Comparison

Oprah Daily vs Pulse Checks

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

Head to head
About

Oprah Daily

Access exclusive digital content, including uplifting articles and innovative features. Enjoy a searchable archive of past magazine issues. This subscription provides a curated experience with content designed to inspire and inform.

Highlights
  • Exclusive digital content
  • Innovative features
  • Uplifting articles
  • Searchable digital archive
  • Past magazine issues
Features
Read full description

Oprah Daily membership grants you full access to the all-new exclusive digital content. Here you will find everything you loved in print plus innovative features and uplifting content, needed most right now. You’ll also get full access to the 10-year, searchable digital archive of past issues of O, The Oprah Magazine. Oprah Daily Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 4.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. Please note: App subscriptions do not include access to subscription-only content on our website. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://bit.ly/2J5Ujfh Terms of Use - https://bit.ly/2J1YZqL • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

Pulse Checks

Stay connected with important people and group chats without a social feed or account. Receive gentle check-in notifications with options to wave, message, or mark yourself caught up. Your data stays private on your device.

Highlights
  • No account required
  • No social feed or scroll
  • Private data storage on device
  • Hands off to Apple Messages
  • Customizable check-in cadences
  • Inspiration for messages
  • Optional birthday nudges
Read full description

Pulse Checks is an iPhone app that nudges you to check in with people before busy becomes distant. Individuals and group chats. No account. Not another social network. Add the people you care about, set how often you want a nudge, and get gentle Pulse Check reminders in a daily window you choose. Wave, open Messages with your own words or on-device inspiration, or mark yourself caught up. Pulse Checks never posts for you. It hands off to Apple Messages. Nothing to sign up for. Your notes and history stay on your phone (optional private iCloud sync). WHY PULSE CHECKS • Check-in reminders so busy doesn’t turn into distant • No account. Nothing to sign up for. • Not a social network. No scrolling feed of strangers. • Notes stay on your iPhone (optional private iCloud sync) • Hands off to Apple Messages. It never sends texts for you. YOUR PEOPLE • Active, Muted, and Needs attention • Strong, Fading, and Faint pulse levels (how recently you checked in) • Wave, Message Now, and Mute • Individuals and group chats • Cadences from hourly to monthly • Optional notes for inspiration (“What’s going on?”) PULSE CHECK REMINDERS • Quiet check-ins inside your Pulse Window • Lock Screen actions when you need them • Optional birthday nudges • Privacy-friendly when Face ID / passcode lock is on INSPIRATION • On-device suggestions when Apple Intelligence is available • Free tones (Casual, Brief) plus Premium options like Funny, Dry, Flirty, and more • Edit in Messages before you send PREMIUM Unlock unlimited people, Premium tones, Insights, data export, and a richer Home Screen widget. • Monthly: $3.99 • Yearly: $24.99 (Prices may vary by storefront. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage in Apple ID settings.) Privacy Policy: https://meetpulse.us/privacy Terms of Use: https://meetpulse.us/terms

Screenshots

Oprah Daily4 screens
Pulse Checks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulse Checks at none against Oprah Daily's 10. Pulse Checks also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Oprah Daily's advantage is ratings volume (4.8K vs 4) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Oprah Daily sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pulse Checks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pulse Checks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Oprah Daily has 4.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Oprah Daily ships an update every 5 weeks, Pulse Checks every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Oprah Daily versus Pulse Checks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOprah DailyPulse Checks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.8K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.8K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB7 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperHearst Communications, Inc.Revenue Stream Holdings, LLC

Customer experience

Oprah Daily

All ratings4,769 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive29.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative68.9%

Pulse Checks

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Oprah Daily

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to log in or access purchased content
  • Frequent crashes and app freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior across app updates

Requested features

3 requests
  • Offline reading of past issues
  • Improved app stability and reliability
  • Better customer support and subscription management

Pulse Checks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Oprah Daily

Subscriptions2
  • O, The Oprah Magazine, interactive edition$4.991 Month
  • O, The Oprah Magazine, interactive edition1 Month trial$19.991 Year
One-time8
  • Magazine-May 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-June 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-July 2011$4.99
Show 5 more
  • Magazine-August 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-September 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-October 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-December 2011$4.99
  • Magazine-January 2012$4.99
None

Pulse Checks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Oprah Daily free?
Oprah Daily is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pulse Checks free?
Pulse Checks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Oprah Daily or Pulse Checks?
Pulse Checks is rated higher. Oprah Daily averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Pulse Checks averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Oprah Daily or Pulse Checks have ads?
Neither Oprah Daily nor Pulse Checks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Oprah Daily or Pulse Checks?
Oprah Daily ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pulse Checks every 5 days. Most recently, Oprah Daily was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pulse Checks on October 31, 2026.

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