Comparison

TetherSwim vs Paceva

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

Head to head
About

TetherSwim

This app accurately tracks swimming workouts performed with resistance cords or endless pools, overcoming the limitations of traditional trackers. It estimates distance based on stroke count and efficiency, providing comprehensive workout data.

Highlights
  • Accurate distance estimates
  • Automatic SWOLF tracking
  • Full workout data (calories, heart rate)
  • Exclude test swims
  • Strava integration
  • Automatic Water Lock mode
Features
Read full description

TetherSwim is built for swimmers training with resistance cords, swim tethers, or endless pools. Traditional swim trackers can struggle with these sessions, giving you wildly inaccurate distances or ignoring your efforts altogether. With TetherSwim, your distance is estimated intelligently based on your real stroke count, SWOLF, and previous swim history — all from your Apple Watch. Features: • Accurate distance estimates – Uses your stroke rate, efficiency, and past workouts to calculate real swim distance. • Automatic SWOLF tracking – Measures your swim efficiency in tethered conditions. • Calories, heart rate, and more – Full workout data, just like in regular pool swims. • Exclude test swims – Keep your baselines clean by excluding warm-ups or experiments. • Strava integration – Upload your tethered swim sessions directly. • Water Lock mode – Automatically engages when you start, so your watch screen won’t go crazy mid-session.

About

Paceva

Features
Read full description

Paceva is the triathlon and multisport analytics app for athletes who swim, bike and run. It brings swimming, cycling, running and walking sessions into one history and one combined training-load view, so you can understand fitness, fatigue and form across disciplines. NEW: ANALYSE YOUR TRAINING WITH AI Choose what to review (today's workout, your latest session against the previous one, this week or this month against the last) and the app turns your data into a professional prompt, in your language. One tap copies it and opens your AI assistant: just paste it into a new chat. ONE ATHLETE. ONE TRAINING PICTURE. A hard swim, an easy run and a long ride all affect the same body. Paceva analyses compatible workouts from Apple Health together instead of splitting your progress across separate sport apps. TRIATHLON AND MULTISPORT ANALYTICS • Swimming, cycling, running and walking in one timeline • Combined training load using TSS across disciplines • Fitness, fatigue and form trends with CTL, ATL and TSB • Weekly, monthly and yearly progress views • Personal training zones for each sport METRICS FOR EACH DISCIPLINE Review CSS and SWOLF for swimming, critical pace for running, and power and FTP for cycling. Use sport-specific detail without losing the overall multisport picture. YOUR DATA, YOUR CONTROL Paceva does not require an account. Health and workout data are analysed locally and remain on your device. Technical crash diagnostics may be sent to help improve reliability; screenshots and performance traces are disabled. Export your history whenever you need it. PREMIUM Paceva Premium unlocks the full experience with monthly, annual and lifetime options, starting with a 7-day free trial. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store settings. Privacy Policy: https://paceva.analyticszone.app/en/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://paceva.analyticszone.app/en/terms/ IMPORTANT — MEDICAL DISCLAIMER Paceva Analytics is a wellness app, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your doctor in addition to using this app, and before making any medical decision. If you have symptoms that worry you, contact a healthcare professional.

Screenshots

TetherSwim3 screens
Paceva4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TetherSwim at none against Paceva's 2. Paceva's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence, 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. Paceva sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. TetherSwim asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TetherSwim ships an update every 2 weeks, Paceva weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
TetherSwim versus Paceva: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTetherSwimPaceva
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick BigginArnoHealth SL

In-app purchases

None

TetherSwim

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Paceva

Subscriptions2
  • Paceva Analytics Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Paceva Premium$34.991 Year

Questions

Is TetherSwim free?
TetherSwim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paceva free?
Paceva is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TetherSwim or Paceva have ads?
Neither TetherSwim nor Paceva shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TetherSwim or Paceva?
TetherSwim ships an update every 2 weeks, and Paceva weekly. Most recently, TetherSwim was updated on October 10, 2026 and Paceva on October 4, 2026.

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