Comparison

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) vs Pulse Checks

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

Head to head
About

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)

Build a consistent spiritual practice with friends. This app encourages daily Bible reading, verse sharing, memorization, and prayer through mutual accountability and connection.

Highlights
  • Daily Bible reading
  • Verse sharing
  • Group memorization
  • Shared prayer requests
  • Friend activity feed
  • Milestone awards
Features
Read full description

You want a daily Bible habit. You’ve probably tried before and missed a day or two. The reason usually isn't the Bible, it's that no one notices when you skip a day. BuddyCheck is for people who want a daily rhythm with God but know it's easier alongside a few others. It connects you with friends around four simple habits: read a Bible passage, share a verse, memorize one together, pray. See their day. Share yours. Most of what keeps you going is small, like a friend noticing you've gone quiet and checking in. What's inside: • Read: Spend a few minutes reading the day's Bible passage. • Share: Send a verse, thought, or insight from the reading. • Memorize: Practice the memory passage with a quick, interactive review. • Pray: Keep prayer requests visible so a friend can pray with you, not just for you. • A simple feed of what your friends did today • Awards that mark real milestones Built by Sagebrush Church. Free for everyone. No subscriptions. No ads. We created BuddyCheck as a simple way to stay connected to God and each other, because we know we're better together.

About

Pulse Checks

Stay connected with important people and group chats without a social feed or account. Receive gentle check-in notifications with options to wave, message, or mark yourself caught up. Your data stays private on your device.

Highlights
  • No account required
  • No social feed or scroll
  • Private data storage on device
  • Hands off to Apple Messages
  • Customizable check-in cadences
  • Inspiration for messages
  • Optional birthday nudges
Read full description

Pulse Checks is an iPhone app that nudges you to check in with people before busy becomes distant. Individuals and group chats. No account. Not another social network. Add the people you care about, set how often you want a nudge, and get gentle Pulse Check reminders in a daily window you choose. Wave, open Messages with your own words or on-device inspiration, or mark yourself caught up. Pulse Checks never posts for you. It hands off to Apple Messages. Nothing to sign up for. Your notes and history stay on your phone (optional private iCloud sync). WHY PULSE CHECKS • Check-in reminders so busy doesn’t turn into distant • No account. Nothing to sign up for. • Not a social network. No scrolling feed of strangers. • Notes stay on your iPhone (optional private iCloud sync) • Hands off to Apple Messages. It never sends texts for you. YOUR PEOPLE • Active, Muted, and Needs attention • Strong, Fading, and Faint pulse levels (how recently you checked in) • Wave, Message Now, and Mute • Individuals and group chats • Cadences from hourly to monthly • Optional notes for inspiration (“What’s going on?”) PULSE CHECK REMINDERS • Quiet check-ins inside your Pulse Window • Lock Screen actions when you need them • Optional birthday nudges • Privacy-friendly when Face ID / passcode lock is on INSPIRATION • On-device suggestions when Apple Intelligence is available • Free tones (Casual, Brief) plus Premium options like Funny, Dry, Flirty, and more • Edit in Messages before you send PREMIUM Unlock unlimited people, Premium tones, Insights, data export, and a richer Home Screen widget. • Monthly: $3.99 • Yearly: $24.99 (Prices may vary by storefront. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage in Apple ID settings.) Privacy Policy: https://meetpulse.us/privacy Terms of Use: https://meetpulse.us/terms

Screenshots

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)4 screens
Pulse Checks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pulse Checks at 5.0 against BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)'s 4.7. BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)'s advantage is ratings volume (34 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pulse Checks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) has 34 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) ships an update weekly, Pulse Checks every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) versus Pulse Checks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuddyCheck (Sagebrush)Pulse Checks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (34 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings34 — better4
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB7 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperSagebrush Community ChurchRevenue Stream Holdings, LLC

Customer experience

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)

All ratings31 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

Pulse Checks

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BuddyCheck (Sagebrush)

No in-app purchases

None

Pulse Checks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) free?
BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pulse Checks free?
Pulse Checks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) or Pulse Checks?
Pulse Checks is rated higher. BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Pulse Checks averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) or Pulse Checks have ads?
Neither BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) nor Pulse Checks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) or Pulse Checks?
BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) ships an update weekly, and Pulse Checks every 5 days. Most recently, BuddyCheck (Sagebrush) was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pulse Checks on October 12, 2026.

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