Simple Zones vs Zone 2 Buddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Zones
Visualize your workout intensity in real-time with heart rate zone training. Get instant feedback on performance and optimize your fitness goals. Supports Apple Watch and Bluetooth heart rate monitors.
- Real-time heart rate zone visualization
- Apple Watch and Bluetooth HRM support
- Five branded zone models
- Apple Health integration
- Workout data saving
- Syncs with Strava and TrainingPeaks
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SWEAT SMARTER WITH HEART RATE ZONE TRAINING FOR A BETTER, STRONGER YOU! Visualize how hard you’re working with REAL-TIME ZONE TRAINING using your Apple Watch or connected Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor No matter your workout activity, you can use Zone Training to get instant feedback on your performance and start crushing your fitness goals. With just a quick glance at the eye-catching zones on your phone or wrist during your workout, you’ll know whether you should pump the brakes on the intensity or crank it up a notch. We use your beats per minute (bpm) and percent of max heart rate to show you which zone you’re in, so you can take the guesswork out of your fitness routine and start maximizing your results today. The Zones App has five branded zone models to choose from, inspired by some of your favorite fitness brands: • Peloton* • NordicTrack* (also supports iFit ActivePulse*!) • Echelon • Orange Zones • Heart Health** * Peloton, NordicTrack, ActivePulse, and Echelon are trademarks owned by those respective companies. ** Inspired by the American Heart Association exercise & fitness guidelines for maintaining a Healthy Heart. BENEFITS OF HEART RATE ZONE TRAINING - Reduced Risk of Fatigue & Overtraining - Better, More Restorative Recovery - Maximum Fat Burn and Weight Loss - Increased Speed and Endurance - Enhanced Performance PRIVACY We value your privacy and never share or sell any user information. APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION - We read Heart Rate from your Apple Watch via Apple Health - We (optionally) save your workout data to Apple Health - All workouts count towards your Apple activity rings - Sync workouts to Strava, TrainingPeaks, or your favorite workout app through Apple Health importing APPLE WATCH REQUIREMENTS The minimum requirement for the Apple Watch is a series 3 or later. BLUETOOTH HEART RATE MONITOR SUPPORT Connect any standard Bluetooth heart rate monitor, armband, or chest strap. Use your OTBeat, Polar, Wahoo, or Garmin HRM. Terms of Service: https://www.workoutcompanions.app/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.workoutcompanions.app/privacy-policy
Zone 2 Buddy
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Zone 2 training only works if you actually stay in Zone 2. Zone 2 Buddy taps your wrist the moment you drift — down-taps to ease off, up-taps to push — so your easy days build an aerobic base instead of turning into junk miles. Start a workout on your Apple Watch, put your phone in your pocket, and train by feel. No account. No sign-up. Your health data never leaves your devices. HOW IT WORKS • Set your zones in under a minute — percentage of max heart rate, or the Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method using your resting HR straight from Health • Pick your sport — 82 workout types, from outdoor and indoor cycling to running, rowing, hiking, swimming, strength training, and skiing • Train — distinct haptics for too-high and too-low, plus optional spoken alerts that duck your music instead of stopping it • Every session saves as a real Apple Health workout with heart rate, calories, distance, and GPS route. It closes your rings and shows up in Fitness. FREE • Real-time zone alerts on Apple Watch — haptic and spoken • All 82 workout types with GPS route recording • Workouts written to Apple Health • Five-zone setup with two formulas • Workout history with time in zone for every session ZONE 2 BUDDY PRO • LIVE DASHBOARD — mount your iPhone on the handlebars for big, glanceable heart rate, zone, speed, and distance streamed live from your watch • WEEKLY TRENDS — time-in-zone charts week over week, so you can watch your aerobic base build instead of guessing • WEEKLY RECAP — a plain-English read on your training week, generated entirely on your iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Nothing is uploaded. • CUSTOM ZONES — tune every zone boundary to your own physiology • LIVE ACTIVITY — heart rate and zone on your iPhone Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island while a watch workout runs WHY ZONE 2 Most endurance adaptation comes from long, easy efforts. The hard part isn't the training — it's the discipline to keep the effort low when you feel good. Zone 2 Buddy is the thing on your wrist that keeps you honest. PRIVACY There is no Zone 2 Buddy account and no analytics server. Heart rate and workout data stay on your iPhone and Apple Watch. Requires an Apple Watch. Weekly Recap requires an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone. Zone 2 Buddy Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/zone2buddy/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Simple Zones at every 5 weeks against Zone 2 Buddy's every 6 months. Simple Zones also leads on iOS requirement (15.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Simple Zones sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Zone 2 Buddy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Simple Zones ships an update every 5 weeks, Zone 2 Buddy every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Zones | Zone 2 Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (50 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 50 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bred Ventures Inc | Quiver Beacon LLC |
In-app purchases
Simple Zones
- Zones Pro$4.99
- Zones Pro$9.99
Zone 2 Buddy
- Zone 2 Buddy Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Zone 2 Buddy Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$59.99







