Here and Now vs Pacing Guard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Here and Now
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A simple, energy-friendly breathing tool β designed with ME/CFS in mind. This app offers a calming breathing experience for people with limited energy β especially those living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The breathing tool is low-stimulation, easy to use, and designed to support gentle pacing, calm focus, and short breaks during daily fatigue. There are no ads, no noise, and no unnecessary features β just space to breathe. This app is part of a growing non-profit project that aims to create better digital tools for people with ME/CFS. What you're using now is just the first step β small, focused, and made with care. Weβre building slowly, but intentionally β always in dialogue with the community.
Pacing Guard
This app provides structured activity and rest routines for individuals with chronic fatigue conditions. It uses voice cues and haptic feedback to guide users, with optional heart rate monitoring to ensure safe activity levels. All data is kept private and offline on the device.
- Customizable GO and REST intervals
- Voice and haptic feedback for phase transitions
- Bluetooth heart rate strap support
- Aerobic threshold calculator
- Offline and private operation
- Session insights and trend analysis
- Apple Health integration
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Pacing Guard helps people with ME/CFS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue follow structured activity-rest routines - without watching the clock. Voice cues, haptic feedback, with optional support of a Bluetooth heart rate strap tell you when to go and when to rest. You focus on living. The app keeps the rest. TIMER β’ Customizable GO and REST intervals (5 to 120 seconds) β’ Voice announcements at each phase transition β’ Countdown alerts in the final 5 seconds before switching β’ Haptic feedback and sound cues at phase changes β’ Smooth visual progress ring with phase colour coding β’ Works in the background with screen off HEART RATE MONITORING β’ Connects to any Bluetooth heart rate strap (Polar, Garmin, Wahoo, and others) β’ Aerobic threshold calculator to find your personal safe HR limit β’ Voice and haptic alerts when approaching or exceeding your limit β’ Configurable repeat alerts so you stay informed without being overwhelmed β’ Periodic heart rate announcements at configurable intervals β’ Time above HR limit tracked for every session, even with alerts muted SLEEP MONITORING β’ Long-press Start for overnight heart rate tracking β’ No voice cues, no alerts - continuous silent recording β’ Session max HR saved to history SESSION INSIGHTS β’ Live stats during any session - tap the live stats button β’ Post-session HR chart with exceedance breakdown β’ 8-week trend analysis with sparkline charts β’ Monthly pacing calendar showing your compliance at a glance β’ Export session data as CSV β’ Save sessions to Apple Health as workouts PRIVATE & OFFLINE β’ No accounts, no ads, no tracking β’ No subscriptions or hidden costs β’ All data stays on your device β’ Works fully offline ACCESSIBLE β’ Full VoiceOver support with descriptive labels β’ Dynamic Type for all text sizes β’ Respects Reduce Motion preference β’ Minimum 44pt tap targets β’ High Contrast mode compatible --- Disclaimer: Pacing Guard is a general-purpose interval timer and self-management aid. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or disease prevention. The app does not make any claims about health outcomes. Heart rate monitoring is provided for informational purposes only. Any routines followed using this app are self-directed and used at your own discretion. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Here and Now at Free against Pacing Guard's $4.99. Here and Now also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Pacing Guard's advantage is chart position (#200 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Here and Now is free to download; Pacing Guard costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Here and Now ships an update daily, Pacing Guard every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Here and Now | Pacing Guard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free β better | $4.99 |
| Positive reviews | β | 0.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Daily β better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | β | Paid |
| Best chart rank | β | #200 β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 β better | 16.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OTATAA | Kim Syversen |
In-app purchases
Here and Now
No in-app purchases
Pacing Guard
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Here and Now free?
Is Pacing Guard free?
Do Here and Now or Pacing Guard have ads?
Which is updated more often, Here and Now or Pacing Guard?
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