Comparison

Pacing Guard vs Restful

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

Head to head
About

Pacing Guard

This app provides structured activity and rest routines for individuals with chronic fatigue conditions. It uses voice cues and haptic feedback to guide users, with optional heart rate monitoring to ensure safe activity levels. All data is kept private and offline on the device.

Highlights
  • Customizable GO and REST intervals
  • Voice and haptic feedback for phase transitions
  • Bluetooth heart rate strap support
  • Aerobic threshold calculator
  • Offline and private operation
  • Session insights and trend analysis
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Pacing Guard helps people with ME/CFS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue follow structured activity-rest routines - without watching the clock. Voice cues, haptic feedback, with optional support of a Bluetooth heart rate strap tell you when to go and when to rest. You focus on living. The app keeps the rest. TIMER β€’ Customizable GO and REST intervals (5 to 120 seconds) β€’ Voice announcements at each phase transition β€’ Countdown alerts in the final 5 seconds before switching β€’ Haptic feedback and sound cues at phase changes β€’ Smooth visual progress ring with phase colour coding β€’ Works in the background with screen off HEART RATE MONITORING β€’ Connects to any Bluetooth heart rate strap (Polar, Garmin, Wahoo, and others) β€’ Aerobic threshold calculator to find your personal safe HR limit β€’ Voice and haptic alerts when approaching or exceeding your limit β€’ Configurable repeat alerts so you stay informed without being overwhelmed β€’ Periodic heart rate announcements at configurable intervals β€’ Time above HR limit tracked for every session, even with alerts muted SLEEP MONITORING β€’ Long-press Start for overnight heart rate tracking β€’ No voice cues, no alerts - continuous silent recording β€’ Session max HR saved to history SESSION INSIGHTS β€’ Live stats during any session - tap the live stats button β€’ Post-session HR chart with exceedance breakdown β€’ 8-week trend analysis with sparkline charts β€’ Monthly pacing calendar showing your compliance at a glance β€’ Export session data as CSV β€’ Save sessions to Apple Health as workouts PRIVATE & OFFLINE β€’ No accounts, no ads, no tracking β€’ No subscriptions or hidden costs β€’ All data stays on your device β€’ Works fully offline ACCESSIBLE β€’ Full VoiceOver support with descriptive labels β€’ Dynamic Type for all text sizes β€’ Respects Reduce Motion preference β€’ Minimum 44pt tap targets β€’ High Contrast mode compatible --- Disclaimer: Pacing Guard is a general-purpose interval timer and self-management aid. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or disease prevention. The app does not make any claims about health outcomes. Heart rate monitoring is provided for informational purposes only. Any routines followed using this app are self-directed and used at your own discretion. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition.

About

Restful

Features
Read full description

Restful - Built for bodies that need more rest. Living with chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, post-COVID, or burnout means rest isn't optional, it's essential. But building a consistent rest routine is hard, especially when your energy is unpredictable and every day looks different. Rest & Recharge was designed specifically to help. This app gently reminds you to close your eyes and rest at regular intervals throughout the day. No complicated setup, no overwhelming features.Β Just a timer, a reminder, and a reason to keep going. WHY REST YOUR EYES? For people with chronic illness, sensory overload from screens accelerates fatigue. Regular eye rest breaks - even 10 to 20 minutes, can reduce symptom flare-ups, preserve energy, and help you pace your day. Rest & Recharge makes this effortless. SMART, GENTLE REMINDERS Set rest intervals that match your energy levels, from every hour to every 3 hours. The app learns your wake-up time, respects quiet hours at night, and adjusts reminders around your actual schedule. If you miss a rest, it gently nudges you without guilt. TWO TIMER MODES Choose between a countdown Timer (set duration, counts down) or a Stopwatch (counts up, finish when ready). Perfect for flexible rest sessions where you don't know how long you'll need. A TIMER THAT WORKS FOR YOU Start the countdown or stopwatch, close your eyes, and put your phone down. The timer continues in the background and alerts you when your rest is complete. Even in silent mode. On iOS 16+, a Live Activity keeps the timer visible on your Lock Screen so you never have to wonder how much time is left. BONUS REST MODE Need an extra rest without disrupting your reminder schedule? Enable "Bonus Rest" to take additional rests that don't reset your next reminder time. TRACK YOUR PACING Rest history shows your patterns by week, month, or year. Set a daily rest goal, build streaks, and see how your routine improves over time. Log your wake-up time each morning to anchor your day and keep your pacing on track. Each rest logs its actual duration so you can see exactly how much you've rested. PERSONALIZED FOR YOUR CONDITION During setup, tell us what you're dealing with β€” chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, post-COVID recovery, burnout, or general wellness, and we'll suggest a rest schedule that fits. Adjust everything later as your needs change. KEY FEATURES: β€’ Designed for chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, post-COVID, and burnout recovery β€’ Two timer modes: Countdown Timer and Stopwatch β€’ Customizable rest intervals (1–3 hours) and durations (1–60 minutes) β€’ Smart reminders with quiet hours and wake-up scheduling β€’ Bonus Rest mode to take extra rests without affecting reminder schedule β€’ Background timer with Lock Screen Live Activity (iOS 16+) β€’ Daily goals, streaks, and visual progress tracking β€’ Rest history with duration tracking (weekly, monthly, yearly views) β€’ Manual rest logging with custom time and duration β€’ Morning wake-up logging β€’ Motivational quotes during rest sessions β€’ No subscriptions, no ads β€’ Dark theme support You deserve rest without guilt.

Screenshots

Pacing Guard4 screens
Restful3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Restful at Free against Pacing Guard's $4.99. Pacing Guard's advantage is chart position (#200 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Restful is free to download; Pacing Guard costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pacing Guard ships an update every 9 days, Restful weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 7 level
Pacing Guard versus Restful: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacing GuardRestful
Price$4.99Free β€” better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidβ€”
Best chart rank#200 β€” betterβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better16.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKim SyversenMelle van Meegersen

In-app purchases

None

Pacing Guard

No in-app purchases

None

Restful

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pacing Guard free?
Pacing Guard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Restful free?
Restful is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pacing Guard or Restful have ads?
Neither Pacing Guard nor Restful shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pacing Guard or Restful?
Pacing Guard ships an update every 9 days, and Restful weekly. Most recently, Pacing Guard was updated on October 28, 2026 and Restful on October 24, 2026.

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