Comparison

HIDEF Physical Therapy vs ACL Buddy

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

Head to head
About

HIDEF Physical Therapy

Features
Read full description

Welcome to the HIDEF Physical Therapy App! Log on to access your personalized Home Exercise Program on your mobile device. Using this app, you can access your personalized Home Exercise Program with HD Instructional videos. On the 'Messages' tab, you can securely communicate with your HIDEF Physical Therapy provider. As you make progress in your program, you'll earn virtual trophies and achievement badges to celebrate your milestones! Visit the 'Awards' tab to see your achievements and track your progress. On the 'Awards' tab, you can track these items. Prefer a language other than English? Go to the 'More' tab and select 'Languages' to pick another language option. If you need to book an appointment, please go to the 'Appointments' tab for more info. Make sure to select 'Mark as Complete' when doing your exercises to ensure that your provider can keep track of your progress! You must be a HIDEF Physical Therapy patient to gain access. This app integrates with your phone's Motion and Fitness activity framework to read daily step count data allowing your provider to monitor your activity.

About

ACL Buddy

This app provides daily guidance and information for knee surgery rehabilitation, covering graft healing, daily check-ins for mood and pain, and tracking personal milestones. It offers 365 days of content to support users from post-operation through their return to sport.

Highlights
  • 365 days of daily rehab content
  • Graft healing explanations
  • 44 personal recovery milestones
  • Daily mood and pain check-ins
  • Recovery journal
  • Support for various graft types
Features
Read full description

ACL surgery recovery tracker with daily rehab guidance for torn ACL and knee reconstruction. ACL Buddy guides you through every phase, from post-op to return to sport. Know what's happening inside your knee Your body is rebuilding your ACL right now. ACL Buddy explains graft healing in plain language. What's happening at day 7, day 30, day 100, and beyond. Clear answers to "is this normal?" 365 days of daily content Every day has dedicated content: - What's healing inside your knee - How you might be feeling (and why it's normal) - Quotes from pro athletes who've been through it - Encouragement that means something Log your wins Track 44 milestones across your journey, from "first night home" to "first run" to "return to sport." Every small victory counts. Track how you're feeling Daily check-ins for mood and pain. Look back at your journal to see how far you've come on hard days. Built during a real ACL recovery Every feature exists because it was needed. The companion you wish you had from day one. Features: - Day-by-day content for 365 days - 5 recovery phases with biology explanations - 44 personal milestones - Daily mood and pain check-ins - Recovery journal - Support for patellar, hamstring, quad, and allograft - Meniscus repair considerations - Works offline, data stays on your device Pre-op and anxious? Post-op and frustrated? Months in and wondering if you'll ever feel normal? ACL Buddy has your back. The road is long. You don't have to walk it alone. Disclaimer: ACL Buddy provides general recovery information and encouragement only. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your surgeon or physical therapist before making any decisions about your recovery.

Screenshots

HIDEF Physical Therapy4 screens
ACL Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ACL Buddy at every 3 days against HIDEF Physical Therapy's every 5 months. HIDEF Physical Therapy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HIDEF Physical Therapy ships an update every 5 months, ACL Buddy every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HIDEF Physical Therapy versus ACL Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHIDEF Physical TherapyACL Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB5 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHIDEF Seattle, LLCJulius Moorman

In-app purchases

None

HIDEF Physical Therapy

No in-app purchases

None

ACL Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HIDEF Physical Therapy free?
HIDEF Physical Therapy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ACL Buddy free?
ACL Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HIDEF Physical Therapy or ACL Buddy have ads?
Neither HIDEF Physical Therapy nor ACL Buddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HIDEF Physical Therapy or ACL Buddy?
HIDEF Physical Therapy ships an update every 5 months, and ACL Buddy every 3 days. Most recently, HIDEF Physical Therapy was updated on November 5, 2026 and ACL Buddy on October 31, 2026.

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