Comparison

Cycle Now! vs Wattbeat

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

Head to head
About

Cycle Now!

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Track your indoor cycling workouts with real-time power zones. Connect to your Schwinn IC4, Bowflex C6, or any Bluetooth FTMS bike and see exactly where you're training. Features: • Live Power Zones - 7-zone Coggan model based on your FTP • Supports running VO2max and FTP test protocols • Lap Tracking - Mark intervals and see per-lap stats • Zone Targeting - Audio and haptic alerts keep you in Z2 or Z5 • Workout History - Review past rides with full lap breakdowns • Smart Smoothing - 3-second and 20-second power averages cut through noise • Power Graph - Watch your effort unfold in real-time Simple by design: No account. No subscription. No cloud sync. Just you, your bike, and your data stored locally on your device. Bikes supporting Bluetooth FTMS include the Renpho AI Smart Bike, Joroto X4S, XTERRA SB4500, Schwinn IC4/Bowflex C6, Echelon EX5/EX5S, Matrix ICR50, Diamondback 1260Sc, Keiser M3i, Spirit Fitness XBU55/XBR55, 3G Cardio Elite RB X, Zwift Ride, Wahoo KICKR Bike Pro/Shift, Wattbike Atom/Proton, Saris H3, and JetBlack VICTORY.

About

Wattbeat

Features
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Matrix ICR50 (ICR-50) or Basic-Fit Smart Bike? See live cycling data and save your rides on iPhone. Tested with the Basic-Fit Smart Bike (Matrix ICR-BF); Matrix ICR50 has not been separately tested. Wattbeat puts your bike’s power, cadence, speed, distance, energy and bike time on a clear, focused dashboard. Your bike. Your data. Your pace. • Explore interactive time charts of power, speed, cadence and, when recorded, heart rate and resistance. Hold and slide, or tap for full screen. • See power move with your cadence and keep your maximum in view. • Reconnect automatically to your remembered bike and heart rate sensor. • Add a compatible Bluetooth heart rate sensor. • Record rides locally and share your measurements as CSV. • Forward real bike power to a compatible watch or bike computer as Wattbeat Power. • Explore a clearly labelled demo without equipment. • Use Wattbeat in English or Dutch. Your own interval timer Save custom timers with optional warm-up and cool-down, hard efforts and light recovery between repetitions. Follow the countdown, rounds and progress in Your ride, in portrait or landscape. Four countdown beeps and spoken phase cues guide each change; confetti celebrates the finish. You control the resistance. Turn on Use my watch once. Wattbeat remembers your choice, starts broadcasting when new real bike power arrives and stops when you disconnect the bike. Keep Wattbeat open and check that the receiving device displays and saves the watts. Your ride in Garmin Connect and Strava Record bike power on a compatible Garmin watch, then review the saved activity in Garmin Connect. When Garmin Connect is linked to Strava, the activity can sync with its recorded power. Wattbeat does not pair directly with or upload to Strava. Advanced Strava analysis may require a separate subscription. Which indoor bikes work? • Tested hardware: Basic-Fit Smart Bike, model Matrix ICR-BF. Check the model label on your bike. • Matrix ICR50 (ICR-50): the manufacturer specifies Bluetooth FTMS. This model has not been tested separately with Wattbeat; check for live Indoor Bike Data on your exact bike. • Other indoor bikes: designed for Bluetooth FTMS with live Indoor Bike Data; these models have not been individually verified. • A Basic-Fit or Matrix logo alone does not establish compatibility. Bikes in gyms and other models may use different connections. Equipment requirements Your bike must provide Bluetooth Fitness Machine Service (FTMS) with live Indoor Bike Data. A separate heart rate sensor must provide the standard Bluetooth Heart Rate Service. Receiving devices must support external Bluetooth Cycling Power sensors. Bluetooth phone syncing alone is not enough. ANT+ only devices cannot connect directly to Wattbeat. Available measurements, pairing steps and simultaneous connections vary by equipment; compatibility is not guaranteed for every model. Speed and distance use metric units. On recognised JOHNSON Q24 firmware, Wattbeat learns intermediate power steps from cadence and resistance. This smooths reported steps without calibrating absolute watts. Other bikes and insufficient or invalid data retain original watts. Wattbeat does not control resistance. Calories are the bike’s estimate. A dash means no recent measurement has arrived. Only power is forwarded to a watch; other sensors can connect directly to that watch where supported. Your recordings stay on your iPhone unless you choose to share them. No Wattbeat account, ads, subscriptions or in-app purchases. Keep the app open while riding; test background operation and reconnection with your equipment. Wattbeat is an independent app, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Basic-Fit, Matrix, Garmin or Strava. Brand and model names identify equipment and services only.

Screenshots

Cycle Now!3 screens
Wattbeat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Wattbeat at Free against Cycle Now!'s $0.99. Wattbeat also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

Wattbeat is free to download; Cycle Now! costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cycle Now! ships an update every 2 months, Wattbeat every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Cycle Now! versus Wattbeat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCycle Now!Wattbeat
Price$0.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYi Yan TayEdward Bos

In-app purchases

None

Cycle Now!

No in-app purchases

None

Wattbeat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cycle Now! free?
Cycle Now! costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wattbeat free?
Wattbeat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cycle Now! or Wattbeat have ads?
Neither Cycle Now! nor Wattbeat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cycle Now! or Wattbeat?
Cycle Now! ships an update every 2 months, and Wattbeat every 2 days. Most recently, Cycle Now! was updated on October 31, 2026 and Wattbeat on October 26, 2026.

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