Comparison

Pacebase vs Pacing Guard

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

Head to head
About

Pacebase

This app helps manage energy-limiting chronic conditions by leveraging your Apple Watch data. It provides a Body Score to assess recovery and a Body Budget to guide safe activity levels, preventing crashes.

Highlights
  • Body Score for recovery assessment
  • Body Budget for safe activity guidance
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Continuous widget updates
  • Management of energy-limiting conditions
Read full description

Pacebase is an all-in-one toolkit for managing your energy-limiting chronic condition, like POTS and ME/CFS. We turn your Apple Watch into a powerful tool for measuring and understanding your body, and its limits. Our Body Score uses several of your bodies biomarkers to give you a simple, accurate measure of how your body recovered from the day before, through a straightforward 50-100-point scale. Our Body Budget suggests the amount of time you can expect to safely go above your anaerobic threshold for the day to minimize crashing. It also comes with an helpful Apple Watch widget, which updates continuously throughout the day. A subscription is required to use Pacebase, but we offer a 14-day risk-free trial period within the app. No commitment is required. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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 • Customizable GO and REST intervals (5 to 120 seconds) • Voice announcements at each phase transition • Countdown alerts in the final 5 seconds before switching • Haptic feedback and sound cues at phase changes • Smooth visual progress ring with phase colour coding • Works in the background with screen off HEART RATE MONITORING • Connects to any Bluetooth heart rate strap (Polar, Garmin, Wahoo, and others) • Aerobic threshold calculator to find your personal safe HR limit • Voice and haptic alerts when approaching or exceeding your limit • Configurable repeat alerts so you stay informed without being overwhelmed • Periodic heart rate announcements at configurable intervals • Time above HR limit tracked for every session, even with alerts muted SLEEP MONITORING • Long-press Start for overnight heart rate tracking • No voice cues, no alerts - continuous silent recording • Session max HR saved to history SESSION INSIGHTS • Live stats during any session - tap the live stats button • Post-session HR chart with exceedance breakdown • 8-week trend analysis with sparkline charts • Monthly pacing calendar showing your compliance at a glance • Export session data as CSV • Save sessions to Apple Health as workouts PRIVATE & OFFLINE • No accounts, no ads, no tracking • No subscriptions or hidden costs • All data stays on your device • Works fully offline ACCESSIBLE • Full VoiceOver support with descriptive labels • Dynamic Type for all text sizes • Respects Reduce Motion preference • Minimum 44pt tap targets • 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

Pacebase4 screens
Pacing Guard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pacebase at Free against Pacing Guard's $4.99. Pacing Guard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

Pacebase is free to download; Pacing Guard costs $4.99 up front. Pacebase sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Pacing Guard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pacebase versus Pacing Guard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacebasePacing Guard
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
Best chart rank—#200 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPacebase Health, LLCKim Syversen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pacebase

Subscriptions3
  • Pacebase$6.991 Month
  • Pacebase7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Pacebase$86.001 Year
None

Pacing Guard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pacebase free?
Pacebase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pacing Guard free?
Pacing Guard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pacebase or Pacing Guard have ads?
Pacebase shows ads; Pacing Guard does not.
Which is updated more often, Pacebase or Pacing Guard?
Pacebase ships an update every 9 days, and Pacing Guard every 9 days. Most recently, Pacebase was updated on October 6, 2026 and Pacing Guard on October 28, 2026.

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