How to compare this month with last month (or this year with last) in your Apple Health data
The Health app shows one period at a time, so a month-over-month comparison means remembering the earlier chart. Health Stats adds a Compare button on every metric that draws the previous period underneath the current one: in Month view that is this month against last month, in Year view this year against last year, and the same in Day and Week. Steps, walking + running distance and active energy are free with Compare included; other metrics need Pro.
How the comparison is drawn
Open a metric from the dashboard and tap Compare. The previous period appears as a second series under the current one, aligned by day (Month view) or by month (Year view), so a slow decline or a recovery is visible as two curves rather than a number you have to recall. Swipe back and the pair moves back with you: last month versus the month before, and so on through your history.
Reading change without the guesswork
Alongside the overlay, each dashboard card carries a percentage-change badge, the distribution bar gives lowest, median and highest for the period, and Insights write out records and patterns — the highest day and its date, or weekends running higher than weekdays. Together they answer "am I doing more or less than before" for any metric Health holds, from steps to caffeine to swimming distance.
| View | Compares | Aligned by |
|---|---|---|
| Day | Today vs yesterday | Hour |
| Week | This week vs last week | Day |
| Month | This month vs last month | Day |
| Year | This year vs last year | Month |
Year in review, on any day
Because Year view overlays the previous year, you get the closest thing to an Apple Health year in review whenever you want it, not only in December. See seeing your Health data over time for the wider dashboard.
What this cannot do
- It compares consecutive periods (this vs previous). It does not pick two arbitrary months or overlay more than two periods.
- Only metrics with data in both periods produce a meaningful overlay; a new Watch owner will see an empty previous year.
- Read-only and offline; nothing is exported or synced.
- Comparison is available on all metrics, but only steps, distance and active energy are free.
Questions people ask
Can the Health app compare two months?
Health charts one range at a time and highlights some trends, but it does not overlay the previous month on the current one. Health Stats' Compare button does exactly that, for any metric in Health.
Health Stats: Data & Charts
Charts, trends and records for 97 Apple Health metrics. Read-only, offline.