Comparison

PulsePoint Respond vs Providence

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

Head to head
About

PulsePoint Respond

This app connects to 911 to alert you about local emergencies, including cardiac events requiring CPR. It also provides notifications for other community incidents like fires and floods, and allows you to monitor live dispatch radio. It's designed to build informed and responsive communities.

Highlights
  • 911-connected emergency alerts
  • CPR needed notifications
  • Community incident alerts (fires, floods)
  • Live dispatch radio monitoring
  • FirstNet Certified™ application
Currently charting
Read full description

PulsePoint Respond is a 911-connected mobile app that can immediately inform you of emergencies occurring in your community and can request your help when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is needed nearby. If you’re trained in CPR and are willing to assist in an emergency, the app will alert you if someone near you is having a cardiac emergency and may need CPR. In addition to nearby “CPR Needed” notifications, you can choose to be notified of other events that may impact you and your family, such as wildland fires, flooding and utility emergencies. You can also monitor live dispatch radio traffic for most PulsePoint-connected communities with a simple tap on the speaker icon. PulsePoint currently provides coverage for thousands of communities in North America, with many more on the way. For more information, visit pulsepoint.org, contact us at info@pulsepoint.org. PulsePoint Respond is an end-to-end FirstNet Certified™ application. FirstNet Certified solutions must demonstrate 99.99% availability and pass independent third-party security, data privacy and performance audits. PulsePoint is a 501(c)(3) public non-profit foundation building applications that help public safety agencies inform and engage their citizens. NOTE: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Your actual experience is always visible in Settings | Battery | PulsePoint.

About

Providence

Access all your healthcare needs from a single platform. Manage appointments, view medical records, pay bills, and discover relevant health programs and resources. Connect with your care team and find new providers easily.

Highlights
  • Connect with care team
  • Book appointments
  • Access medical records
  • View and pay bills
  • Find providers
  • Virtual urgent care
  • Health reminders
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Want to make it easier to take care of your health? With you, wherever you are.

Your one-stop shop for everything Providence—this modern app puts all your Providence services, programs, and resources at your fingertips—24/7, 365 days a year. Whether you need to get care, view your medical records, pay a bill, or learn about new programs & resources relevant to you. • Connect with your care team—book an appointment, view instructions, send a message. • Get immediate care—through an ExpressCare virtual visit or one of our local urgent care clinics—even find out wait times and put yourself in the queue before you leave home. • Access your medical record—get lab & test results, read visit notes, share your records. • Find a new provider—whether primary or specialty care. • View and pay bills—or see if you’re eligible for financial assistance. • View important health reminders personalized just for you. • Get individualized recommendations for relevant health programs and resources. • Find relevant, health-related content just for you, created by Providence experts. • Upload health and fitness data, including data from the “Apple health app,” when enrolled in self-tracking programs The Providence MyChart app is perfect for everyone looking for health care resources in a Providence or Providence-affiliated healthcare environment. Providence health services are available in Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon, California, New Mexico and Texas including: • Providence Swedish — Puget Sound • Providence — Alaska • Providence — Oregon, California • Providence — Greater Portland Area • Providence — Washington, Idaho, Montana • CovenantHealth — Texas, New Mexico • Kadlec — Oregon, Washington • CredenaHealth Pharmacy — Home Delivery

Screenshots

PulsePoint Respond4 screens
Providence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PulsePoint Respond at free against Providence's free with in-app purchases. PulsePoint Respond also leads on chart position (#29 vs #160) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Providence's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (71% vs 63%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for PulsePoint Respond against 4.8 for Providence. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 272K and 186K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of PulsePoint Respond's written reviews are positive against 71% of Providence's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PulsePoint Respond ships an update every 2 months, Providence every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
PulsePoint Respond versus Providence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulsePoint RespondProvidence
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (272K ratings)4.8 (186K ratings)
Positive reviews63.0% of reviews71.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings272K — better186K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#29 — better#160
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB186 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPulsePoint FoundationPROVIDENCE HEALTH & SERVICES - WASHINGTON

Customer experience

PulsePoint Respond

All ratings271,552 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews538 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral10.6%
Negative26.4%

Providence

All ratings185,662 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews456 reviews
Positive71.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative24.1%

User reviews

PulsePoint Respond

From 272K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Instant notifications
  • 📍 Detailed incident location
  • 💡 Customizable notifications
  • 🚑 Helpful for first responders
  • 🔍 Awareness of community emergencies

Room to improve

  • 🗺️ Lack of location filtering
  • 🔇 Inconsistent notification reliability
  • 🌍 Limited coverage in Canada/other countries
  • 🔢 Too many notifications for large areas
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

Providence

From 186K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient all-in-one healthcare app
  • 🚀 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Helpful for managing appointments, prescriptions, and test results
  • 👍 Prompt responses from healthcare providers
  • 👍 Valuable for communicating with doctors

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Confusing navigation and layout
  • 🐛 Difficulty finding specific features or information
  • 🐛 Unreliable virtual care options
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience across different devices
  • 🐛 Frustrating issues with logging in and accessing account

Bugs and requests

PulsePoint Respond

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incidents not always displayed in a timely manner
  • Difficulty understanding response unit codes/abbreviations
  • Location services issues causing inconsistent performance

Requested features

5 requests
  • Radius-based notification filtering
  • Separate notification settings for each agency
  • Ability to follow specific stations/departments
  • Integration with mapping apps for navigation
  • Customizable notification sounds and tones

Providence

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatibility with older devices
  • Inconsistent performance and crashes
  • Syncing issues with test results and medical records

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search and navigation
  • Better integration with external healthcare providers
  • More intuitive layout and organization of information
  • Enhanced accessibility for users with disabilities
  • Seamless virtual care options

In-app purchases

None

PulsePoint Respond

No in-app purchases

None

Providence

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PulsePoint Respond free?
PulsePoint Respond is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Providence free?
Providence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PulsePoint Respond or Providence?
PulsePoint Respond and Providence are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 272K and 186K ratings respectively.
Do PulsePoint Respond or Providence have ads?
Neither PulsePoint Respond nor Providence shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PulsePoint Respond or Providence?
PulsePoint Respond ships an update every 2 months, and Providence every 3 weeks. Most recently, PulsePoint Respond was updated on October 18, 2026 and Providence on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, PulsePoint Respond or Providence?
PulsePoint Respond currently peaks at #29 in the App Store charts, and Providence at #160. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons