Comparison

Simple Zones vs Physical

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

Head to head
About

Simple Zones

Track your workouts in real-time using heart rate zone training. Get instant feedback on your performance to optimize intensity and achieve your fitness goals. Supports Apple Watch and Bluetooth heart rate monitors.

Highlights
  • Real-time heart rate zone visualization
  • Apple Watch and Bluetooth HRM support
  • Customizable zone models
  • Apple Health integration
  • Workout data syncing
  • Activity ring tracking
Features
Read full description

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

About

Physical

This app tracks your weekly aerobic minutes and strength training days based on national guidelines, personalized to your profile. It integrates with Apple Health to automatically log workouts and provides visual progress through simple rings. Features include live heart-rate zones, workout goals, and voice commands via Siri.

Highlights
  • Guideline-based weekly targets
  • Live heart-rate zones
  • Workout goals with progress alerts
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Outdoor GPS tracking
  • Strength logging with muscle groups
  • Widget and Live Activity display
Features
Read full description

Most fitness apps chase step counts. Physical tracks what actually moves your health: the weekly aerobic minutes and strength days from national physical activity guidelines, personalized to you. Your dashboard shows two simple rings, aerobic and strength, tailored to your age and profile. Every walk, run, and lift you log in Apple Health counts automatically. WHAT YOU GET - Guideline-based targets. Weekly goals from the 2018 U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines, not a generic 10k steps. - Live heart-rate zones. Color-coded intensity on iPhone and Apple Watch, so you know when you are working hard enough. - Workout goals. Aim for a time, calorie, or distance target, with a wrist buzz at the halfway point and the finish. - Start with Siri. Say "Hey Siri, let's get Physical" to begin a workout or a saved routine by voice, plus Shortcuts and Spotlight support. - Start fast. Long-press the app icon for Home Screen quick actions to jump into a run, walk, or strength session. - Outdoor GPS. Live distance, pace, and route mapping for outdoor walks, runs, hikes, and rides on Apple Watch. - Music controls. Play, pause, and skip right from the workout screen, without leaving the app. - Strength logging. Log sessions on iPhone or Apple Watch with muscle-group coverage, and save your own routines. - Widget and complication. Your rings at a glance on the Home Screen and watch face. - Live Activity. Heart rate and intensity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island during a workout. - Share your week. Turn your two rings into an image you can post anywhere. - Export your data. Send your logged workouts to CSV anytime from Settings. - Nothing slips by. Get a heads-up when a workout you logged in another app counts toward your week. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Physical collects nothing. No account, no analytics, no ads, no network calls. Your health data stays in Apple Health, and your saved routines back up to your own iCloud. Nothing is ever sent to us. HOW IT WORKS Set your profile once, then just live your week. Workouts you log in Apple Health count automatically, and Physical shows how close you are with reminders that adapt as your rings fill. Try everything free for 7 days, then continue with a subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ryansan2001-source.github.io/physical-privacy/ Questions? developer.ryan.mcgee@icloud.com

Screenshots

Simple Zones4 screens
Physical4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Physical at 100% against Simple Zones's 55%. Physical also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). Simple Zones's advantage is ratings volume (50 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 26.0). 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. Simple Zones sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Physical sells 3 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

Physical holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Zones has 50 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Simple Zones's written reviews are positive against 100% of Physical's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Zones ships an update monthly, Physical every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simple Zones versus Physical: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple ZonesPhysical
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (50 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings50 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBred Ventures IncRyan McGee

Customer experience

Simple Zones

All ratings50 ratings
Positive72.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral9.7%
Negative35.5%

Physical

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Simple Zones

One-time2
  • Zones Pro$4.99
  • Zones Pro$9.99
3 purchases

Physical

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual Access7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Physical$49.99

Questions

Is Simple Zones free?
Simple Zones is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Physical free?
Physical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Zones or Physical?
Physical is rated higher. Simple Zones averages 4.0 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Physical averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simple Zones or Physical have ads?
Neither Simple Zones nor Physical shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Zones or Physical?
Simple Zones ships an update monthly, and Physical every 4 days. Most recently, Simple Zones was updated on October 24, 2026 and Physical on October 31, 2026.

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