Comparison

Bowelle vs IBS Buddy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bowelle

Easily track your food, mood, and symptoms to identify patterns and potential triggers. Visualize your health data with beautiful charts and export it to share with healthcare professionals.

Highlights
  • Food and symptom tracking
  • Mood and water intake logging
  • Stress level monitoring
  • Bowel movement diary
  • Customizable fields
  • Visual trend charts
  • Data export for doctors
Features
Read full description

Bowelle is designed to be the quickest, most easy-to-use food & symptom diary on the App Store. Beautiful visual representations make it easier to discover patterns and determine how you feel over longer periods of time. You can track how you feel, what you eat, water intake, stress levels, bowel movements, notes and custom fields you define. By keeping a diary, you may learn significantly more about your patterns and possible triggers. Bowelle offers: A record of: • How you feel • What you eat • Water intake • Stress levels • Bowel movements • Notes • Custom fields Charts • Visual representations allow you to determine trends and overlap different data types. Daily average • The daily averages are easily accessible from the side menu. • They are also configurable and can be based on the past 7, 14 or 30 days. Alternatively, you can base it on all existing data. History • Use the detailed history to see all data. • Filter it by what you are interested in to narrow down the scope. • Export your data via email and share it with your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian. Apple Health • Sleep, step count, water and weight Download Bowelle now and start keeping a journal today! --- A word from the developer "It is stunning to read studies indicating that as many as 10-20% of the world’s population have IBS. The symptoms can vary so considerably from individual to individual that one may wonder if it is even the same condition. I created Bowelle because there is a need for a fresh and modern approach in the marketplace. If you are reading this, chances are that your symptoms are affecting your life more than you like. By keeping a record every day, my hope is that you will identify some of the triggers causing your symptoms. If you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to drop me a note at feedback@bowelle.com. I will listen to everything coming my way." - Robert Gummesson --- Terms of Use: https://bowelle.com/terms-of-use/

About

IBS Buddy

Features
Read full description

IBS Buddy is a free, science-backed app designed to help people find lasting IBS relief using gut-directed hypnotherapy, a clinically proven approach for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The gut-brain connection affects IBS. Stress, anxiety, and nervous system dysregulation can directly trigger symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, and discomfort. IBS Buddy works by retraining this gut–brain pathway using structured hypnotherapy techniques shown to reduce IBS symptoms over time. A proven 14-week IBS program IBS Buddy follows a 14-week gut-directed hypnotherapy program based on the North Carolina (NC) protocol, one of the most widely researched and scientifically validated approaches for IBS management. This protocol has been studied in clinical settings and shown to help improve: • Abdominal pain and cramps • Bloating and gut discomfort • Diarrhoea and constipation • Stress-related IBS flare-ups • Overall quality of life in IBS patients The program is progressive, structured, and designed for long-term symptom relief—not short-term fixes. How does gut-directed hypnotherapy helps IBS? Gut-directed hypnotherapy focuses on calming the nervous system and improving communication between the brain and the digestive system. By reducing gut sensitivity and stress responses, many people experience fewer IBS symptoms and better digestive control. IBS Buddy guides you through this process with: • Clinically structured hypnotherapy sessions • Simple, easy-to-follow audio guidance • A gradual 14-week program designed for consistency • Tools to support relaxation and gut calm No prior experience with hypnotherapy is needed. Free IBS relief — no subscriptions Unlike many IBS apps, IBS Buddy is completely free. There are no subscriptions, paywalls, or hidden charges. The goal is to make evidence-based IBS relief accessible to everyone living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Who IBS Buddy is for • IBS Buddy is suitable for people who: • Have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) • Experience chronic gut symptoms triggered by stress • Are looking for a non-drug, science-backed approach • Want a structured program rather than generic advice • Prefer guided, evidence-based gut therapy Not medical advice IBS Buddy is designed to support IBS symptom management and gut health. It does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical concerns. Start your IBS relief journey If you’re looking for a clinically proven, gut-focused approach to managing IBS, IBS Buddy offers a simple, structured, and free way to begin. Download IBS Buddy and start calming your gut—one session at a time.

Screenshots

Bowelle4 screens
IBS Buddy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IBS Buddy at none against Bowelle's 10. IBS Buddy also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Bowelle's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bowelle sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. IBS Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bowelle ships an update every 8 days, IBS Buddy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bowelle versus IBS Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBowelleIBS Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB59 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperBowelle ABMCreative Services LLP

Bugs and requests

Bowelle

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Issues with data display or loading

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to add time stamps for symptoms
  • Option to track exercise, medications, and other health factors
  • More detailed food logging with food database integration
  • Sync across multiple devices
  • Expanded customization options in free version

IBS Buddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Bowelle

Subscriptions10
  • Bowelle Premium$2.491 Month
  • Bowelle Premium1 Month trial$3.491 Month
  • Bowelle Premium$3.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Bowelle Premium$4.993 Months
  • Bowelle Premium3 Months trial$6.993 Months
  • Bowelle Premium$7.993 Months
  • Bowelle Premium$9.991 Year
  • Bowelle Premium1 Year trial$14.991 Year
  • Bowelle Premium$17.991 Year
  • Bowelle Premium7 Days trial$17.991 Year
None

IBS Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bowelle free?
Bowelle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is IBS Buddy free?
IBS Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bowelle or IBS Buddy have ads?
Neither Bowelle nor IBS Buddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bowelle or IBS Buddy?
Bowelle ships an update every 8 days, and IBS Buddy every 2 months. Most recently, Bowelle was updated on November 6, 2026 and IBS Buddy on November 5, 2026.

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