Comparison

Pace It vs Vela HRV

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

Head to head
About

Pace It

This app helps runners analyze their training progress by tracking pace improvements across heart rate zones. It provides personalized training paces that adapt to your current fitness level, ensuring your workouts remain relevant. Monitor key metrics like VO2 max and training load for a comprehensive view of your development.

Highlights
  • Track pace progression across heart rate zones
  • Personalized adaptive training paces
  • Monitor VO2 max and training load
  • Build and run structured workouts on Apple Watch
  • Integrates with Strava and Apple Health
  • Shoe tracking and rotation
  • Personal best and yearly performance summaries
Features
Read full description

The feedback loop your training was missing. Built for runners who care about pacing accuracy, long-term progress beyond PBs and whether all that training is paying off. Am I getting fitter? See how your pace changes at the same heart rate across zones, month after month. Are my training paces still right? Get updated pace targets for 5K, 10K and threshold efforts based on your runs and current fitness. Am I doing too much? Compare your recent training load with your baseline to help balance training and recovery. What run makes sense today? Get a daily workout suggestion based on your training load and paces. Works with Apple Health. Compatible with Strava. No account needed. LONG-TERM FITNESS TRENDS - Average monthly pace trends by heart rate zone, Zone 1 to Zone 4 - Running efficiency: pace vs heart rate for every run over 90 days - Pace It Index: a 0 to 100 fitness score with a 30-day trend - VO2 max tracking & VDOT trends TRAINING LOAD & RUN SUGGESTIONS - Training Load Ratio: your last 7 days against your baseline, updated after every workout across all activities - Recovery time: estimate when your load will return to optimal range - Today's run: see a workout suggestion based on your load & paces, including a lower-load option when needed APPLE WATCH WORKOUTS - 5 running screens - 35+ configurable metrics - Build and run structured workouts with pace or heart rate targets & haptic alerts - Complications: steps, Training Load Ratio, weekly mileage, training distribution & Today's Run TRAINING PACES BUILT FROM YOUR RUNS - 7 paces from your last 60 days, with heart rate ranges, RPE & race-effort equivalents - Race estimates - Race calculator - Automatic or custom heart rate zones TRAINING DISTRIBUTION & VOLUME - Easy vs hard split, time in zone and load focus using LT1 and LT2 estimates - Weekly mileage, run goals and streaks RUN ANALYSIS: - Pace, heart rate, power, cadence, running dynamics, splits, segments & elevation - Automatic run categorization: easy, tempo, intervals, long run and more - Automatic personal best tracking: 5K, 10K, half, marathon & longest run INTEGRATIONS & MORE TOOLS - Strava: automatic run import and export, plus historical syncing - Shoe tracking - Share run stats: route, HR and pace - Home & lock-screen widgets - Yearly summaries ACCESS, SUBSCRIPTION & PURCHASE INFORMATION Pace It offers free and Pro features. The free version includes selected features but not the Apple Watch app. To access Pace It Pro you can choose between: - Lifetime Access: one-time purchase - Subscriptions: Monthly or Yearly plans Subscription plans include a 1-week free trial. Pro access includes the full Pace It experience, including pace trends, Training Load Ratio tracking, personalized training paces and the Apple Watch app. PAYMENT & RENEWALS - If you start a free trial, you will not be charged until the trial period ends. Unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the trial ends, your subscription will automatically renew at the selected price. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. - Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. - Manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings. PRIVACY Apple Health data is analyzed on your device. If you connect Strava, activities shared through Strava are stored on our servers for syncing, including workouts you export from Pace It. Pace It is not a medical device. It provides training insights for informational purposes only. TERMS & PRIVACY Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Additional Terms (Pace It Terms of Use): https://paceit.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://paceit.app/privacy-policy Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy: https://paceit.app/consumer-health-data-privacy

About

Vela HRV

This app analyzes your heart rate variability (HRV) from your Apple Watch to provide a personalized stress score. It establishes your unique baseline and uses it for ongoing stress assessment, offering daily, weekly, and monthly historical data. All processing occurs on your device for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • Personalized 0-100 stress score
  • Passive background HRV measurement
  • Daily, weekly, and monthly history
  • On-device processing
  • iCloud data sync
  • No mandatory subscription
Features
Read full description

Stress is invisible. But it can be measured. Vela analyzes your heart rate variability (HRV) from your Apple Watch and turns it into a number that makes sense for you — not for a statistical average. Everyone's HRV is different. That's why Vela builds your personal baseline during the first few days and uses it as a permanent reference. Your stress score is yours, calculated against your own history. The essentials, without the noise - Personalized 0–100 stress score - Passive background measurement - Daily, weekly and monthly history - On-device processing — no external servers Your data, yours alone. Sync happens through your own iCloud. Vela has no servers. No mandatory subscription. Requires Apple Watch with watchOS 26 or later.

Screenshots

Pace It4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Vela HRV at 5.0 against Pace It's 4.0. Vela HRV also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Pace It's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). 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. Pace It sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Vela HRV asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Vela HRV holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pace It ships an update every 2 weeks, Vela HRV every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Pace It versus Vela HRV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPace ItVela HRV
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDionysis KastellanisXavier Camps Novi

Customer experience

Pace It

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Vela HRV

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pace It

Subscriptions2
  • Pace It Access (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pace It Access (Yearly)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$89.99
None

Vela HRV

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pace It free?
Pace It is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vela HRV free?
Vela HRV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pace It or Vela HRV?
Vela HRV is rated higher. Pace It averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Vela HRV averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Pace It or Vela HRV have ads?
Neither Pace It nor Vela HRV shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pace It or Vela HRV?
Pace It ships an update every 2 weeks, and Vela HRV every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pace It was updated on November 5, 2026 and Vela HRV on October 31, 2026.

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