Comparison

Pulse vs Runnerd

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

Head to head
About

Pulse

Features
Read full description

Pulse is an on-device Apple Health data dashboard that provides cumulative stats like Steps, Distance, and Active Energy, letting you set custom goals and analyze progress over flexible time periods. It ensures privacy by processing all your HealthKit data directly on your device, offering detailed history and the option to export metrics for deep-dive analysis.-- Whether you're a runner, a walker, or just want to keep track of your daily movement, Pulse provides a beautiful, unified dashboard for all your essential metrics, in a cumulative fashion. -- KEY FEATURES: Comprehensive Dashboard View all your vital stats at a glance with a clean, modern interface: - Steps: Track your total step count with precision. - Distance: Monitor Running, General Walking, and Walking Workout distances separately. - Active Energy: Keep an eye on your total calorie burn. - Flights Climbed: Track your elevation gain. - Track Your Milestones Set personal goals and visualize your progress! Custom Goals: Create milestones for any metric (e.g., "Walk 100 Miles" or "Climb the Empire State Building"). - Visual Tracking: See how close you are to your goals with progress bars. - Celebrate: Stay motivated as you check off your achievements. - Flexible Time Periods Analyze your progress on your terms. Switch effortlessly between: Daily, Weekly, & Monthly views. - Custom Date Ranges: Select any specific period to see exactly how you performed. Deep Dive Insights & Export Go beyond the basics: - Interactive Charts: Tap on any data point in the charts to see specific daily values. - Detailed History: View minute-by-minute or workout-level breakdowns. - Export Data: Export your metrics to CSV files to share with coaches, doctors, or for your own analysis. Privacy First Pulse works directly with Apple Health (HealthKit). Your health data stays securely on your device and is never shared with third parties or stored on external servers.

About

Runnerd

This app analyzes your running data from Apple Health to provide insights into your training, readiness, and performance. It offers detailed run breakdowns, season timelines, and coaching advice without requiring an account or subscription.

Highlights
  • Readiness Score calculation
  • Detailed run analysis
  • Performance Management Chart
  • Season timeline view
  • Three coaching tones
  • Shoe mileage tracking
  • Personal bests tracking
Read full description

Runnerd is a running coach and a serious analytics app in one. It builds a plan around your goal, explains every recommendation and works with the runs you've already logged. No subscription. No account. No compromises. HOW IT WORKS Connect Apple Health and Runnerd reads your past runs, whether they came from your Apple Watch, your iPhone or another running app. No blank slate: Runnerd knows where you stand from day one. Keep tracking with whatever you use today. Set a goal, like your next half marathon, and pick a coach. The Patient One builds up carefully, The Ambitious One pushes harder, and The Balanced One sits in between. The difference shows up in your plan, not just in the tone. Runnerd maps out every week until race day and schedules more of the run types you enjoy. You can add your own runs whenever you like. Each morning, your coach checks the plan against your readiness. After each run, it reviews how it went. Ahead of your goal? It'll tell you. Goal asking for more than your coach allows? It'll tell you that too. FOR NERDS WHO RUN Fitness, fatigue and form, running economy, intensity, training load: Runnerd shows whether your training is working and explains every term along the way. It's all built on proven sports science, not AI: Banister for fitness and form, Daniels VDOT for training paces and predictions, Karvonen for heart rate zones. IPHONE AND MAC Check in on your iPhone, dig deeper on your Mac with a native Mac app. Your data syncs through your private iCloud. Runnerd collects nothing and runs no servers. AND THE DETAILS Shoe mileage with a heads-up before a pair wears out. Personal bests, spotted automatically. Running partners. Widgets for your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Share runs, weeks and personal bests as images. FREE, WITH A ONE-TIME PRO UPGRADE Runnerd is free to use. Pro adds race predictions, running technique analysis, GPX export and The Ambitious One. One purchase covers iPhone and Mac.

Screenshots

Pulse4 screens
Runnerd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulse at none against Runnerd's 2. 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. Runnerd sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Pulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pulse ships an update weekly, Runnerd every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pulse versus Runnerd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulseRunnerd
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnmol DashNorma Steller

In-app purchases

None

Pulse

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Runnerd

One-time2
  • Runnerd Pro$7.99
  • Support a Nerd$17.99

Questions

Is Pulse free?
Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Runnerd free?
Runnerd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pulse or Runnerd have ads?
Neither Pulse nor Runnerd shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pulse or Runnerd?
Pulse ships an update weekly, and Runnerd every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pulse was updated on October 19, 2026 and Runnerd on October 12, 2026.

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