PulseCheckComparison
An Instant Heart Rate alternative for iPhone
All of these apps read your pulse from the camera. They differ in what they charge for it and in how much they are willing to say about your number. Here is the comparison with the awkward parts left in.
PulseCheck is free with no in-app purchase. Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 1 rating on the App Store.
None of these apps are medical devices. PulseCheck is a fitness and wellness app. It does not diagnose anything and it is not a substitute for advice from a doctor.
Where PulseCheck is behind
Starting here, because it is the part comparison pages usually leave out.
- iOS 26 or later, and nothing older. PulseCheck is built on the iOS 26 design system, so an iPhone that cannot run iOS 26 cannot run it. Instant Heart Rate and Cardiio have been shipping for well over a decade and reach far more phones. If your iPhone is a few years old, stop reading and use one of them.
- One rating against many thousands. PulseCheck holds 5.0 out of 5 from exactly 1 rating. That is a new app, and one rating is one person. The older apps have a track record you can actually read through.
- Fewer features by choice. No live pulse waveform on screen, no training zone calculator, no blood oxygen estimate, no built in workouts, no stress score. PulseCheck measures your pulse, labels the signal, saves it and draws a line. If you want the bigger toolbox, the bigger toolbox is elsewhere.
Where PulseCheck is ahead
- Nothing to buy, ever. There is no in-app purchase and no subscription behind PulseCheck at all, so no feature can move behind one later without a new app being shipped.
- A mode built for measuring after exercise. Post-Workout Mode extends the reading to 25 seconds, doubles how much hand movement is tolerated, and raises the accepted upper limit from roughly 150 to roughly 200 beats per minute. That last part is the one that quietly breaks other camera apps right after a hard run.
- It admits when a reading was poor. Every result carries Strong, Moderate or Weak signal, and a weak reading appears as a range instead of a confident single number.
- No account and no server. Readings are stored on the iPhone, exported as CSV when you want them, and written to Apple Health only if you switch that on.
- No verdicts. No zones, no red, no scores, no wording about anything being abnormal. A reading is a reading.
Side by side
Competitor details below are taken from their own App Store listings in September 2026. Prices and features on other people's apps change, so check the listing before you decide.
| PulseCheck | Instant Heart Rate | Cardiio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Levin Schwab | Bodymatter, Inc. | Cardiio, Inc. |
| Download price | Free | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | None | Yes, including Premium at $9.99 monthly and $59.99 yearly | Yes, including a Full Pro Upgrade at $9.99 and an Annual Pro Upgrade at $39.99 |
| How it measures | Fingertip on the rear camera and flash | Fingertip on the rear camera and flash | Fingertip on the camera lens |
| Mode for measuring after exercise | Yes, a dedicated switch | Not advertised as one | Not advertised as one |
| Signal quality shown on the result | Yes, and a range when weak | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Extra measurements and scores | None | Pulse waveform, zone calculator, stand up test | Blood oxygen, workouts, paid estimates and comparisons |
| Ads | Yes, that is the business model | Check the current listing | A promo banner exists, removable as a paid item |
| Minimum iOS | iOS 26 | Much older, see the listing | Much older, see the listing |
Which one you should pick
Pick Instant Heart Rate or Cardiio if
Your iPhone cannot run iOS 26, or you want the wider toolbox: a live waveform on screen, training zones, workouts, extra estimates, and a long history of reviews to read before you trust it. Both are free to download, so you can see the paid parts for yourself before deciding.
Pick PulseCheck if
You want one number, taken quickly, saved to your own phone, with nothing sold to you afterwards. Especially if you measure right after exercise, or if you have grown tired of health apps that grade you.
Pick none of them if
You need a measurement you can rely on. No camera app is a medical device, and none of them should be the reason you do or do not see a doctor. For training with heart rate zones, a chest strap is still the honest answer.
Free, no subscription, no sign-up. Requires iOS 26 or later.