# Heartbeat vs Principal Task

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Heartbeat at none against Principal Task's 2. Heartbeat also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Principal Task sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Heartbeat asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Heartbeat against 5.0 for Principal Task. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Heartbeat ships an update every 2 months, Principal Task every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heartbeat | Principal Task |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-goal-timer/id1178547333/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal-task/id1545072734/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Rosenthal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1178547332) | [Zechariah Schwenk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545072736) |

## What reviewers say

### Heartbeat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-goal-timer/id1178547333)

Track your daily and weekly progress towards your goals with this simple app. It features an easy-to-use timer that continues even when the app is closed, sending notifications upon completion. Review your activity history with a clear log.

**Highlights:** Set and track goals, Daily and weekly progress monitoring, Persistent goal timer, Completion notifications, Activity log, Add, edit, delete activities

**In-app purchases:** none


### Principal Task

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal-task/id1545072734)

This app helps you manage tasks by tracking your completion rate against new tasks created. It offers a unique 'Task Velocity' score to show if you're keeping up with your workload. Organize with folders, contexts, and priorities, with advanced features available through a premium subscription.

**Highlights:** Task Velocity score, GTD-native structure, Due dates and repeating tasks, Markdown support, Kanban boards, Private templates

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heartbeat free?

Heartbeat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Principal Task free?

Principal Task is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Heartbeat or Principal Task?

Heartbeat and Principal Task are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Heartbeat or Principal Task have ads?

Neither Heartbeat nor Principal Task shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heartbeat or Principal Task?

Heartbeat ships an update every 2 months, and Principal Task every 3 months. Most recently, Heartbeat was updated on October 24, 2026 and Principal Task on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*