Comparison

Hold Fast vs WaterFast

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

Head to head
About

Hold Fast

This app provides a clean and reliable timer for intermittent fasting. It offers customizable plans, progress tracking, and live activity updates without ads or clutter. Focus on your fasting goals with an intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • One-tap fasting start
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island timer
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • Popular fasting plans included
  • Sun Up to Sun Down plan
  • Fasting history and trend charts
  • Start and goal reminders
Features
Read full description

Fasting works. Remembering when you started, when to stop, and whether you're on track? That's the hard part. Hold Fast makes it effortless. Whatever your reason for fasting, Hold Fast keeps up. Some people fast to manage their weight. Others do it for metabolic health, steady energy, sharper focus, longevity, spiritual practice, or simply the discipline of it. Hold Fast doesn't push one goal on you. It just tracks your fast, cleanly and reliably, so you can focus on why you started. Tap once to start your fast. Watch the timer count up on your Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Dynamic Island, without even opening the app. Hit your goal, log the win, and build a streak you can actually see. That's the whole idea: a fasting app that gets out of your way. No noise, no clutter, no ads. Just a clean timer and the data that keeps you consistent. WHY YOU'LL STICK WITH IT • One tap to start, so your fast is always a glance away • Popular plans built in: 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, and OMAD • A unique Sun Up to Sun Down plan that tracks your fast to local sunrise and sunset • Streaks and history that make progress feel real and keep you coming back FEATURES • Live Activity and Dynamic Island for real-time progress • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets in every size • Full fasting history with a month calendar and weekly trend charts • Start and goal reminders so you never miss your window • Private by design. Your data syncs across your devices through your own iCloud, never our servers • Export your complete history to CSV anytime • Sign in with Apple, or just start as a guest • Beautiful in dark mode, with full Dynamic Type support HOLD FAST PRO Go further with a Pro subscription: • Monthly: $2.99 per month • Yearly: $19.99 per year (best value) • Start free with a 7-day trial Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple Account settings. Start your first fast today, and finally hold fast. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://holdfasthq.app/privacy Questions or feedback? Email support@holdfasthq.app. We read every message.

About

WaterFast

This app provides a synchronized intermittent fasting timer designed for seamless use across your iPhone and Apple Watch. It offers detailed insights into fasting zones and hydration tracking, with a focus on privacy and a user-friendly experience.

Highlights
  • Synchronized iPhone and Apple Watch timer
  • Fasting zone insights
  • Hydration tracking
  • Multiple fasting plans
  • Streak calendar
  • Data export
Features
Read full description

Some fasting apps charge many times more. WaterFast is a fraction of that — with a 3-day free trial on every plan. You decide. FASTING APPS HAVE A PROBLEM They're either overpriced, bloated with social feeds and AI coaching you never asked for — or they're simple but their Apple Watch app runs a separate countdown that drifts out of sync with your iPhone. Two timers for the same fast. Not optimal. WATERFAST IS DIFFERENT One timer. One source of truth. Your Watch doesn't follow your iPhone — it leads. Start, monitor and end your fast right from your wrist, even with your iPhone in your pocket. When you pick it up, everything matches. Always. To the second. TRY IT ALL FREE FOR 3 DAYS Start a 3-day free trial and unlock everything — no strings attached. Then keep it monthly, yearly, or one-time lifetime. Cancel anytime. EVERYTHING INCLUDED • Every plan: 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, 5:2 and fully custom • Start & stop fasts from Apple Watch — it leads, iPhone follows • Live timer with progress ring and fasting zones • Streak calendar — don't break the chain, unlimited history • All Apple Watch complications (circular, corner, inline, rectangular) • Hydration tracking with one-tap logging and daily goal • Full stats: current streak, longest fast, total hours, success rate • Export your data as CSV • No account required BUILT FOR APPLE WATCH — REALLY Most fasting apps treat the Watch as an afterthought. WaterFast was designed wrist-first. The timer state lives in one shared place: start a fast on your Watch during dinner, check the zone on your iPhone the next morning — same fast, same seconds, zero drift. KNOW YOUR FASTING ZONES Track exactly what's happening in your body — from digestion through fat burning and ketosis to autophagy. Each zone explained in plain language, with science-based hour ranges. Educational reference only — not medical advice. HYDRATION, ON YOUR WRIST Log a glass of water with one tap on your Watch, with haptic confirmation, synced instantly to your iPhone and Apple Health. A PRICE THAT RESPECTS YOU WaterFast PRO: monthly, yearly, or one-time lifetime. Every plan starts with a 3-day free trial. We think a fasting timer shouldn't cost more than your streaming service. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No ads. No tracking. Your fasting and hydration data never leaves your device (except to your own Apple Health, if you choose). Start your 3-day free trial and run your first fast in under a minute. --- Medical disclaimer: WaterFast provides educational information about fasting. It is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any fasting protocol, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hold Fast4 screens
WaterFast4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hold Fast and WaterFast are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Hold Fast sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and WaterFast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hold Fast against 5.0 for WaterFast. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hold Fast ships an update every 5 days, WaterFast weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Hold Fast versus WaterFast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHold FastWaterFast
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating12++4
DeveloperByron SotoLUIS ORLANDO LAZO GONZALEZ

Customer experience

Hold Fast

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

WaterFast

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hold Fast

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
3 purchases

WaterFast

Subscriptions2
  • WaterFast PRO Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • WaterFast PRO Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • WaterFast PRO Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Hold Fast free?
Hold Fast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WaterFast free?
WaterFast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hold Fast or WaterFast?
Hold Fast and WaterFast are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Hold Fast or WaterFast have ads?
Neither Hold Fast nor WaterFast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hold Fast or WaterFast?
Hold Fast ships an update every 5 days, and WaterFast weekly. Most recently, Hold Fast was updated on October 17, 2026 and WaterFast on October 25, 2026.

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