A Truvaga alternative at $99.90
Truvaga is handheld and held against the neck. Pulse is a band that holds itself there. One of them also stops working after 350 sessions.
Ships worldwide. 30-day money-back guarantee. 1-year warranty.
The short answer
Holtrow Pulse is $99.90 and hands-free. Truvaga 350 is $325 and expires; Truvaga Plus is $499 and doesn't. All three stimulate the same cervical branch of the vagus nerve at the side of the neck. The difference is how you hold them there and what happens when the sessions run out.
The Truvaga 350 is preloaded with 350 two-minute sessions — roughly six months of daily use — and is then replaced. Truvaga Plus removes that limit and is rated for around 30,000 sessions. Holtrow Pulse has no session counter at all.
Buy Truvaga if you want the handheld form factor or the gammaCore lineage behind it — Truvaga comes from a company with a genuine clinical research history, and that is a real thing to value. Buy Pulse if you would rather not stand holding a device against your neck, and would rather not spend $325 on something with an expiry date.
Pulse against both Truvagas
Read off Truvaga's own site on 8 August 2026.
| Holtrow Pulse | Truvaga 350 | Truvaga Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.90 | $325 | $499 |
| How it's worn | Neck band, hands-free | Handheld against the neck | Handheld against the neck |
| Session length | About four minutes | Two minutes | Two minutes |
| Session limit | None | 350 sessions, then replaced | About 30,000 sessions |
| Hands free during a session | Yes | No | No |
| Conductive medium | Gel, in the box | Electrode spray, included | Electrode spray, included |
| Modes | Four, on the device | Preset | Preset |
| Warranty | 1 year | Not published | Not published |
| Money-back window | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
All figures in the table above are in US dollars unless marked otherwise. Prices read from each brand's own website on 8 August 2026 and rounded to the listed figure. Nurosym is priced in euros. Prices in this category move often, and most of these brands run frequent promotions — check the current figure before you decide.
Where the two genuinely differ
Four honest differences, in both directions.
Questions people actually ask
Does the Truvaga 350 really stop working?
Truvaga's own product page says it is preloaded with 350 two-minute sessions and is then disposed of — about six months at one session a day. Truvaga Plus is the version without that limit, at $499.
Is handheld better than a neckband?
Neither is better; they suit different people. Handheld gives you precise control over exactly where the device sits and is easy to travel with. A band frees both hands and makes a daily habit far easier to keep. The band is bulkier.
Do they stimulate the same nerve?
Both target the cervical branch of the vagus nerve at the side of the neck — the same anatomy, reached the same transcutaneous way. Ear-worn devices like Nurosym target a different branch.
Is Holtrow Pulse FDA-cleared?
No. It is a wellness device certified to CE, FCC and RoHS, and it is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
How long before I feel anything?
Many people feel calm during the first session with either device. Sleep and baseline stress change over a few weeks of consistent use — that is true of the whole category.
What if it isn't for me?
Thirty nights, then a full refund if nothing has changed. No restocking fee, and a 1-year warranty on the device.
Keep reading
No session counter. No hand held to your neck. $99.90.
Thirty nights to decide.
Holtrow Pulse is a non-invasive wellness device, not a medical device. It is not FDA-cleared and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Do not use it if you are pregnant, or have epilepsy, a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, or a heart condition — speak to a doctor first. Research findings described on this page come from published studies of vagus nerve stimulation in general; they are not results measured with this device. Pulsetto, Truvaga, gammaCore, Nurosym, Apollo and Sensate are trademarks of their respective owners. Holtrow is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them. Competitor prices are the brands' own published list prices, read on 8 August 2026, and change frequently — check before you buy.