Comparison

PoolMate vs TetherSwim

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

Head to head
About

PoolMate

This app syncs with compatible smartwatches to record detailed swim metrics like laps, strokes, speed, and distance. It allows you to upload your swim data to a web platform for analysis and logging. Requires an iPhone 7 or above with NFC enabled.

Highlights
  • Records swim data (laps, strokes, speed, distance)
  • Syncs with PoolMate smartwatches
  • NFC data transfer
  • Uploads data to mypoolmate.com
  • Swim analysis and logging
Read full description

The PoolMateSport and PoolMatePlus watches record your swim data. They give information such as Laps, strokes per lap, speed, distance, calories, efficiency, duration and more. You can upload this data to our swim analysis and logging platform mypoolmate.com with the app. This app and watch use NFC (near field communication) to transfer the data from the watch to the phone. You need to make sure your phone is an iPhone7 or above so it has suitable NFC capabilities. NFC needs to be turned on in your iPhone settings before use. You'll need to set up an account at mypoolmate.com prior to use and enter your account details in the settings page in the app. An internet connection is required.

About

TetherSwim

This app accurately tracks swimming workouts performed with resistance cords or endless pools, overcoming the limitations of traditional trackers. It estimates distance based on stroke count and efficiency, providing comprehensive workout data.

Highlights
  • Accurate distance estimates
  • Automatic SWOLF tracking
  • Full workout data (calories, heart rate)
  • Exclude test swims
  • Strava integration
  • Automatic Water Lock mode
Features
Read full description

TetherSwim is built for swimmers training with resistance cords, swim tethers, or endless pools. Traditional swim trackers can struggle with these sessions, giving you wildly inaccurate distances or ignoring your efforts altogether. With TetherSwim, your distance is estimated intelligently based on your real stroke count, SWOLF, and previous swim history — all from your Apple Watch. Features: • Accurate distance estimates – Uses your stroke rate, efficiency, and past workouts to calculate real swim distance. • Automatic SWOLF tracking – Measures your swim efficiency in tethered conditions. • Calories, heart rate, and more – Full workout data, just like in regular pool swims. • Exclude test swims – Keep your baselines clean by excluding warm-ups or experiments. • Strava integration – Upload your tethered swim sessions directly. • Water Lock mode – Automatically engages when you start, so your watch screen won’t go crazy mid-session.

Screenshots

PoolMate4 screens
TetherSwim3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TetherSwim at 5.0 against PoolMate's 2.0. PoolMate's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TetherSwim holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PoolMate versus TetherSwim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPoolMateTetherSwim
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSwimovate LtdPatrick Biggin

Customer experience

PoolMate

All ratings3 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

TetherSwim

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

PoolMate

No in-app purchases

None

TetherSwim

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PoolMate free?
PoolMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TetherSwim free?
TetherSwim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PoolMate or TetherSwim?
TetherSwim is rated higher. PoolMate averages 2.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while TetherSwim averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PoolMate or TetherSwim have ads?
Neither PoolMate nor TetherSwim shows ads.

Other comparisons