Comparison

Biru vs HydroLite

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

Head to head
About

Biru

This app provides a streamlined way to track daily water intake with a focus on simplicity and speed. It offers quick logging, customizable widgets, and Apple Watch integration without any ads or mandatory subscriptions. Users can set personal hydration goals and optionally sync data with Apple Health.

Highlights
  • One-tap drink logging
  • Customizable quick-add sizes
  • Ad-free and subscription-free
  • Apple Watch app and complications
  • Home screen widgets
  • Personalized daily goal suggestions
  • Optional Apple Health sync
Features
Read full description

I was looking for a simple water tracker. One that let me open the app, tap a button to add my drink, and get back to my life. What I found were apps filled with ads, cluttered dashboards, and constant pressure to buy a subscription. I wanted a tool, not a chore. So I built Biru. Biru is the water tracker I always wanted. It's built on one core idea: tracking your water should be fast, simple, and completely frustration-free. WHY BIRU IS DIFFERENT • NO CLUTTER, PURE FOCUS Your day is a single rising wave. Your total sits in the middle and inverts as the water covers it. That's the whole screen — nothing else gets in your way. • GET IN, GET OUT, GET HYDRATED Log a drink with one tap. Set up to three quick-add sizes to match the bottles and glasses you actually use, in millilitres or fluid ounces. You're done in seconds. • NO ADS. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. NO PAYWALLS. Every feature in Biru is free, forever. There's an optional tip jar if you'd like to support development, but it unlocks nothing — the app is already complete without it. • ON YOUR WRIST Biru comes with a full Apple Watch app. Log a drink without your phone, pick another size, or check your week. Add a complication to any watch face — the large one shows the same rising water as the app. • ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Five widget styles in small and medium. Tap a size to log it without opening the app, or see your last seven days at a glance. Press and hold any widget to choose which sizes it offers. • A SIMPLE, SMART START Answer a few quick questions and Biru suggests a personal daily goal based on your weight, age, activity and climate. It's a starting point, not a rule — adjust it whenever you like. • OPTIONAL APPLE HEALTH SYNC Turn Health on and your drinks are saved alongside the rest of your data. Leave it off and Biru works exactly the same. • BUILT IN THE OPEN Biru has a roadmap inside the app. Suggest a feature, report a bug, vote on what matters to you, and see what's coming next. If you've been searching for a water tracker that respects your time and your focus, your search is over.

About

HydroLite

Features
Read full description

HydroLite is the simplest way to track your water. Open the app. Tap a preset. That's it. No accounts, no nagging, no bloat. Features • One-tap water logging — 8, 12, 16, 20 oz or 250/500/750 mL/1 L • Calm daily progress ring with instant visual feedback • Undo your last log with a single tap • Interval reminders with quiet-hours support • Electrolyte & drink-type tracking (premium) • Custom one-tap presets (premium) • 3-day history (free) or 30-day history + trend chart (premium) • Clean light and dark mode, readable on small phones Privacy-first • No account, no sign-in • No cloud sync; anonymous, opt-out product analytics only — never your hydration data • Works fully offline Pricing • Free forever: logging, built-in presets, interval reminders with quiet hours, 3-day history • Premium Monthly — $1.99/month (auto-renewing) with a 7-day free trial: custom presets, electrolyte & drink-type tracking, 30-day history and trend chart • Premium Yearly — $14.99/year (auto-renewing) with a 7-day free trial: the same premium features, billed annually • Premium Lifetime — $6.99 (one-time): the same premium features, paid once, kept forever Yearly and monthly both start with a 7-day free trial; lifetime unlocks everything with a single purchase. Subscription details Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; renewal is charged within 24 hours of the period end. Manage subscriptions in your Apple ID Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription before the trial ends. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://has-deploy.github.io/hydrolite/privacy-policy.html HydroLite helps you track water intake. Hydration targets are general defaults that you control. Not medical advice.

Screenshots

Biru4 screens
HydroLite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HydroLite at every 5 days against Biru's every 2 months. HydroLite also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, 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. Biru sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and HydroLite sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Biru ships an update every 2 months, HydroLite every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Biru versus HydroLite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBiruHydroLite
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.516.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJudeWorksanthony mcmurtrey

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Biru

One-time3
  • Tip a Drop$0.99
  • Tip a Glass$2.99
  • Tip a Bottle$4.99
3 purchases

HydroLite

Subscriptions2
  • HydroLite Premium7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • HydroLite Premium7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • HydroLite Lifetime Unlock$6.99

Questions

Is Biru free?
Biru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HydroLite free?
HydroLite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Biru or HydroLite have ads?
Neither Biru nor HydroLite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Biru or HydroLite?
Biru ships an update every 2 months, and HydroLite every 5 days. Most recently, Biru was updated on October 30, 2026 and HydroLite on October 25, 2026.

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