Counterpace vs StepOpen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Counterpace
This app guides rhythmic movement synchronized with your heart cycle to improve aerobic performance, health, and recovery. It connects to a sensor to help you match your step rate to your heart rate for optimized blood flow and efficiency during various exercises.
- Heart cycle synchronization
- Rhythmic movement guidance
- Aerobic performance enhancement
- Treadmill, outdoor, and elliptical training
- Metronome training for step rate
- Optimized blood flow and oxygen delivery
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STEP IN SYNC WITH YOUR HEART. The Counterpace® guidance system is a sensor-based training platform that coordinates rhythmic movement with your heart cycle to enhance aerobic performance, health, recovery & experience. The Counterpace app connects to the Counterpace sensor and guides you to match your heart rate to your step rate, while ensuring that each step is precisely timed to the relaxation phase of your heart’s pump cycle. Simply step to the audible prompts to optimize blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout your body. Based on the science of cardiac counterpulsation, the Counterpace system guides you to align each step with your body's natural cardiac rhythm so you can exercise longer and faster with less effort and greater efficiency. • Treadmill Walking & Running - Counterpace is easiest to use on a treadmill, where you can control speed & incline to fine tune your heart and step rate. • Outdoors - improves your running, walking, or hiking experience, from the track to the trails, whenever your natural heart rate during each activity approximates your natural step rate. Accessories, such as walking poles, or ankle or hand weights increase blood flow, calorie burn, and help you raise your heart rate towards your natural step rate. • Elliptical Training - Adjust resistance to ensure you're at a comfortable step rate. Counterpace guidance also works on "paddle based" stair stepping machines. • Metronome Training - Learn to run at your optimal step rate. Metronome training can teach you to step precisely to a beat at a variety of target stride frequencies. The Counterpace sensor is required for use of the Counterpace app. The sensor is available for purchase only at www.counterpace.com. Terms of service: https://counterpace.com/pages/terms-of-service Privacy policy: https://counterpace.com/pages/privacy-policy
StepOpen
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StepOpen is the "walk to unlock" app. Lock the apps that distract you (social, video, games) and unlock them once you reach today's step goal. The more you walk, the more of the time your phone was taking comes back to you. Instead of guilt or pressure, it turns moving your body into the "key" - a gentle digital detox habit. It's simple 1. Choose the apps you want to lock 2. Set the steps needed to unlock them (2,000 / 3,000 / 5,000 / 8,000) 3. Until you reach that count, the chosen apps stay locked 4. Walk, and they open automatically Free - Lock up to 2 apps - Unlock step by step as you walk - This week's records (achievements, streaks, charts) - Morning reminder / almost-there notifications - One temporary unlock per day (an escape hatch for when you really need it) StepOpen Pro - Lock unlimited apps - Custom step goals (add unlock targets that fit you) - Schedules / time-of-day rules - Detailed records & insights (month / year, trends) - Strict Mode (rules you can't relax for a set period, for when you're serious) Privacy first Your steps (Health) and your choice of locked apps are, as a rule, processed only on your device and never sent to an external server. We can't know your step details or which apps you locked. May walking become the most pleasant way to put some distance between you and your phone. ---------- StepOpen Pro (auto-renewable subscription) - Monthly plan: ¥600 / month - Yearly plan: ¥4,800 / year (about 33% off) - New users get a 7-day free trial - Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. - The subscription auto-renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. If you cancel during the trial, you won't be charged. - Terms of Use: https://rai-prs.github.io/stepopen-web/terms.html - Privacy Policy: https://rai-prs.github.io/stepopen-web/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Counterpace at none against StepOpen's 4. Counterpace also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). StepOpen's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. StepOpen sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Counterpace asks for nothing beyond the download.
Counterpace ships an update every 2 months, StepOpen daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Counterpace | StepOpen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pulson, Inc. | Takumi Shirai |
In-app purchases
Counterpace
No in-app purchases
StepOpen
- StepOpen Plus 月額$1.991 Month
- StepOpen Pro 月額7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- StepOpen Plus 年額$19.991 Year
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- StepOpen Pro 年額7 Days trial$29.991 Year









