Comparison

Cardiographer vs Heartthrum

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

Head to head
About

Cardiographer

Features
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Cardiographer turns your iPhone's rear camera into a fingertip pulse reader. Cover the camera with a fingertip and watch your full pulse waveform at 240 samples per second โ€” heart rate, the pulse shape with its dicrotic notch, and heart-rate variability for stress & recovery awareness. Everything is processed on your device; nothing is uploaded. SEE EVERY BEAT โ€ข Live pulse waveform at 240 Hz with beat-by-beat detail โ€ข One averaged beat with the dicrotic notch labeled โ€ข Heart rate (BPM) with signal-quality feedback STRESS & RECOVERY, YOUR WAY โ€ข HRV (SDNN) after every reading โ€ข Trends over time in History โ€ข Export readings as CSV PRIVATE BY DESIGN โ€ข 100% on-device processing โ€” no account, no cloud, no tracking A FINGERTIP AND SOME LIGHT โ€ข Cleanest signal in daylight โ€” just face the incoming light โ€ข Dark room? Turn on the flash with one tap, or use any lamp โ€ข Clear guidance for a good signal CARDIOGRAPHER PRO Unlimited readings, full history and CSV export with a monthly subscription โ€” 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account; the subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings. Cardiographer is for general wellness and fitness only. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or monitor any medical condition. Terms of Use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://software.nanorescenter.com/cardiographer-privacy

About

Heartthrum

Features
Read full description

Heartthrum turns your iPhone into a simple pulse monitor. Place your fingertip on the back camera and see your heart rate in about 40 seconds. Completely free. No ads. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. No account. Your data never leaves your device. MEASURE Place your finger on the camera and flash. Heartthrum reads the tiny color changes in your fingertip caused by your heartbeat and shows your pulse with a live waveform. TRACK YOUR WELL-BEING Save each measurement with an optional context (resting, after activity, morning, evening) and how you feel. Follow your trends by day, week, or month. BREATHE Relax with guided breathing at about six breaths per minute. Choose 1, 3, or 5 minutes. APPLE HEALTH If you want, Heartthrum can save your measured heart rate to Apple Health. This is off by default and fully under your control. PRIVACY FIRST Heartthrum collects no data at all. There are no trackers, no analytics, and no network connection. Everything stays on your iPhone. Important: Heartthrum is not a medical device. Measurements are for wellness and general well-being purposes only and do not replace professional medical advice.

Screenshots

Cardiographer4 screens
Heartthrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Heartthrum at none against Cardiographer's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Cardiographer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Heartthrum asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cardiographer ships an update every 2 weeks, Heartthrum weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Cardiographer versus Heartthrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCardiographerHeartthrum
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size10 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNANO ELECTRONICS RESEARCH MUHENDISLIK ARASTIRMA GELISTIRME LIMITED SIRKETIDachverband Legasthenie Deutschland e.V.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cardiographer

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
None

Heartthrum

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cardiographer free?
Cardiographer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heartthrum free?
Heartthrum is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cardiographer or Heartthrum have ads?
Neither Cardiographer nor Heartthrum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cardiographer or Heartthrum?
Cardiographer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Heartthrum weekly. Most recently, Cardiographer was updated on October 28, 2026 and Heartthrum on October 24, 2026.

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