--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "Shabbat Times" developer_entity: "Shalom Veffer" bundle_id: "com.shalomveffer.Shabbat-Times" app_store_id: "1445098621" category: "Utilities" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Freemium" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS" app_last_updated: "2026-04-07" report_date: "2026-05-12" last_verified: "2026-05-12T21:35:11.228Z" report_version: "3.0.5" total_reviews: 35 overall_rating: 4.86 sentiment: "Excited" sentiment_score: 85 confidence: "high" confidence_score: 0.55 review_sample_size: 35 data_age_days: 6 momentum_velocity: "maintenance" intelligence_version: 3 nemesis: "Zmanim™" competitor_count: 5 tags: ["utilities", "freemium", "excited sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "individuals", "observing", "shabbat"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/shabbat-times" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # Shabbat Times App Audit ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: Utilities · Freemium - **Signal**: Rating 4.86 · Sentiment Excited > **TL;DR:** Shabbat Times is a utilities app by Shalom Veffer, rated 4.86/5 by 35 users, with Excited user sentiment (85/100), available on iOS. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** — Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** Shabbat Times has Excited user sentiment with a 4.86/5 rating from 35 reviews. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **Rating** | 4.86/5 (35 reviews) | | **User Mood** | Excited | | **Category** | Utilities | | **Developer** | Shalom Veffer | | **Pricing** | Freemium | | **Platforms** | iOS | | **Confidence** | High (0.55/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 0d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** Shalom Veffer - **Category:** Utilities - **Target Audience:** Individuals observing Shabbat who require accurate, location-based timing and reminders for themselves or family members. - **Platforms:** iOS - **Version Audited:** 3.0.5 - **Audit Date:** 2026-05-12 - **Signal Count:** 11 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** High (0.55/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 1445098621 - **Bundle ID:** com.shalomveffer.Shabbat-Times - **Performance Trend:** Stable - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-05-12 ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** Shabbat Times is a location-based utility for tracking Shabbat and holiday candle lighting times on iOS. **Why users hire it:** Users hire the app to reduce the cognitive load of tracking religious timing requirements across multiple locations without the interface clutter of broader lifestyle hubs. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Standard] Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times:** Calculates and displays specific Shabbat start and end times based on current device location - **[Standard] Location Management:** Allows users to save and label multiple locations to track Shabbat times for friends and family * *User Intent:* Users seek social connection and competitive engagement with peers. - **[Standard] Advanced Reminders:** Provides alerts at candle lighting time with options for multiple reminders and custom offsets * *User Intent:* Users value self-expression and personalized experiences. - **[Differentiator] Holiday and Future Times:** Displays holiday-specific times and allows browsing future dates beyond the upcoming Shabbat - **[Differentiator] Calculation Customization:** Enables manual adjustment of candle lighting offsets and Shabbat end time calculation logic * *User Intent:* Users value self-expression and personalized experiences. ## Market Position {#market-position} Shabbat Times maintains a niche utility position with a 4.86 rating, though its lack of broad chart visibility compared to lifestyle hubs like Chabad.org limits its discovery. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Freemium - **Tiers:** Free tier with basic location tracking, Premium tier for holiday times, future browsing, and advanced reminders - **Analysis:** Freemium model uses feature-gating to restrict advanced scheduling and long-term planning to the paid tier. ## 🟢 User Sentiment (High Confidence: 35 reviews) {#user-sentiment} - **Overall Rating:** 4.86/5 - **Platform Split:** iOS 4.9/5 (35 ratings) - **Overall Sentiment:** Excited ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - Minimalist interface reduces cognitive load [User Feedback] - Location-based accuracy meets core religious requirements [Feature Set] **Critical Frictions:** - Limited halachic calculation depth [vs Zmanim™] - Freemium gate lacks high-value retention loops [Pricing Strategy] **Growth Levers:** - Integration with wearable devices [Market Gap] - B2B partnerships with community centers [Distribution] **Market Threats:** - Feature-dense rivals like Zmanim™ [Competitor] - Lifestyle apps absorbing utility-only users [Market Trend] ## Recent Changes (v2 → v3) {#recent-changes} The app remains in a maintenance cycle but has updated its strategic roadmap to prioritize wearable integration and acknowledged competitive pressure from feature-dense halachic engines. **Overall trend**: Stable **Compared at**: 2026-05-12 ### High-impact changes - **[Shifted] Strategic Roadmap Pivot** (positioning) — PM action items shifted from prioritizing push notifications to wearable integration as the primary lever for daily engagement. - **[Shifted] Primary Nemesis Update** (positioning) — Zmanim™ replaced MyZmanim as the primary nemesis, reflecting a focus on halachic calculation depth over cross-platform parity. ### Medium-impact changes - **[Added] New Competitive Weakness** (swot) — Added 'Limited halachic calculation depth' as a weakness, specifically citing Zmanim™ as the benchmark. - **[Added] New Market Threat** (swot) — Added 'Lifestyle apps absorbing utility-only users' as a threat to the current minimalist value proposition. ## Rivals Landscape {#rivals} > Competitive positioning identified by AI analysis of app features, category, and market signals. ### Shabbat Times vs Zmanim™ — Head to Head - **[Zmanim™](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/zmanim)** by Haim Cohen: With 841 reviews, this app holds the largest user base in the niche and serves as the primary benchmark for feature-rich Zmanim tracking. - **Key differences:** - Provides a comprehensive Zmanim engine that covers complex halachic calculations beyond simple candle lighting times. - Maintains a long-standing market presence that creates a high barrier to entry for simple utility apps. - Offers a specialized feature set for observant users who require precise, location-based astronomical timing data. - **Where Shabbat Times wins:** - ✅ Delivers a cleaner, less cluttered interface that reduces cognitive load for users seeking simple candle lighting times. - ✅ Focuses on a streamlined user experience that avoids the feature bloat found in more complex Zmanim applications. - **Where Zmanim™ wins:** - ❌ Offers a significantly deeper set of halachic timing calculations that appeal to advanced, daily-use power users. - ❌ Established brand recognition within the niche provides a level of trust that newer, simpler apps lack. - **Verdict:** The target app should lean into its 'clean and uncluttered' value proposition to capture casual users who find the nemesis's feature density overwhelming. ### Contenders (Strong Challengers) - **[Chabad.org](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/chabad-org)** by Chabad.org Jewish Apps: While broader in scope, its massive reach and integrated Zmanim features make it a formidable alternative for the same audience. - Leverages a massive content ecosystem that keeps users within the app for prayer, study, and timing needs. - Acts as a comprehensive lifestyle hub rather than a single-purpose utility, increasing daily active usage. - **[MyZmanim](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/myzmanim)** by MyZmanim: A direct competitor in the Utilities category that maintains active development and a significant user base. - Operates as a hybrid platform that bridges web and mobile experiences for consistent cross-device timing access. - Maintains a consistent release cadence, ensuring the app remains compatible with the latest iOS platform updates. ### Peers (What They Do Better) - **[OU Torah](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/ou-torah)** by Orthodox Union: Adjacent educational platform that serves the same religious demographic but focuses on content consumption. - Provides an extensive library of audio and video Torah content that drives long-form user engagement. - Backed by a major institutional brand that provides significant authority and content distribution advantages. - **[KosherScan App](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/shopping/app-kosherscan-kosherscan)** by Ephraim Hammer: Shares the same target demographic of observant users, though focused on shopping rather than timing utilities. - Solves a specific, high-friction pain point in the kosher shopping experience through barcode scanning technology. - Demonstrates high engagement through frequent updates and a clear, utility-driven value proposition for the consumer. ## What's New - **Latest (v3.0.5, 1 months ago):** Fixed a bug causing upgrade prompts to incorrectly display for subscribed users. ## App Momentum (Maintenance) {#momentum} - Maintains stable 4.86 rating. - Focuses on stability updates. > **Cadence:** 1 total versions · 0 majors in last 6 months · 35 days since last update ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} Shabbat Times is a market-leading utilities app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.86/5 rating from 35 reviews, it delivers strong user satisfaction. > **Bottom Line:** Shabbat Times holds its niche through a clean interface, but it bleeds power users to feature-dense rivals, so revenue growth hinges on adding high-value utility like wearable support. **Best for:** Individuals observing Shabbat who require accurate, location-based timing and reminders for themselves or family members. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [INVEST] [MEDIUM IMPACT] Ship wearable integration because it is the top-requested utility gap → increase daily active usage — *Wearables provide the 'glanceable' utility that the current mobile-only interface lacks.* _(trade-off: deprioritize Push the holiday-data expansion to Q4 — wearable utility has higher daily engagement potential.)_ ### Feature Gaps vs Competitors - Advanced halachic calculation engine (available in Zmanim™) - Cross-platform web/mobile synchronization (available in MyZmanim) ### Outlook: Stable The market for religious utilities is consolidating around platforms that offer both astronomical precision and lifestyle integration. Shabbat Times remains stable by serving the minimalist segment, but the lack of active feature development leaves it exposed to rivals that offer deeper halachic utility. - ⚪ Recent updates focus on stability, suggesting a maintenance-mode posture rather than aggressive feature expansion. - 🔴 Lack of wearable integration limits utility in high-friction scenarios, creating an opening for competitors to capture the glanceable use case. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 4.86/5 | | Total Reviews | 35 | | Sentiment | Excited (85/100) | | Confidence | High | | Pricing Model | Freemium | | Platforms | iOS | | Key Features | 5 analyzed | | Trend | Stable | | Outlook | Stable | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Shabbat Times** (this app) | 4.86/5 | Excited | Shalom Veffer | | [Chabad.org](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/chabad-org) | 4.8/5 | N/A | Chabad.org Jewish Apps | | [OU Torah](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/ou-torah) | 4.0/5 | N/A | Orthodox Union | | [MyZmanim](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/myzmanim) | 4.5/5 | Mixed | MyZmanim | | [Zmanim™](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/zmanim) | 4.8/5 | Excited | Haim Cohen | | [KosherScan App](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/shopping/app-kosherscan-kosherscan) | 4.8/5 | N/A | Ephraim Hammer | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** Shalom Veffer - **Website:** [https://ShabbatTimesApp.com](https://ShabbatTimesApp.com) ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shabbat-times/id1445098621?uo=4) - **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://ShabbatTimesApp.com) - **Sources:** Developer website content, App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Chabad.org*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/chabad-org) (Chabad.org Jewish Apps) — 4.8/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*OU Torah*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/ou-torah) (Orthodox Union) — 4.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*MyZmanim*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/myzmanim) (MyZmanim) — 4.5/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Zmanim™*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/lifestyle/zmanim) (Haim Cohen) — 4.8/5 Rating | Positive Sentiment - [*KosherScan App*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/shopping/app-kosherscan-kosherscan) (Ephraim Hammer) — 4.8/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Free VPN by Free VPN .org™*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/free-vpn-by-free-vpn-org) (Free VPN LLC) — 4.3/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*V2Box - V2ray Client*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/v2box-v2ray-client) (techlaim) — 4.5/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Potatso*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/potatso) (Potatso Lab LTD) — 4.4/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*Quantumult X*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/quantumult-x) (Cross Utility Ltd) — 3.8/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*Nitefall: Browser dark mode*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/nitefall-browser-dark-mode) (FoxfortMobile) — 3.6/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** — Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** — Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** — Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction and evidence quoting. 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** — Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** — Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.55/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 11 - **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 0 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/shabbat-times) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.