Comparison

HeartMath vs Pure Presence

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

Pure Presence

Find calm in 60 seconds with this minimalist breathwork and sound meditation tool. Follow a visual guide through ancient techniques, incorporate pure tones and natural soundscapes, and practice offline.

Highlights
  • Breathing Orb visual guide
  • Seven traditional breathing patterns
  • Pure Tones and binaural beats
  • Natural soundscapes
  • Breathe Together feature
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Find calm in 60 seconds. Pure Presence is a minimalist breathwork and sound meditation tool for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced practitioners. Follow the Breathing Orb through ancient Pranayama techniques, add Pure Tones and natural soundscapes, and find calm in seconds. NO MEDITATION EXPERIENCE NEEDED Never practiced breathwork? Pure Presence guides you completely. The breathing orb shows exactly when to inhale and exhale. Breath Sync adds gentle sound cues. Visual Guide shows breath timing. Haptics provide tactile feedback. Practice with eyes open, eyes closed, or screen off. THE BREATHING ORB Watch the orb expand as you inhale, contract as you exhale. This creates single-pointed focus, an ancient concentration technique that naturally calms the mind. The interface fades after a few moments, leaving only you and your breath. SEVEN BREATHING PATTERNS Each pattern rooted in tradition or backed by science: • Presence 4-6: Daily anchor. Longer exhales activate calming response. Reduces stress. • Coherence 5.5-5.5: Resonant frequency breathing. Balances heart rate variability. Ideal for longer sessions. • Balance 4-4-4-4: Box breathing. Equal parts build focus and mental clarity. • Sigh Reset 3+1-8: Physiological sigh. Quickly resets nervous system when stressed or anxious. • Alternate Nostrils 4-4: Classical Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. Balances brain hemispheres. • Deep Relax 4-8: Extended exhales deeply activate parasympathetic response. Lowers heart rate. • Sleep 4-7-8: Dr. Andrew Weil's technique for falling asleep. PURE TONES Sound frequencies from healing traditions: • Om/Earth (136.1 Hz): Grounding, heart-centered • Calm (174 Hz): Solfeggio foundation tone • Restore (285 Hz): Renewal and restoration • Release (396 Hz): Release fear and blockages • Harmony (432 Hz): Verdi's A, natural tuning • Uplift (528 Hz): Transformation and elevation BINAURAL BEATS (HEADPHONES REQUIRED) • Delta (2 Hz): Deep sleep and healing • Theta (5 Hz): Deep meditation and creativity • Alpha (10 Hz): Relaxed focus and calm awareness SOUNDSCAPES • Rain, Waves, Crickets, Stream, Wind FEATURES FOR EVERY PRACTICE BREATHE TOGETHER: Create or join a session. Breathe in sync with someone you choose. BREATH SYNC: Sound follows your breath for eyes-closed practice. VISUAL GUIDE: See breath phase targets clearly. HAPTICS: Feel each transition. Practice without looking. IMMERSIVE MODE: Interface fades completely. DARK MODE: Gentle theme for evening practice. COMPLETELY OFFLINE: No internet needed, practice anywhere. Quick Session Pick a feeling and begin. Presets are here too. • Quick: Presence, Anti-stress, Focus, Relax, Sleep • Presets: Quick Reset, Heart Coherence, Steady Focus, Just Relax, Deep Sleep LEARN AS YOU PRACTICE Detailed guides for every pattern: purpose, steps, science, roots. Sound Science explains tones and binaural beats. 100% FREE. NO ADS. COMPLETELY OFFLINE. Every feature unlocked. No paywalls, no subscriptions. Ancient breathing wisdom for everyone. PRIVACY FIRST No accounts. No tracking. All data stored locally on your device. SAFETY NOTE Breathwork is generally safe. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, return to normal breathing. Not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider if you have health conditions.

Screenshots

HeartMath4 screens
Pure Presence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pure Presence at none against HeartMath's 5. Pure Presence also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). HeartMath's advantage is ratings volume (4.7K vs 2). On price, rating, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HeartMath sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.00 per year. Pure Presence asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for HeartMath against 5.0 for Pure Presence. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HeartMath has 4.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeartMath ships an update every 3 weeks, Pure Presence weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
HeartMath versus Pure Presence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeartMathPure Presence
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (4.7K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.7K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB52 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHeartMath Inc.Alessandro Carpentiero

Customer experience

HeartMath

All ratings4,564 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive73.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative20.9%

Pure Presence

All ratings1 ratings
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

Pure Presence

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
None

Pure Presence

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HeartMath free?
HeartMath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pure Presence free?
Pure Presence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HeartMath or Pure Presence?
Pure Presence is rated higher. HeartMath averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while Pure Presence averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do HeartMath or Pure Presence have ads?
Neither HeartMath nor Pure Presence shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeartMath or Pure Presence?
HeartMath ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pure Presence weekly. Most recently, HeartMath was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pure Presence on October 24, 2026.

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