# Buddywatch vs HRV

Buddywatch and HRV both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of HRV's written reviews are positive against 52% of Buddywatch's. HRV also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Buddywatch's advantage is ratings volume (8.7K vs 5) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buddywatch sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and HRV sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Buddywatch against 4.8 for HRV. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddywatch has 8.7K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Buddywatch's written reviews are positive against 100% of HRV's.

Buddywatch ships an update monthly, HRV every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddywatch | HRV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (8.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddywatch-watch-faces/id1526992897/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hrv-tracker/id6746576506/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.7K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 254 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BUDDY SRLS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653165012) | [Philippe Gerin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817452297) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddywatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddywatch-watch-faces/id1526992897)

Discover and download unique watch faces for your Apple Watch. Browse by category, compatibility, or search for matching watch bands. Save your favorites, get personalized suggestions, and share your collection with a vibrant community.

**Highlights:** Download and save watch faces, Search by category and compatibility, Discover matching watch bands, Personalized suggestions, Share watch face collections, Shop for accessories

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buddy VIP weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Buddy VIP Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Buddy VIP | $3.49 | per month |
| Buddy VIP Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Buddy VIP Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Buddy VIP Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Buddy VIP Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Buddy VIP Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Icon Pack Essential | $1.99 | one-time |
| Icon Pack Style | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Lots of watch faces to choose from
- 🚀 Quick downloads
- 👍 Reliable app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and issues with the app
- 🔒 Paywall/subscription model
- 🔒 Limited access to watch faces
- 🔒 Compatibility issues with older watches

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Watch faces not downloading properly
- Compatibility issues with certain watch models
- Unreliable connection

**Requested features**

- More customization options
- Search and filter functionality
- Ability to create and share own watch faces
- Better support for older Apple Watch models


### HRV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hrv-tracker/id6746576506)

This app analyzes heart rate variability from Apple Health and Apple Watch to provide actionable insights into your daily stress, energy levels, sleep quality, and recovery. It uses scientific visualizations and dual HRV metrics to help you understand your autonomic nervous system activity.

**Highlights:** Dual HRV metrics (SDNN + RMSSD), All-day stress curve, Energy (Body Resources) reserve tracking, Nightly Sleep Score, Personalized Recovery score, Interactive trend charts, Apple Watch complications

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bronze Supporter | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bronze Supporter Tier | $1.99 | one-time |
| Silver Supporter | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gold Supporter | $11.99 | one-time |
| Platinum Supporter | $44.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddywatch free?

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

### Is HRV free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Buddywatch or HRV?

HRV is rated higher. Buddywatch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.7K ratings, while HRV averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do Buddywatch or HRV have ads?

Buddywatch shows ads; HRV does not.

### Which is updated more often, Buddywatch or HRV?

Buddywatch ships an update monthly, and HRV every 6 weeks. Most recently, Buddywatch was updated on October 29, 2026 and HRV on October 24, 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.*