Comparison

Downshift vs HydroLoop

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

Head to head
About

Downshift

Features
Read full description

Downshift offers guided breathing exercises for the moments you feel tense or stressed — box breathing, 4-7-8, resonance breathing and the physiological sigh — plus progressive muscle relaxation, a body scan and, with a watch or tracker, a daily nervous-system reading from your Apple Health data. Breathe along. Follow the animated orb through guided patterns: the Physiological Sigh, Resonance breathing, Box, 4-7-8, and more. Gentle haptics mark every inhale and exhale, so you can do it with your eyes closed. Build a daily rhythm. A simple daily checklist of evidence-based habits — morning light, movement, a caffeine cutoff, a steady bedtime — with a streak to keep you going. See your progress. Log your tension morning and evening and watch the trend over time. Let go of physical tension. Guided progressive muscle relaxation walks you head-to-toe. On your wrist and your Home Screen. A standalone Apple Watch app with guided breathing, complications, and your reading at a glance — plus Home and Lock Screen widgets. Yours, and private. Your Apple Health data stays on your device. Your notes sync privately through your own iCloud — no account with us, no servers of ours, no tracking. Ever. Free to download and use. No ads. Downshift supports everyday wellbeing and is not a medical device or a substitute for professional care.

About

HydroLoop

This app gamifies hydration by letting you watch a 3D bottle fill with each sip. It offers personalized daily goals, tracks various beverages, and uses streaks to motivate users. Syncs with Apple Health and provides widgets for easy access.

Highlights
  • Living 3D bottle visualization
  • Personalized daily hydration goals
  • Streak tracking and rewards
  • Logging of various beverage types
  • Apple Health integration
  • Home/Lock Screen widgets
Read full description

HydroLoop makes drinking water something you actually look forward to. Watch a living 3D bottle fill with every sip, build streaks you won't want to break, and hit a daily goal that's tuned to your body. A bottle that comes alive Pour with a tap or a hold and feel it land. Your hydration fills a real-time 3D bottle you can make your own with finishes and collectible skins. A goal made for you Answer a few quick questions and HydroLoop sets a personalized daily target based on your body and how active you are. More than water Log coffee, tea, juice, and more - HydroLoop understands how each drink counts toward real hydration, and your Coach helps you rebalance. Streaks that keep you going A streak flame that grows as you do, celebrations when you hit your goal, and a streak freeze so one off day doesn't undo your progress. Stays in sync Sign in with Apple to back up your history and restore it across devices and reinstalls - or use HydroLoop without an account. Works with Apple Health and Home/Lock Screen widgets. HydroLoop+ Unlock every drink, bottle, finish, and your Hydration Coach with a subscription ($1.99/month, 7-day free trial) or a one-time lifetime unlock ($19.99). Calm, encouraging, and private. Your hydration, beautifully. --- Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hyrdroloopsupport-dot.github.io/hydroloop-site/privacy.html

Screenshots

Downshift4 screens
HydroLoop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Downshift at none against HydroLoop's 2. Downshift also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, 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

Both are free to download. HydroLoop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Downshift asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Downshift ships an update fortnightly, HydroLoop monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Downshift versus HydroLoop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDownshiftHydroLoop
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB5 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperIoan-Cristian VezureMALCOLM VINCENT GERARD

In-app purchases

None

Downshift

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

HydroLoop

Subscriptions1
  • HydroLoop+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • HydroLoop+ Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Downshift free?
Downshift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HydroLoop free?
HydroLoop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Downshift or HydroLoop have ads?
Neither Downshift nor HydroLoop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Downshift or HydroLoop?
Downshift ships an update fortnightly, and HydroLoop monthly. Most recently, Downshift was updated on October 8, 2026 and HydroLoop on October 6, 2026.

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