Comparison

PainFlow vs BowelBuddy

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

Head to head
About

PainFlow

Features
Read full description

Living with chronic pain can make every day unpredictable. PainFlow helps you track pain, mood, and energy, notice patterns over time, and plan your day around how you actually feel. PainFlow is a gentle daily companion for people living with chronic pain. It offers practical self-regulation tools for difficult moments without replacing medical care, therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. What you can do with PainFlow • Track pain, mood, energy, gratitude, and daily notes • Review your history and simple statistics • Notice changes and patterns over time • Create a personal support plan • Practice energy pacing and explore spoon theory • Use breathing, grounding, and body awareness practices • Move through an anxiety wave step by step • Explore exercises such as circle of control and body connection Support during pain flare-ups When pain feels overwhelming, use the always-free self-help section with gentle audio support and grounding tools. Privacy PainFlow does not connect to Apple Health or other external health services. PainFlow does not sell your data. Access PainFlow includes a 14-day free trial of all features. After the trial, full access is available through a monthly or yearly subscription. The self-help section for pain flare-ups remains free. Important information PainFlow provides general wellbeing and self-regulation support. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your symptoms, medication, treatment decisions, or urgent health concerns. If you need urgent help, contact your local emergency services. Privacy Policy: https://www.painflow.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.painflow.app/terms

About

BowelBuddy

Features
Read full description

Track bowel movements in seconds and keep a private record you can actually use. BowelBuddy is a calm, judgment-free stool and gut health journal. Log each visit with the Bristol Stool Scale, add comfort and context, and review changes without relying on memory. QUICK, USEFUL LOGGING • Choose a Bristol type with one tap • Record comfort, effort, duration, color, notes, and context tags • Review your calendar, history, streaks, and badges • Set optional reminders that stay on your device SEE YOUR PATTERNS • Follow a Gut Score built from your own entries • Review frequency, consistency, comfort, and regularity • Prepare better questions for a healthcare professional • Export your raw data as CSV at any time BOWELBUDDY PRO • View 60 days of Gut Score history • Get the Weekly Wrapped deep-dive: what moved your score, your logging days, and top tags (the shareable Wrapped card is free) • Compare one week with the next • Generate a clear PDF for doctor visits • Choose monthly, annual, or lifetime access • Annual includes a 14-day free trial for eligible users PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your bathroom logs stay on your device. No account is required. BowelBuddy does not sell health data, run ads, or use health entries for tracking. Optional Face ID or Touch ID lock can protect the app on supported devices. BowelBuddy is a personal wellness journal, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, or predict any condition. Seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID settings. Privacy Policy: https://bowelbuddy.loriccoandco.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://bowelbuddy.loriccoandco.com/terms

Screenshots

PainFlow4 screens
BowelBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PainFlow at fortnightly against BowelBuddy's every 2 months. BowelBuddy'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 Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

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

Both are free to download. PainFlow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and BowelBuddy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PainFlow ships an update fortnightly, BowelBuddy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
PainFlow versus BowelBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPainFlowBowelBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB54 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperKyrylo YarovyiRICHARD THOMAS LORICCO

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PainFlow

Subscriptions2
  • Subscription14 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Subscription14 Days trial$34.991 Year
3 purchases

BowelBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • BowelBuddy Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
  • BowelBuddy Pro Annual14 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • BowelBuddy Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is PainFlow free?
PainFlow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BowelBuddy free?
BowelBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PainFlow or BowelBuddy have ads?
Neither PainFlow nor BowelBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PainFlow or BowelBuddy?
PainFlow ships an update fortnightly, and BowelBuddy every 2 months. Most recently, PainFlow was updated on November 5, 2026 and BowelBuddy on November 6, 2026.

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