# Lap Swim vs LapBuddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LapBuddy at none against Lap Swim's 1. LapBuddy also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Lap Swim's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lap Swim sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LapBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lap Swim ships an update every 3 months, LapBuddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lap Swim | LapBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lap-swim/id1189805111/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **31** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Kramer](https://appshunter.io/developer/348619994) | [Rouslan Zenetl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1629490886) |

## What reviewers say

### Lap Swim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lap-swim/id1189805111)

This app automatically counts laps and tracks swim times on your Apple Watch. It detects stroke type and count, and graphs your performance on a paired iPhone. Enjoy a large font display for easy viewing during your workout.

**Highlights:** Automatic lap counting, Stroke detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke), Kickboard lap detection, Large font display, Stopwatch function, Workout graphing on iPhone, Health and Activity app integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| upgrade from 250 laps to unlimited laps | $1.99 | one-time |


### LapBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lapbuddy/id1629490884)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lap Swim free?

Lap Swim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is LapBuddy free?

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

### Do Lap Swim or LapBuddy have ads?

Neither Lap Swim nor LapBuddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lap Swim or LapBuddy?

Lap Swim ships an update every 3 months, and LapBuddy monthly. Most recently, Lap Swim was updated on September 18, 2026 and LapBuddy on September 10, 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.*