Comparison

HRV Resonant Coherence vs Sym Breathing

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

Head to head
About

HRV Resonant Coherence

This app offers guided coherent breathing exercises to help you manage stress and improve focus. It provides visual, audio, and haptic feedback with customizable options for a personalized experience. Enjoy offline usability and a distraction-free interface.

Highlights
  • Guided coherent breathing
  • Visual, audio & haptic guidance
  • Customization options
  • Distraction-free design
  • Offline usability
Features
Read full description

Pace brings guided coherent breathing exercises to your phone, helping you regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and improve focus in just a few minutes per day. # Features • Guided Coherent Breathing • Visual, audio & haptic guidance • Many customization options • Simple, distraction-free design • Offline usability # Pricing Pace is premium and ad-free. A subscription is required to use the app. We offer a 7-day free trial so you can test all features. • Annual Plan - $9.99 / year • Monthly Plan - $1.99 / month • Lifetime Plan - $24.99 once Prices shown are for US customers and may vary by region. Payment charged to Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Account Settings. Terms of Use: https://www.stadelbauer.dev/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.stadelbauer.dev/privacy-policy

About

Sym Breathing

This app offers guided breathwork to help you achieve a calm and balanced state. It uses a steady 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance well-being. Features include customizable cues, daily affirmations, and a night mode for sleep.

Highlights
  • Guided 5.5-second inhale/exhale rhythm
  • Customizable audio, visual, and haptic cues
  • Daily affirmations for positive mindset
  • Night mode for reduced blue light
  • Seamless audio integration with other apps
  • Effortless session initiation
Features
Read full description

SYM BREATHING A simple way to slow down, breathe evenly, and find a calmer rhythm. Sym Breathing guides you through a balanced 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale using smooth visual, audio, and haptic cues. This slow, even rhythm is commonly known as coherent breathing or resonant breathing. Choose a session length, tap the breathing sphere, and follow along. No complicated routines. No overwhelming controls. Just a simple breathing practice you can return to whenever you need a few quiet minutes. GUIDED BREATHING, YOUR WAY Follow the expanding and contracting breathing sphere, listen for gentle audio cues, feel subtle haptic feedback, or combine all three. Choose the guidance that works best for you and your surroundings. A SIMPLE, BALANCED RHYTHM Sym Breathing uses a 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale, approximately 5.5 breaths per minute. The app keeps the rhythm for you, so you can focus on breathing instead of counting seconds or watching a clock. CHOOSE YOUR SESSION Select a breath count for a defined practice or choose an open-ended session and breathe for as long as you like. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS Begin with a daily affirmation that offers a brief moment of positive reflection before your breathing practice. NIGHT MODE Switch to a warm red interface for a softer visual experience in low-light environments or before bed. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN AUDIO Keep listening to music, ambient sounds, podcasts, or other audio while you breathe. Adjust the breathing cue volume independently to create the experience you prefer. COHERENT BREATHING Slow, balanced breathing practices are commonly used for relaxation, mindfulness, stress management, and supporting autonomic regulation. Research has also explored resonant breathing in relation to heart rate variability, or HRV. Sym Breathing makes this practice easy to follow by guiding each inhale and exhale for you. PREMIUM Unlock all premium features with a monthly or annual subscription. The annual subscription includes a 7-day free trial. Unless canceled before the trial ends, the subscription automatically renews at the displayed annual price. Subscriptions can be managed or canceled through your App Store account settings. HEALTH DISCLAIMER Sym Breathing is intended for general wellness, relaxation, and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you experience discomfort or dizziness while practicing breathwork, stop the session. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new wellness practice if you have questions or concerns about your health. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Breathe slowly. Find your rhythm.

Screenshots

HRV Resonant Coherence4 screens
Sym Breathing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sym Breathing at freemium against HRV Resonant Coherence's subscription. Sym Breathing also leads on ratings volume (35 vs 11). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. HRV Resonant Coherence sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Sym Breathing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for HRV Resonant Coherence against 4.9 for Sym Breathing. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of HRV Resonant Coherence's written reviews are positive against 94% of Sym Breathing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HRV Resonant Coherence ships an update every 5 weeks, Sym Breathing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and August 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HRV Resonant Coherence versus Sym Breathing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHRV Resonant CoherenceSym Breathing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (11 ratings)4.9 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better94.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristoph StadelbauerDaniel Lubbers

Customer experience

HRV Resonant Coherence

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sym Breathing

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

HRV Resonant Coherence

Subscriptions2
  • Pace Premium7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pace Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pace Premium Lifetime$24.99
3 purchases

Sym Breathing

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Annually7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is HRV Resonant Coherence free?
HRV Resonant Coherence is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sym Breathing free?
Sym Breathing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HRV Resonant Coherence or Sym Breathing?
HRV Resonant Coherence and Sym Breathing are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 11 and 35 ratings respectively.
Do HRV Resonant Coherence or Sym Breathing have ads?
Neither HRV Resonant Coherence nor Sym Breathing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HRV Resonant Coherence or Sym Breathing?
HRV Resonant Coherence ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sym Breathing every 3 weeks. Most recently, HRV Resonant Coherence was updated on September 13, 2026 and Sym Breathing on August 2, 2026.

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