Comparison

HeartMath vs My Three Circles

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

Head to head
About

HeartMath

This app helps you manage stress, improve focus, and achieve optimal performance by aligning your heart, mind, and emotions. It offers guided sessions, immersive journeys, and coherence practices based on over 30 years of research.

Highlights
  • Real-time HRV Coherence Measurement
  • Coherence Training
  • Scientifically Validated Techniques
  • Guided Learning Sessions
  • Progress Tracking
  • Heart-Brain Coherence Benefits
Features
Read full description

Align your heart, mind, and emotions to help you manage stress, improve focus, and perform at your best. Enjoy HeartMath’s free intro experience to access your heart’s natural intelligence and see your heart-brain coherence as real-time feedback. Then start your 7-day free trial to explore a comprehensive collection of guided sessions, immersive journeys, and coherence practices designed to help you experience greater calm, focus, clearer thinking, and a more balanced you. **Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor owners: Use your sensor to unlock a lifetime subscription.** Built on 30+ years of research on the heart-brain connection and supported by over 500 research studies, HeartMath is used in wellness and resilience programs at organizations including Stanford Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente, as well as in professional sports, the military, law enforcement, leading universities, non-profit organizations, and major corporations. It is used by coaches, trainers, and health professionals for stress education and resilience training. The HeartMath system is more than stress management: it’s a journey to more heart-centered living. This app puts HeartMath’s practical, research-supported tools right at your fingertips. Make mental and emotional well-being an achievable part of your daily life. The HeartMath technology is for stress education and resilience training. It is not a medical device. We encourage you to consult a health professional before making any medical decisions. KEY FEATURES • Real-time HRV coherence feedback: Use your phone’s camera or upgrade to the Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor for a more precise signal and a free app subscription. • Coherence training: Whether you choose the game or the guided mode, watch your heart-rhythm pattern and coherence change in real time. • Research-Supported: Techniques developed from 30+ years of scientific research to help boost focus, positive feelings, and your ability to manage stress. • Guided learning: Explore guided meditations, courses, and videos led by HeartMath trainers. • Progress tracking: View your progress over time with a variety of chart options. WHAT REGULAR COHERENCE PRACTICE CAN SUPPORT Heart-brain coherence is a balanced, focused state you create yourself through calm breathing and positive focus. Coherence supports the body’s natural ability to shift from tension to calm, helping you manage everyday stress and build inner balance. • SUPPORTS STRESS MANAGEMENT & EMOTIONAL BALANCE • SUPPORTS FOCUS AND MENTAL CLARITY — coherent states are associated with more focus, clarity, and creativity. • SUPPORTS RESILIENCE — regular practice can help you adapt to and recover from challenging situations more quickly. • ENHANCES EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND SELF-AWARENESS — practice can support a greater sense of inner calm and a more mindful relationship with your emotions. Subscription terms: • Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each year. • You can cancel your subscription at any time in your account settings. • You will not be refunded for any unused portion of a subscription. • Price is subject to change. • Subscriptions are not available in all countries. • Full subscription terms: https://my.heartmath.com/terms If you’d like to purchase an Inner Balance Coherence Plus sensor to unlock complimentary lifetime access to the HeartMath app, please visit the HeartMath website.

About

My Three Circles

Understand and manage difficult emotions with a science-based approach. This app helps you identify and work with your three core emotion systems – threat, drive, and soothing – through interactive check-ins, guided meditations, and educational content.

Highlights
  • Three-circle model for emotional system understanding
  • Interactive wellbeing check-ins
  • Progress tracking and visualization
  • Compassion-focused guided meditations
  • Science-based educational content
  • Bite-sized daily activities
Read full description

Emotional Wellbeing Through Compassion Science Transform your relationship with difficult emotions using our science-based approach grounded in principles from Compassion Focused Therapy. My Three Circles helps you understand and work with your three core emotion systems – threat, drive, and soothing – that play a major role in everyday life. Understand Your Emotional Systems • Red Circle (Threat): Recognise when your protection system is activated • Blue Circle (Drive): Track your motivation and achievement-focused emotions • Green Circle (Soothing): Build and strengthen your soothing system to stay grounded Key Features: • Interactive wellbeing check-ins that take less than a minute using our unique three-circle model • Progress tracking to visualise your emotional patterns over time • Audio library of compassion-focused guided meditations designed to strengthen your soothing system • Educational content explaining the science behind your emotions • Simple, bite-sized activities that fit into your daily routine Build Your Soothing System Life's challenges become more manageable when you develop a strong soothing system. Our app guides you through well-researched practices designed to build awareness, achieve better emotional balance, and develop resilience through compassion. Who This App Is For: • Anyone wanting to learn to better manage difficult emotions or stress • People interested in mindfulness and emotional wellbeing • Those seeking simple, science-based practices for maintaining good mental health • Individuals wanting to grow their self-awareness and emotional intelligence Please note: This app is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you're experiencing severe emotional distress, please consult with a qualified healthcare provider. Clinical Support & Self-Guided Use My Three Circles is designed to complement work with a clinical professional, particularly psychologists experienced in Compassion Focused Therapy. However, the app can be used independently by anyone seeking to develop greater emotional awareness and build their soothing system through evidence-based techniques. Free and Premium My Three Circles is free to use. Unlimited check-ins, progress tracking over the past week, all educational content and five introductory meditations are included at no cost. Everything else, including the complete meditation library and progress views stretching back months, a year, or across your full history, is unlocked with a single one-time purchase. There is no subscription. Discover how understanding your three emotion systems can transform your daily life. Build resilience through guided meditations, track your progress with beautiful visualisations, and learn practical techniques grounded in decades of psychological research. Download My Three Circles today, build your soothing system, and keep growing towards more emotional balance.

Screenshots

HeartMath4 screens
My Three Circles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HeartMath at every 3 weeks against My Three Circles's every 5 months. My Three Circles's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (16.0 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. HeartMath sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.00 per year and My Three Circles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeartMath ships an update every 3 weeks, My Three Circles every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HeartMath versus My Three Circles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeartMathMy Three Circles
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (4.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB86 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHeartMath Inc.Three Circles Psychology Pty Ltd

Customer experience

HeartMath

All ratings4,564 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews171 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative21.6%

My Three Circles

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

HeartMath

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sensor connection issues on newer devices
  • App crashes and freezes on iPhone 16 Pro
  • Inaccurate heart rate and coherence readings
  • Screen sleep behavior disrupting sessions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Allow playing music/sounds during sessions
  • Provide audio feedback on coherence levels
  • Add session history customization and details
  • Improve sensor compatibility with older devices

My Three Circles

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

HeartMath

Subscriptions4
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$39.001 Year
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$59.001 Year
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial2 variants$79.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • HeartMath Premium7 Days trial$99.991 Year
1 purchases

My Three Circles

One-time1
  • Premium Access$9.99

Questions

Is HeartMath free?
HeartMath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is My Three Circles free?
My Three Circles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HeartMath or My Three Circles have ads?
Neither HeartMath nor My Three Circles shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeartMath or My Three Circles?
HeartMath ships an update every 3 weeks, and My Three Circles every 5 months. Most recently, HeartMath was updated on September 25, 2026 and My Three Circles on September 9, 2026.

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