# Float vs RowingCoach

The clearest difference is rating: RowingCoach at 3.3 against Float's 1.9. RowingCoach also leads on ratings volume (117 vs 10) and review sentiment (38% vs 26%). Float's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Float sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and RowingCoach sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

RowingCoach holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RowingCoach has 117 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Float's written reviews are positive against 38% of RowingCoach's.

Float ships an update every 3 weeks, RowingCoach every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Float | RowingCoach |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/float-the-indoor-rowing-app/id1035660586/reviews) | **[3.3 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowingcoach/id1202290980/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **117** |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | **38.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Endurance Sports Research Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467364689) | [Gunther Cronenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202290979) |

## What reviewers say

### Float

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/float-the-indoor-rowing-app/id1035660586)

Track your indoor rowing workouts with detailed stroke data. Connects to Concept2 machines via Bluetooth and syncs with the Health app. Offers advanced analytics and data export for performance analysis.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth connectivity for Concept2 PM5, Detailed stroke data (drive length, ratio, power), Live and replay power curves, Syncs with Apple Health, Cloud storage for training data, Email raw data export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Float Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Float Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Unlock Pro features (1 month) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro features (1 year) | $39.99 | one-time |


### RowingCoach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowingcoach/id1202290980)

Track your rowing sessions on land or water with detailed metrics like stroke rate, distance, pace, and calories burned. Use your iPhone or Apple Watch independently or together for flexible workout recording and progress analysis. Syncs with iCloud and Apple Health, and exports to popular fitness platforms.

**Highlights:** Track stroke rate, distance, pace, pulse, and calories, Use iPhone or Apple Watch for recording, Siri integration for workout control, Automatic stroke detection, Workout display on map, Export to Strava, TrainingPeaks, and more, iCloud synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unltd. recs & export (1 Month) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unltd. recs & export (3 Months) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unltd. recs & export (1 Year) | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⌚ Excellent Apple Watch integration
- 🗺️ Accurate GPS tracking for on-water rowing
- ❤️ Heart rate monitoring functionality
- 📊 Comprehensive workout statistics and metrics
- 🔄 Seamless syncing with Apple Health

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 📏 Inaccurate distance estimation (especially indoors)
- ⚠️ Strokes per minute (SPM) consistently underreported
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain on Apple Watch
- ❌ Data loss after pausing workouts

**Reported bugs**

- Distance resets to zero when workout is paused
- SPM not displaying in real-time during workouts
- App crashes when receiving phone calls
- GPS tracking stops working after iOS updates
- Stroke count significantly underreported (off by 30-50%)

**Requested features**

- Calibration settings for different rowing machines
- Automatic pause/resume detection
- Customizable workout countdown timers
- Bluetooth connectivity for Concept2 PM5
- Improved calorie burn calculations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Float free?

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

### Is RowingCoach free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Float or RowingCoach?

RowingCoach is rated higher. Float averages 1.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while RowingCoach averages 3.3 from 117 ratings.

### Do Float or RowingCoach have ads?

Neither Float nor RowingCoach shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Float or RowingCoach?

Float ships an update every 3 weeks, and RowingCoach every 2 months. Most recently, Float was updated on September 15, 2026 and RowingCoach on September 30, 2026.

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