Comparison

Optimal HRV vs Breath+

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

Head to head
About

Optimal HRV

Monitor, analyze, and improve your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) scores. This app offers personalized training, biofeedback, and stress-reducing activities to enhance health, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity.

Highlights
  • Real-time HRV monitoring
  • Personalized training plans
  • Guided meditation and breathing exercises
  • Comprehensive data analysis
  • Stress response insights
  • Biofeedback optimization
Features
Read full description

Are you feeling stressed, burned out, or just not yourself? Optimal HRV is the guided biofeedback app that teaches your body to calm down — for real. Backed by a Harvard Medical School mindfulness expert and trusted by athletes worldwide. Optimal HRV pairs real HRV data with live biofeedback, so every session trains your nervous system to handle stress better — not just tells you that you're stressed. Why HRV and Biofeedback Training Work Your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a window into how well your body handles stress, anxiety, and recovery — and biofeedback is how you train it to improve. Together, they show you what's happening inside your body, then guide you to change it in real time. With Optimal HRV, you can: • See how stressed — or relaxed — your body really is, using real HRV data. • Learn what actually helps you recover, from sleep to workouts to busy workdays. • Use live biofeedback to train your body to relax faster, right as it's happening. • Discover your own personal "perfect breathing rhythm" through guided sessions. Features You'll Actually Use • Daily Check-Ins — take a quick reading each morning, or anytime you want to see how you're doing. • Your Perfect Breathing Rhythm — a simple test finds the exact breathing pace that works best for you. • Live Feedback While You Train — a simple on-screen guide shows you when you're doing it just right. • Calming Mindfulness Sessions — guided practices created with a Harvard Medical School mindfulness expert, covering stress, anxiety, pain management, athletic performance, and more, with calming narrations in your choice of voice. • Easy-to-Read Progress — see your trends over days, weeks, and months, no data expertise needed. • Video Tutorials — learn HRV concepts and techniques at your own pace. • Make It Yours — adjust sounds, pacing, and reminders so training fits your life. • Available in 14 Languages — use Optimal HRV in your native language. • Device Testing — quickly verify if your heart rate monitor works with the app. • Great for Teams Too — employers and coaches can track group wellness together (Dashboard access needed). Why Optimal HRV Works with External Sensors (Not Apple Watch) We choose precision over convenience. Apple Watch is great for daily wellness, but Optimal HRV is built for serious HRV training. That's why we connect directly to an HRV monitor via Bluetooth — they deliver millisecond-accurate R‑R intervals that wrist sensors can't match. What that means for you: • More accurate data – better insights, better decisions. • Real-time streaming – no gaps, no guesswork. • Reliable results – trusted by athletes and coaches worldwide. Love Optimal HRV? Leave a review and help others find their calm. Your feedback helps us improve and reaches more people who need stress relief. Try it free for 30 days and feel the difference for yourself. Download now and start training your nervous system today. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Breath+

This app offers guided breathing exercises to reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance focus. It provides techniques for managing anxiety, anger, and panic, as well as awakening exercises to start the day positively. Short sessions can help balance daily life and improve overall well-being.

Highlights
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Stress and anxiety management
  • Sleep improvement techniques
  • Mindful awakening exercises
  • Mini-meditations for quick resets
  • Workout breathing customization
Features
Read full description

Less stress Be happy. Less stress Sleep better. Breathe + is your vehicle of awareness in your daily life. Learn the skills of proper breathing and body awareness. Choose from a variety of breathing patterns, from stress management to sleep management and body concentration. Change your lifestyle to develop your body and spirit. Exercise fits easily into a busy schedule. You can improve your sleep level with our sleep exercises. Discover breathing techniques to help you relax before bed. Get rid of unnecessary extraneous sounds that distract you from sleep. In the morning, use the awakening technique to increase your happiness. Breathe + offers you breathing exercises to deal with sadness and anger. Just a few minutes a day with Breathe + will help balance your daily life. WHAT YOU WILL GET: - A lot of breathing exercises on topics such as concentration, meditation and sleep to help you relax - Awakening to start your day mindfully - - Customize your breathing before and after your workout - 2-3-minute mini-meditations for a quick psychological reset and now you are ready to do whatever you want with renewed vigor. You will receive a section for moments of panic, anxiety and stress to help you deal with them. -In the future, you will be able to track your progress and time spent breathing Breathe + guides you through fast and powerful breathing exercises that eliminate stress and anxiety, increase energy, improve endurance, and help you fall asleep. By controlling your breathing, you can regulate your stress levels, improve your mood, improve your athletic performance, and more! With just a few minutes of Breathe + per day, you can master the same exercises used by psychotherapists, Olympic athletes, yogis, and breathing experts! Want the full experience? Try the free exercises and then consider purchasing the full version. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/smartstudioltd/home

Screenshots

Optimal HRV4 screens
Breath+3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Breath+ at 5.0 against Optimal HRV's 3.0. Breath+ also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Optimal HRV's advantage is ratings volume (24 vs 1). 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. Optimal HRV sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Breath+ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Breath+ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Optimal HRV has 24 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Optimal HRV ships an update fortnightly, Breath+ every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Optimal HRV versus Breath+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOptimal HRVBreath+
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (24 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptimal, LLCArman Baimukhanov

Customer experience

Optimal HRV

All ratings24 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

Breath+

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Optimal HRV

Subscriptions3
  • 1 month1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • 6 Month1 Month trial$47.996 Months
  • One Year1 Month trial$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Breath+

Subscriptions2
  • 1 month$3.991 Month
  • For 1 year$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Optimal HRV free?
Optimal HRV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Breath+ free?
Breath+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Optimal HRV or Breath+?
Breath+ is rated higher. Optimal HRV averages 3.0 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Breath+ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Optimal HRV or Breath+ have ads?
Neither Optimal HRV nor Breath+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Optimal HRV or Breath+?
Optimal HRV ships an update fortnightly, and Breath+ every 4 days. Most recently, Optimal HRV was updated on October 25, 2026 and Breath+ on October 13, 2026.

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