# FITIV Pulse vs Heart Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Heart Buddy at none against FITIV Pulse's 10. Heart Buddy also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). FITIV Pulse's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (13K vs 76). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FITIV Pulse sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Heart Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

FITIV Pulse holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FITIV Pulse has 13K ratings behind it against 76, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of FITIV Pulse's written reviews are positive against 83% of Heart Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FITIV Pulse ships an update fortnightly, Heart Buddy weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FITIV Pulse | Heart Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fitiv-pulse-workout-tracker/id942494517/reviews)** | [4.2 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heart-buddy/id1375271746/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 76 |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 501 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MotiFIT Fitness Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/312613577) | [Sean Pedley](https://appshunter.io/developer/861945776) |

## What reviewers say

### FITIV Pulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fitiv-pulse-workout-tracker/id942494517)

This comprehensive health and fitness tracker monitors heart rate zones, HRV, sleep, and recovery. It integrates with popular wearables like Apple Watch and Garmin, offering detailed workout analysis, strength training logs, and medication tracking for GLP-1 users.

**Highlights:** Heart rate zone tracking, HRV and recovery insights, Sleep tracking, Strength training log, GLP-1 medication tracking, Integration with wearables, Live voice coaching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FITIV (1 Month) | $1.99 | per month |
| FITIV | $4.99 | per month |
| FITIV | $9.99 | per year |
| FITIV Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| FITIV | $29.99 | per year |
| FITIV | $29.99 | per year |
| FITIV Pro Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| PRO Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| PRO Membership | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome app!
- 👍 Great tool for tracking levels of exertion during training
- 👍 Keeps you motivated and able to track progress easily
- 👍 Flawless Apple Watch integration
- 👍 Comprehensive metrics and data analysis

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnects from Apple Watch
- 🐛 Inaccurate calorie tracking
- 🐛 Buggy GPS tracking and mapping
- 🐛 Inconsistent syncing and data loss issues
- 🐛 Intrusive and frequent review prompts

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnects from Apple Watch during workouts
- Inaccurate calorie tracking and data reporting
- Issues with GPS tracking and mapping, including incorrect distance and route recording
- Syncing problems leading to data loss and inconsistencies
- Crashes and performance issues following recent app updates

**Requested features**

- Add support for more workout types (e.g. rowing, CrossFit)
- Improve customization options for workouts and data displays
- Implement a more robust and reliable GPS tracking system
- Add the ability to edit workout details and duration
- Improve syncing and data integration with other fitness apps


### Heart Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heart-buddy/id1375271746)

This app continuously monitors your heart rate in real-time, providing alerts for abnormal readings. It offers customizable alarms, historical data visualization, and remote control capabilities for comprehensive heart health tracking.

**Highlights:** Continuous real-time heart rate monitoring, Customizable high/low heart rate alarms, Heart rate charting and history, Remote control via Wi-Fi, Optional cloud data saving, Share heart rate charts

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- ❤️ Excellent for heart rate tracking
- 🚨 Real-time alerts and alarms
- ⚙️ Highly customizable thresholds
- 📈 Accurate record keeping

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Trouble connecting to Apple Watch
- 🎶 Interrupts music stream
- 🔄 Incompatible with multitasking
- ⚠️ Alerts for turned-off notifications
- ❓ Compatibility questions with Apple Watch

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble connecting to Apple Watch
- Interrupts music stream
- Incompatible with multitasking
- Alerts for turned-off notifications
- Sensor disconnect alarms can be false alarms

**Requested features**

- Allow turning off alarms for connection loss
- Improve Apple Watch compatibility
- Make compatible with OT beat burn sensor
- Share information to iPhone Health app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FITIV Pulse free?

FITIV Pulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Heart Buddy free?

Heart Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FITIV Pulse or Heart Buddy?

FITIV Pulse is rated higher. FITIV Pulse averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Heart Buddy averages 4.2 from 76 ratings.

### Do FITIV Pulse or Heart Buddy have ads?

Neither FITIV Pulse nor Heart Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FITIV Pulse or Heart Buddy?

FITIV Pulse ships an update fortnightly, and Heart Buddy weekly. Most recently, FITIV Pulse was updated on November 12, 2026 and Heart Buddy on November 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*
