Endel vs Lofi Girl (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Endel grades higher than Lofi Girl: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Endel grades higher on features and platforms. Lofi Girl grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Endel
Adaptive soundscapes for focus, relaxation and sleep
Lofi Girl
Lofi radio live streams for studying, including a Pomodoro stream
Which one is for you
Pick Endel if
- Fits if silence doesn't work for you but songs pull you off task
- Works for people who want the same sound on their phone, laptop, watch and TV
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you subscribe inside the US App Store, where a year is listed at $119.99
- Skip it if you want to know what the free version holds before you install, as it isn't spelled out
- Not for you if you want a focus timer for free, because the Focus Timer is Premium
- Watch out: Endel sets prices by region, so outside the US you pay a different amount in local currency
- Watch out: the student discount, 66% off a year, is for US residents only, checked through SheerID
Pick Lofi Girl if
- Fits if you want background music while you work
- Works for people who follow a Study With Me stream as a timer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a timer you can set, because the Pomodoro element is a stream
- Not for you if you decline YouTube cookies; the Lofi Desk page reports needing them accepted
- Watch out: Lofi Desk is labelled a beta
- Watch out: its pages state no prices or plans, so pricing is unverified
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAEndelGood | 2.2GPALofi GirlFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$39.99 a year at Endel's own checkout is $3.33 a month, ordinary money for this category, where the middle is $3.99. Where you buy changes everything, though: the same year is $119.99 inside the US App Store, and Lifetime is $249.99 on the web against $124.99 on the store. | CThe pages we read state no prices or plans, so there is nothing to grade against. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere is a Free Edition, which begins when you wave away the subscription offer, but neither Endel nor the store listing says which soundscapes it holds, so you can't tell what you're getting. The Focus Timer is Premium for certain. | BListed as free, with the streams watched on YouTube. No paid plan or trial appears on its pages. |
| Features | CIt does its one thing: sound generated as you listen, reacting to time of day, weather, heart rate and location, four core modes, timed Scenarios, Autoplay and offline playback. Background sound is a small slice of this category's job, though, and the listing won't say what's free. | DLive lofi streams, a Study With Me Pomodoro stream, a sleep stream and the Lofi Desk player. The Pomodoro part is a stream you watch, not a tool you control. |
| Ease of use | B4.64 from about 33,900 App Store ratings, short of the top band here, and about 1,900 of them are one star. Autoplay picks a soundscape for the time of day, so a session starts in one press. | BNo store rating on record. Open a stream and press play; there is nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AAbout as far as an app in this category goes: web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, plus a standalone Apple Watch app that reads your heart rate, Apple TV and Fire TV apps, and an Alexa skill that works inside Routines. | CWeb, through YouTube and the Lofi Desk page. No app of its own and no integrations. |
| Best for | background sound that changes with your day | lofi radio streams to work or study to |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Endel and Lofi Girl. How we grade
Price against what you get
Endel starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lofi Girl has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Endel scores higher, and starts $3.33 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other focus apps on the chart, 2 score higher than Endel for less, and none scores higher than Lofi Girl for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Endel can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Lofi Girl also covers Pomodoro timer.
At a glance
| Endel | Lofi Girl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $6.99 / month, or $39.99 / year (web checkout, US-dollar list) | Free |
| Free plan | Free Edition: starts when the subscription offer is dismissed in the app. The App Store listing does not spell out its limits; Premium adds the soundscapes and features listed there. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Endel Sound GmbH | Lofi Girl, Inc. |
| Price read from | api-production.endel.io | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Endel
- The US App Store lists different in-app amounts, including 1 Month at $19.99, 12 Months at $119.99 and Lifetime at $124.99, so the price depends on where you subscribe.
- Endel's checkout sets prices by region; the dollar figures here are its default list, and other regions are charged different amounts in local currency.
- The App Store listing confirms a Free Edition but does not say which soundscapes it includes.
- The student discount is limited to residents of the United States and is verified through SheerID.
Lofi Girl
- The pages we read state no prices or plans, so pricing is unverified.
- The streams are watched on YouTube, and the Lofi Desk page reports needing YouTube cookies to be accepted.
- It is a music channel, not a timer: the Pomodoro element is a stream, not a tool you control.
- Lofi Desk is labeled a beta.
Key features
Endel
- Soundscapes generated in real time
- Sound is generated on the device as you listen and reacts to inputs such as time of day, weather, heart rate and location, each with its own generative visual.
- Focus, Relax, Sleep and Move modes
- Four core soundscapes cover concentration, calming down, falling asleep and walking or running. Premium adds others, including Study, Recovery and Colored Noise.
- Autoplay
- Autoplay chooses a Focus, Relax or Sleep soundscape for the current part of the day, so a session starts with one press.
- Scenarios and Focus Timer
- Scenarios are timed sessions with set opening, middle and closing phases. The Focus Timer, a Premium feature, pairs interval work with focus sounds.
- Offline listening
- The store listings state that all soundscapes are available offline.
- Watch, TV and smart speaker apps
- A standalone Apple Watch app uses heart rate as an input, an Alexa skill works with Routines, and there are apps for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
Lofi Girl
- Live lofi radio streams
- Streams include lofi hip hop, synthwave and jazz lofi stations.
- Study With Me Pomodoro stream
- A stream built around Pomodoro-style study sessions.
- Sleep stream
- A separate lofi stream aimed at sleeping and relaxing.
- Lofi Desk web player
- A beta site with stations and soundscapes, a live chat and a login.
Plans
Endel
Free Edition$0
The edition the app starts in when the subscription offer is dismissed. The store listing does not list what it includes.
Endel Premium (12 months)$39.99
per year, web checkout US-dollar list
Premium soundscapes such as Study, Dynamic Focus, Colored Noise and Recovery, artist collaborations and the Focus Timer.
Endel Premium (3 months)$19.99
per 3 months, web checkout US-dollar list
The same Premium soundscapes and features, billed every three months.
Endel Premium (1 month)$6.99
per month, web checkout US-dollar list
The same Premium soundscapes and features, billed monthly.
Endel Premium (Lifetime)$249.99
one-time purchase, web checkout US-dollar list
Premium for a single payment with no renewal. The US App Store lists its own Lifetime purchase at $124.99.
Lofi Girl
Pricing could not be confirmed. See lofigirl.com.
Ways to pay less
Endel
- Annual discount
12 months costs about 52% less than monthly
On the web checkout's US-dollar list, Premium is $39.99 for 12 months against $6.99 a month, which comes to $83.88 over a year.
- Education
66% off Endel Premium for students
US residents in college, accepted into college, or in high school and aged 16 or over get 66% off a 12-month Premium plan after SheerID verification.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium for a one-time payment
The web checkout's US-dollar list includes a Lifetime option at $249.99, paid once. The US App Store lists a Lifetime in-app purchase at $124.99.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 the web checkout's price list read from India gave Premium at ₹499 a month and ₹2,999 for 12 months; its US-dollar list gave $6.99 and $39.99.
Lofi Girl
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Endel or Lofi Girl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Endel starts at $6.99 / month, or $39.99 / year (web checkout, US-dollar list), and Lofi Girl has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Endel or Lofi Girl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Endel and Lofi Girl have a free plan.
Which platforms do Endel and Lofi Girl run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Endel lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.