Rowlytics vs BoatRun
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rowlytics
This app provides advanced GPS and sensor-based analytics for rowers and paddlers. Track your performance stroke-by-stroke, analyze training load, and connect with other athletes. It offers features for individual training, team communication, and race participation.
- GPS and motion sensor recording
- Stroke-by-stroke analytics
- Heart rate monitoring
- Training load trends
- Crew Finder and social feed
- Live race tracking
- Workout export to Apple Health
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Rowlytics turns your phone into a stroke-by-stroke analytics system for the water — for rowers and paddlers alike. Record any session with GPS, 30Hz motion sensors and heart rate, then break down your technique, pace and splits back at the dock. No expensive hardware — just the phone in your pocket. BUILT FOR YOUR CRAFT • Rowing — sweep, sculling, coastal and erg • Paddling — kayak, dragon boat, outrigger (OC1–OC6), canoe, surfski and SUP • Automatic stroke detection tunes itself to your boat and stroke RECORD • GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope at 30Hz • Live speed, stroke rate and distance while you train • Pair a Bluetooth heart rate monitor for live HR zones • No mount needed — a pocket, dry bag or deck pouch works ANALYSE • Speed/pace, stroke rate, heart rate and force charts on one timeline • GPS map with colour-coded speed — see where you were fastest • Splits by distance (250/500/1000/2000m) or sector, with fastest-piece detection • Per-stroke force profiles, drive:recovery ratio, distance per stroke and stroke consistency TRACK PROGRESS • Weekly and monthly summaries and week-over-week comparison • Training-load trends, personal records and fitness over time CREW, SOCIAL & SAFETY • Follow training partners and see their sessions in your feed • Find crew nearby and flag yourself for race-day fill-ins • Share your live location with your coach or crew while you train RACE • Create and join regattas with real-time boat tracking • Live position, speed and stroke rate shared with fellow competitors COACH • Athletes share data with a free coach account • Coaches track and analyse their squad from anywhere in the world HEALTH • Automatic workout export to Apple Health • Calorie estimates from your weight and session intensity FREE VS PREMIUM Rowlytics is free to download and record. Premium ($9.99/month) unlocks unlimited history, advanced analytics, 3D force curves, split breakdowns, activity export and coach data sharing. SUBSCRIPTION Payment is charged to your Apple ID on confirmation. Your subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Privacy policy: https://www.rowlytics.com/privacy.html Terms of service: https://www.rowlytics.com/termsofservice.html Whatever you row or paddle — get your first session analysis today.
BoatRun
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Turn your phone into the most advanced rowing performance system available. Mount your phone in the boat and BoatRun measures every stroke you take - stroke rate, split, distance per stroke, and the acceleration profile of the hull itself, whether you're on the water or an erg. No boat computer, no impeller, no extra hardware. ON THE WATER • Live stroke rate, 500m split, distance per stroke, heart rate and a tonne of specialised rowing metrics • Big, glanceable tiles you can read at full pressure • Real-time boat acceleration curve - see your catch, drive and finish as they happen • Overlay 'perfect stroke' templates to fix your stroke in real time • Custom layouts • Custom workouts ON THE ERG • Easily connect to a PM5 erg and quickly create your own workouts or have your coach transmit it directly to your PM5 • Connect your whole squad for ErgRace style racing or squad training sessions UNDERSTAND YOUR STROKE BoatRun reads the boat's motion 50 times a second and turns it into metrics that describe how you actually row: • Precise acceleration measured at every point of the stroke on every session • See our website for clear explanations on your stroke curve and how to fix common errors FOR COACHES Cox and Coach modes are built in. • See your whole squad live on one screen - every boat's position, rate and split updating in real time from anywhere in the world • Tap any crew to open their stroke curve, custom metrics and record live video from the app • Every stroke from every rower on the water or erg - collated for easy access and data logging AFTER THE ROW • Every session saves to your own Google Drive • Squad sessions automatically uploaded to your coach • Detailed analysis of your metrics compared across any session on the water or the erg • Overlay metrics and stroke curve on your video to see where improvements can be made • One-tap upload to Strava • Export CSV, JSON, TCX or FIT - always free, always yours • Full session analysis in the free web Analyser at boatrun.au BUILT BY A ROWER FOR ROWERS BoatRun was built as affordable system for athletes wanting the highest quality data without the premium price. It has been rigorously tested on the water in every boat from single sculls to eights over hundreds of sessions. It's designed for people who want to know why the boat is moving well — not just how fast. FREE TO START Row free with stroke rate, split, distance per stroke and heart rate. BoatRun Pro unlocks unlimited session length, the full metric set, the live stroke curve and Strava sync. Every new user gets 30 days of Pro and Coach free. Requires a phone mount. Works in any rowing boat.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: BoatRun at every 2 days against Rowlytics's every 10 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Rowlytics sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per month and BoatRun sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Rowlytics ships an update every 10 days, BoatRun every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Rowlytics | BoatRun |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rowlytics | David Macready |
In-app purchases
Rowlytics
- Premium$8.991 Month
BoatRun
- BoatRun Pro$5.991 Month
- BoatRun Coach Monthly$9.991 Month
- BoatRun Pro$59.991 Year
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- BoatRun Coach Yearly$89.991 Year
Questions
Is Rowlytics free?
Is BoatRun free?
Do Rowlytics or BoatRun have ads?
Which is updated more often, Rowlytics or BoatRun?
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