FinishStrong vs Dungeons and Heartbeats
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FinishStrong
This app offers a gentle approach to running for beginners or those returning after a break. It provides daily run guidance that adapts based on how you feel, eliminating pressure and focusing on sustainable progress. Build confidence and find calm during your runs without the stress of streaks or judgment.
- Adaptive daily run guidance
- Focus on how runs feel
- No streaks or penalties
- Calm progress tracking
- Injury-conscious approach
- Integration with Apple Health (paid)
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You've started and stopped before. Maybe more than once. This is the quiet running app: you open it, it tells you what to do, and the noise in your head goes quiet while you move. No streaks. No pressure. No plan that turns a skipped day into a problem. Just a calmer way back. Maybe you came back from an injury and went too hard, too soon. Maybe an app hammered you with speed work until something hurt. Maybe you have quit a few times and do not quite trust yourself to start again. We built this for exactly that. A PLAN THAT ADJUSTS WHEN YOU DO Most plans grade you against themselves. Skip what they scheduled and it counts against you. Run something sensible they did not predict and it counts as nothing. FinishStrong works the other way around. You run, then answer one question: how did that feel? The plan listens and moves with you. No catch-up runs. No penalty. No drama. HOW IT WORKS: Each day you get one run that fits real life. Finish it, or stop early if that is what your body needs. Then one question: how did that feel? That is the whole job. Your next run stays steady or eases off quietly, based on what you told it. MADE FOR RUNNERS WHO: - Have quit before and want this time to be different - Get hurt when a plan pushes too hard, too fast - Feel anxious when every run is scored, ranked, and judged - Want running to fit into life without becoming a project - Would rather be told what to do today than manage it themselves A QUIET RECORD OF WHO YOU ARE BECOMING: No leaderboards. No streak to protect. No perfect week to ruin. Just a calm record that you have been showing up in a way you can actually sustain. Give it a few weeks and you may notice the thing nobody warns you about: the run you used to dread becomes the part of the day where your head finally goes quiet. WHAT REAL USERS ARE SAYING: “I miss some days and the app doesn't freak out about it.” “This app helped me go from limping with an ankle injury to running again.” “This feels way more realistic than other running apps I've tried.” FinishStrong provides general fitness guidance and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting or changing your exercise routine. SUBSCRIPTION FinishStrong is free to use. FinishStrong+ is an optional upgrade. Goal plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon distances. FinishStrong+ also connects to Apple Health, so runs and walks from your Apple Watch or other apps can count toward your plan. Monthly and Annual are auto-renewable subscriptions, both offering a 14-day free trial for new subscribers, once per person. Lifetime is a one-time purchase, with no trial and no renewal. Exact pricing for all three is shown in the app before you buy. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://locksonholdings.com/apps/finishstrong/terms Privacy Policy: https://locksonholdings.com/apps/finishstrong/privacy
Dungeons and Heartbeats
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Turn your gym cardio into a dungeon run. Dungeons and Heartbeats is a pixel-art fitness RPG where your live heart rate controls the action. Play on your iPhone with an Apple Watch or a compatible Bluetooth heart rate strap. An iPhone alone cannot play. YOUR NEXT WORKOUT IS A QUEST Get on a treadmill, stationary bike or rower. Follow the game's heart-rate target and your hero battles through the dungeon. Stay in range to land hits and build your combo. Combat runs without tapping, so you can focus on your workout. Already have a gym routine? Give your warm-up, cardio session or post-lifting workout a quest of its own. THREE WAYS TO TRAIN • Guardian: steady-state cardio with a sustained target. • Crusader: a progressive climb in effort, followed by an easier finish. • Berserker: intervals that alternate harder efforts with recovery. Choose 10, 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes: 15 trials across three hero paths. Set your intensity before each run with Easy, Moderate, Hard or Peak. Targets adapt to your selected intensity and heart-rate profile. MAKE YOUR ROUTINE WORTH REPLAYING Earn XP, level your heroes and work toward Mythic ranks. Your best trial ranks stay earned, even after a tougher day. Visit Your Kingdom to see your levels, workout history and streak. Earn streak freezes as you keep showing up. If you finish a session early, the XP and training minutes you earned still count. APPLE WATCH CONNECTED Your Apple Watch supplies live heart rate while the dungeon plays on your iPhone. Open the companion app on your wrist to connect. Completed workouts save to Apple Health. Prefer a chest strap or armband? Compatible Bluetooth sensors using the standard Heart Rate Profile also work. Choose your sensor once and the app remembers it for future connections. On iPad, use a compatible Bluetooth heart rate sensor. Apple Watch cannot pair with iPad. TRY A FULL WORKOUT FREE The 10-minute Guardian level is free to replay as often as you like and all features unlocked. Please use it to make sure your Apple watch or Bluetooth heartrate sensor device works properly. No subscription. No ads. No account required. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone with iOS 15 or later and Apple Watch with watchOS 10 or later; or a compatible Bluetooth heart rate sensor. • iPad with iPadOS 15 or later and a compatible Bluetooth heart rate sensor. Saving workouts to Apple Health on iPad requires iPadOS 17 or later. • A live heart rate source is required. BEFORE YOU START For fitness and entertainment, not medical advice or a medical device. Heart-rate targets are estimates. Exercise within your abilities and consult your healthcare provider if you have a heart condition or medical concerns. Stop if you experience chest pain, dizziness, faintness or severe shortness of breath. Use stationary equipment with your screen safely positioned. Put on your Watch. Pick your trial. Make cardio an adventure.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: FinishStrong at 100% against Dungeons and Heartbeats's 0%. FinishStrong also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). Dungeons and Heartbeats's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. FinishStrong sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Dungeons and Heartbeats sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
FinishStrong holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FinishStrong has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of FinishStrong's written reviews are positive against 0% of Dungeons and Heartbeats's.
FinishStrong ships an update every 4 days, Dungeons and Heartbeats every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.
| Parameter | FinishStrong | Dungeons and Heartbeats |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Lockson Holdings, LLC | ENSONOVA LLC |
Customer experience
FinishStrong
Dungeons and Heartbeats
In-app purchases
FinishStrong
- FinishStrong+ Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- FinishStrong+ Annual14 Days trial$79.991 Year
- FinishStrong+ Lifetime$149.99
Dungeons and Heartbeats
- Unlock Everything$4.99
Questions
Is FinishStrong free?
Is Dungeons and Heartbeats free?
Which has better reviews, FinishStrong or Dungeons and Heartbeats?
Do FinishStrong or Dungeons and Heartbeats have ads?
Which is updated more often, FinishStrong or Dungeons and Heartbeats?
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