Quick answer
Naam Jap Counter - Mantra Chant is a devotional companion: a tap counter with stories, bhajans, music, a meditation timer and streaks, on iPhone and iPad, with monthly, yearly or ₹399 lifetime plans. Japo is only a counter, built to feel like a mala: you pull beads with your thumb, feel each one, count with volume keys, and pay ₹199 once for extras.
Naam Jap Counter - Mantra Chant, by Harsh Parikh, is the most-rated japa app on the Indian App Store, with about 7,600 ratings since August 2025. Japo is ours, and new. Everything about Naam Jap Counter below comes from its App Store page, read on 22 October 2026.
How each one works
Naam Jap Counter is a spiritual companion with a counter at its centre. You count digitally with sound and haptic feedback, or log the count from a physical counter by hand. Around that sit daily, weekly and monthly statistics with streak tracking, themes, background images, calm background music, a meditation timer, and a library of stories from the Ramayan and Mahabharat, leelas of Radha Krishna, lives of saints, and teachings inspired by Premanand Ji Maharaj and BhajanMarg. It backs up and syncs across your devices.
Japo is only a counter, and tries to be the best one for a sitting. Its counter is a strand of 108 beads you pull down with your thumb, with a soft tick on each bead and a firmer one as the sumeru passes. Volume keys count and undo, and the count waits on the lock screen with +1 and Undo. It adds history, a calendar, insights, and sankalpa and anushthan goals, and leaves out streaks, music and stories on purpose.
Side by side
| Naam Jap Counter - Mantra Chant | Japo | |
|---|---|---|
| Counting | Tap, with sound and haptics; log a physical counter | Pull a mala with your thumb, or tap; haptic tick; volume keys; lock screen |
| Devotional content | Stories, bhajans, saints, BhajanMarg teachings | None; the mantra list only |
| Music and timer | Background music, meditation timer | None |
| Streaks | Yes | No, on purpose |
| Goals | Targets such as 108 | Sankalpa and anushthan with an end date |
| Languages | English | English, Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada |
| Devices | iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.6 or later) | iPhone (iOS 15 or later) |
| Backup | Backup and sync across devices | Automatic backup with Japo Plus |
| Privacy label | Data not collected | Data not linked to you: purchases |
| Ads | No "Contains ads" label | No ads |
| Paid options (India) | ₹49 a month, ₹199 a year, ₹399 lifetime, support purchases | ₹199 once (Japo Plus) |
Naam Jap Counter's privacy label is the stronger of the two: it says no data is collected at all. Japo's label lists one item, purchase history, not linked to you, because buying Japo Plus is checked through a purchase service with an anonymous ID.
When to choose Naam Jap Counter
- You want stories, bhajans and teachings in the same app as your counter.
- You chant to background music, or use a meditation timer.
- You use an iPad.
- Streaks help you keep going.
When to choose Japo
- You chant with your eyes closed and want to feel each bead, or count from a pocket with the volume keys.
- You want the app in Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu or Kannada.
- You are working through a sava lakh jaap or an anushthan with an end date.
- You would rather pay once than choose a plan, and do not want streaks or scores.
The verdict
If you want a devotional companion, Naam Jap Counter offers far more content. If you want the counting itself to feel like a mala and stay out of the way, Japo is built for exactly that. Both are free to try.
Frequently asked questions
Is Japo free like Naam Jap Counter?
Both are free to download. In Japo, counting, history, insights, goals and all 27 mantras are free; Japo Plus, ₹199 once, adds automatic backup and the mala collection. For what is free in Naam Jap Counter, check the app itself.
Which app is better for counting without looking?
Japo was built for it: a haptic tick on every bead, a firmer one at the sumeru, volume-key counting and a lock-screen counter. Naam Jap Counter offers sound and haptic feedback on its counter.
Can I move my count from one app to the other?
Neither App Store page describes importing from another app. In Japo you can add past sittings by hand, so a running total can be carried across.
Sources
Begin your next mala.
Japo is a japa counter that feels like the real thing. Pull a bead with your thumb, feel a soft tick, and pick up exactly where you stopped. Counting, history and goals are free.