Comparison

Paced Breathing vs PainSync

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

Head to head
About

Paced Breathing

This app guides users through breathing exercises using visual, audio, and haptic cues. It helps with stress relief, meditation, lung strengthening, and falling asleep. Join thousands of users who find daily calm and improved well-being.

Highlights
  • Adjustable inhale, hold, exhale timing
  • Visual, audio, and haptic cues
  • Heart monitoring (heart rate, HRV, coherence)
  • Ramp mode for gradual timing changes
  • Session tracking and streaks
  • Background playback
Features
Read full description

Featured in James Nestor’s best-selling book, Breath, Paced Breathing uses visual, audio and haptic cues to guide you through your practice. Whether meditating, strengthening your lungs or simply relaxing - join the thousands who love using Paced Breathing everyday! USES * Relieve Stress * Meditate — (especially good for Kundalini, Hatha, Pranayama) * Strengthen Lungs — (improve lung capacity & aid recovery) * Falling Asleep FEATURES * Adjustable timing for inhale, hold, exhale, & hold * Heart monitoring: heart rate, HRV, & coherence (PB+) * Ramp mode: gradually change breath times * Visual, audio, & vibrate cues * Reminders / notifications (PB+) * Background playback * Playlists for multiple breath presets * Streaks, goals, & session tracking (PB+) HEALTH BENEFITS Regular breathing practices have been shown to help improve your: * Cardiovascular health [1][2][3] * Relaxation [2] * Stress responses [1][4][5] * Mood [1] * Attention [4] * Alzheimer's risk [6] FROM THE DEVELOPER I’m Mihai, an engineer born in Romania & raised in Michigan. My ideal day is working on apps to help others, like Paced Breathing. Someday I hope I can work on apps like these full time! Hearing from users makes my day, so shoot me an email with requests, bugs, things you like, or just your story: mihai@pacedbreathing.com! USER FEEDBACK * "The best breathing app out there (I've tried 12 apps, this is the only one that works for me). I have recommended it to over 100 people over the 7 years I've been using it. I use it at least 5 x a week. Gives me instant calm" — R. Hall * "LOVE this app. Very simple and easy to use. You can set time for inhale, exhale, and pause after each if you wish. You can watch it or listen…Thank you! Ads Not intrusive. Ads turn off when the app is active” — Denise * "This is a wonderfully simple app. The default sound tone is just right for me and I like that I get to set the volume and it stays there whether or not the volume of the phone ring or other apps are different" — Eleanor * "I've never written something like this in a review but... I love whoever wrote this app :-) Gets to the point in 0.2 s. No long annoying splash screens. No attempts to extort money... Super reliable, simple and 100% effective. I was looking for something that would let me take some breaks during normal meditation to do some controlled breathing, for example our most natural pattern - continuous 5.5 s inhale, 5.5 exhale. works perfect! BRAVO. A lesson to all developers how to make useful apps!" — Adam CITATIONS * [1] Study published in Front Public Health (2017) shows slow rhythmic breathing decreased blood pressure response to stress & improved mood: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5575449 * [2] Study in PLOS ONE (2019) shows slow paced breathing can improve relaxation & cardiovascular function: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218550 * [3] Study in American Journal of Cardiology (2002) shows slow, paced breathing can significantly reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16129818/ * [4] Study in Frontiers in Psychology (2017) shows diaphragmatic breathing improves attention, reduces negative affect, & lowers stress in healthy adults: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874/full * [5] Study in Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2005) shows benefits of Sudarshan Kriya, a specific yogic breathing practice, in treating stress, anxiety, & depression: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2005.11.189 * [6] Study in Nature Scientific Reports (2023) shows slow paced breathing counters pathways that lead to Alzheimer’s disease: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30167-0 DISCLAIMER App not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent medical conditions. Consult a healthcare professional before starting a breathing practice, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

About

PainSync

Features
Read full description

PainSync helps you take control of your chronic pain and wellness journey. Track your pain levels, monitor symptoms, and gain insights into your health patterns. Key Features: • Track daily pain levels and locations • Monitor sleep, water intake, and activity • AI-powered pain analysis and insights • Detailed health reports and trends • Sync across all your devices Take charge of your health with PainSync - your personal pain management companion. Terms of Use: https://veinly.eu/privacy/painsync-terms Medical Disclaimer: All health information and AI-generated content in this app are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. The app includes citations to reputable medical sources (e.g., CDC, American Venous Forum). Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for medical decisions.

Screenshots

Paced Breathing4 screens
PainSync4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PainSync at none against Paced Breathing's shown. PainSync also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, in-app purchases 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. Paced Breathing sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PainSync sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Paced Breathing versus PainSync: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaced BreathingPainSync
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (228 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings228 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB60 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPaced Breathing LLCMohammad Esmaell Barbatl

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Paced Breathing

Subscriptions4
  • PacedBreathing+ (1 month)$1.991 Month
  • PacedBreathing+ (1 month)$3.991 Month
  • PacedBreathing+ (1 year)7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • PacedBreathing+ (1 year)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
3 purchases

PainSync

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Paced Breathing free?
Paced Breathing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PainSync free?
PainSync is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Paced Breathing or PainSync have ads?
Paced Breathing shows ads; PainSync does not.

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