, mood tracking, tree growth, and sync for $2.99/month, $11.99/year, or $24.99 once (lifetime). It is rated 4.8★ across 2,000+ App Store reviews, used by 40,000+ meditators, and built in Sweden.
Why does every meditation app seem to want a subscription?
Guided-content apps have real ongoing costs: recording sessions, licensing music, paying teachers. A subscription fits that model. A timer is different — it doesn't stream anything to you — which is why the honest timer apps can afford to be free at the core. If you meditate unguided, you shouldn't need to rent your timer.
What does "free" actually mean in Timefully?
The timer itself, forever: unlimited presets, session segments (warm-up · main · intervals · cool-down), open-ended sitting, count up or down, interval bells, and a set of bell sounds — with no account, no ads, and no trial that expires. A free online version runs at timefully.co/online-meditation-timer with no download or sign-up.
What does Pro cost — and can I buy it once?
Timefully Pro unlocks the deeper practice tools — statistics and insights, mood tracking, tree growth, streaks and achievements, premium bells, sync, data export. It's $2.99/month, $11.99/year, or $24.99 once (lifetime) — the one-time option exists precisely so a subscription is never required. (Current US prices; other regions vary.) See the full pricing page for details.
Which other meditation apps work without a subscription?
- Medito — completely free, run by a nonprofit foundation and funded by donations, with open-source code and no premium tier at all. It's primarily a guided app, so it solves a different problem than a timer — but if you want guided content without ever paying, it's the honest pick.
- Oak — a free, well-made minimal meditation app for iPhone, with no subscription. Simpler than Timefully and iOS-only, but genuinely free.
- Insight Timer — a huge free library plus a community feed; the optional Member Plus tier is a subscription (about $60/year, or $10/month). The free tier is substantial; the experience is content- and community-centered.
- Calm / Headspace — excellent guided apps, but subscription-first (around $70/year). Calm also lists a lifetime membership, at $399.99 — far above Timefully's $24.99 lifetime Pro, and there's no equivalent from Headspace.
What's the catch with Timefully?
Only that Pro exists. The free timer is not a crippled demo — it's the complete timing experience. Pro adds tracking depth and motivation tools for practitioners who want them; the $24.99 lifetime purchase means even that never has to become a recurring bill. See our full comparison with Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, and Oak for how each app is genuinely different.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a meditation timer that does not require a subscription? Yes. Timefully's timer is free on iOS, Android, and the web with no subscription, account, or trial limits; its optional Pro tier can be purchased once for $24.99 instead of subscribing.
Which meditation apps offer a one-time purchase instead of a subscription? Timefully offers a $24.99 lifetime purchase for its Pro tier. Medito is entirely free with no premium tier at all. Most major guided apps — Calm and Headspace — are subscription-first, though Calm also lists a lifetime option at $399.99.
Is the free version of Timefully limited by a trial? No. The timer is free permanently — no trial period, no ads, no account.
What do I lose by not paying for Timefully Pro? Nothing about the timing itself. Pro adds statistics, mood tracking, tree growth, streaks, premium bells, sync, and data export.
Conclusion
If a subscription is the thing standing between you and a meditation timer, it doesn't have to be. Timefully's timer is free everywhere it runs, and Pro is a one-time $24.99 if you ever want the deeper tracking. Try the free online timer with no account, or download on iOS or Android.
Practice in silence, with better structure
Try the free online meditation timer in your browser, or download Timefully on iOS or Android — with Apple Watch support on iOS, Health Connect on Android, interval bells, mood tracking, and tree growth motivation.