Heylixir vs Visible: daily companion or pacing tool?
Visible and Heylixir solve different problems for people with energy-limiting illnesses like ME/CFS, Long COVID and POTS. Visible is a pacing tool built around heart-rate data, with a morning check-in and an optional armband. Heylixir is an everyday companion: say how you feel and it logs your mood, symptoms, meds and journal, then Halo AI looks for patterns. Plenty of people use both. Here's how they compare.
The short answer: which one is right for you?
Choose Heylixir if…
You want to capture mood, symptoms, meds and journal with as little energy as possible
You'd rather talk than type or tap on crash days
You want a community of people living with chronic illness
You don't want to wear a device to get value from your tracker
Choose Visible if…
Your main goal is pacing with heart-rate data to avoid crashes and PEM
You want a morning HRV check-in using just your phone camera
You're in the US or UK and want an armband with over-exertion alerts
You'd like to take part in research studies
Heylixir vs Visible: feature by feature
| Feature | Heylixir | Visible |
|---|---|---|
| Log by voice | Say how you feel in your own words; Heylixir extracts mood, symptoms, meds and journal (beta) | Not advertised |
| Mood tracking | Mood, mood drivers and ratings | Not advertised |
| Symptom tracking | Symptoms with intensity and comments | Daily symptom tracking |
| Medications & reminders | Doses and reminders | Medication tracking |
| Journal | Text, audio and prompted journaling | Notes on activity and exertion |
| Patterns & insights | Halo AI patterns, triggers and flare-up insights | Morning HRV check-in and stability score |
| Community | In-app community groups | Not advertised |
| Wearables & devices | Log vitals manually; wearable sync coming | Visible Band 2.0 by Polar (membership, US & UK) |
| Medical records sync | Not offered | Not advertised |
| Works offline | Voice tracking works offline | Not advertised |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad and Mac (Apple silicon). Android: join the waitlist | iOS and Android |
| Price | Free trial, then plans from $8.99/month (US App Store) | Free app; paid membership with the Visible Band in the US and UK (see makevisible.com) |
What it captures: how you feel vs how your heart responds
Visible measures heart rate variability and resting heart rate with your phone camera each morning, and its paid membership adds the Visible Band (made by Polar) for all-day energy budgeting with PacePoints. Heylixir captures what the numbers can't: how you actually feel, your mood and what's driving it, your symptoms, the meds you took and the story of your day, in your own words.
Effort on crash days: a voice note from bed
On a bad day, every interaction costs energy. Visible keeps its daily input small with a quick morning check-in, and the band tracks in the background. Heylixir's voice tracking keeps the rest of your log just as light: lie back, record a few words like “Crashed after the shower, heavy legs, took my meds, feeling low”, and Heylixir fills in your mood, symptoms, meds and journal. It works offline too.
Beyond energy: mood, journal and community
Energy-limiting illness affects more than your energy. Visible focuses on exertion, symptoms, medication and heart-rate based pacing, and doesn't advertise mood tracking, journaling or a community. Heylixir includes mood tracking with mood drivers, text and audio journaling, Halo AI insights and community groups where people share the wins and the hard days.
Where Visible is the better pick
We'd rather you find the right tool than the wrong one. Visible has real strengths:
Purpose-built for pacing ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS, fibromyalgia and EDS
Objective heart-rate data: morning HRV and resting heart rate from your phone camera
Optional Visible Band (by Polar) with over-exertion alerts and all-day energy budgeting
Available on Android as well as iOS
Opt-in research participation with leading researchers
These two work well together. Use Visible to pace with heart-rate data, and Heylixir to capture how you actually feel, your mood, meds and journal with a quick voice note. Over time, Heylixir's Halo AI looks for patterns across your logs, which can help you see what tends to come before a flare-up.
Still deciding? See Visible alternatives or our full guide to the best chronic illness tracking apps.
Try tracking that listens
Use your voice to track mood, symptoms and meds with Heylixir. No more typing. Say how you feel and Heylixir fills in your logs and journal, on the good days and the tough days alike.
FAQ: Heylixir vs Visible
How we compared these apps
Heylixir makes this page, so we have an obvious interest. We've tried to be fair: every competitor detail comes from that app's App Store listing or official website, and we say where other apps do things better. Bearable, Visible, Guava, CareClinic, Flaredown and Daylio are trademarks of their respective owners. Heylixir isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them. Prices are US prices and features change, so check each app for the latest. Last checked October 2026.