Comparison

Pacing Guard vs Pacely · Pace your energy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — 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 • Customizable GO and REST intervals (5 to 120 seconds) • Voice announcements at each phase transition • Countdown alerts in the final 5 seconds before switching • Haptic feedback and sound cues at phase changes • Smooth visual progress ring with phase colour coding • Works in the background with screen off HEART RATE MONITORING • Connects to any Bluetooth heart rate strap (Polar, Garmin, Wahoo, and others) • Aerobic threshold calculator to find your personal safe HR limit • Voice and haptic alerts when approaching or exceeding your limit • Configurable repeat alerts so you stay informed without being overwhelmed • Periodic heart rate announcements at configurable intervals • Time above HR limit tracked for every session, even with alerts muted SLEEP MONITORING • Long-press Start for overnight heart rate tracking • No voice cues, no alerts - continuous silent recording • Session max HR saved to history SESSION INSIGHTS • Live stats during any session - tap the live stats button • Post-session HR chart with exceedance breakdown • 8-week trend analysis with sparkline charts • Monthly pacing calendar showing your compliance at a glance • Export session data as CSV • Save sessions to Apple Health as workouts PRIVATE & OFFLINE • No accounts, no ads, no tracking • No subscriptions or hidden costs • All data stays on your device • Works fully offline ACCESSIBLE • Full VoiceOver support with descriptive labels • Dynamic Type for all text sizes • Respects Reduce Motion preference • Minimum 44pt tap targets • 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

Pacely · Pace your energy

Features
Read full description

Pacely is a calm daily planner for people with post-covid, ABI or ME/CFS. Your day gets a small energy budget. You choose where it goes. No scores, no judgement, no pushing you forward. How it works, in three short moments: - Morning: set a small budget for the day. - During the day: plan activities and adjust as you go. - Evening: look back and see patterns in your pacing over time. What Pacely will never do: - Never push you to do more or "build up". - Never predict crashes or claim to cure anything. It shows patterns; your own feeling leads. - No streaks, no scores, no gamification. - No ads, no trackers. Your data is stored in the EU and never sold. Pacely is free to use, with a clear price for Pacely Pro and seven days of Pro to start. Pacing is widely advised for post-covid, ABI and ME/CFS; Pacely is a tool to help you do it your way, not medical advice. --- Pacely Pro is an auto-renewing monthly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID, renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends, and can be managed in your App Store settings. Terms of Use: https://pacely.com/en/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://pacely.com/en/legal/privacy

Screenshots

Pacing Guard4 screens
Pacely · Pace your energy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pacely · Pace your energy at Free against Pacing Guard's $4.99. Pacing Guard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On ads, 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

Pacely · Pace your energy is free to download; Pacing Guard costs $4.99 up front. Pacely · Pace your energy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Pacing Guard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pacing Guard ships an update every 9 days, Pacely · Pace your energy every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Pacing Guard versus Pacely · Pace your energy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacing GuardPacely · Pace your energy
Price$4.99Free — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#193 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB11 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKim SyversenOnn Software B.V.

In-app purchases

None

Pacing Guard

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pacely · Pace your energy

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Apple Pacely Pro$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Pacing Guard free?
Pacing Guard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pacely · Pace your energy free?
Pacely · Pace your energy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pacing Guard or Pacely · Pace your energy have ads?
Neither Pacing Guard nor Pacely · Pace your energy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pacing Guard or Pacely · Pace your energy?
Pacing Guard ships an update every 9 days, and Pacely · Pace your energy every 2 months. Most recently, Pacing Guard was updated on October 14, 2026 and Pacely · Pace your energy on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons