# RowingCoach vs NK Logbook

The clearest difference is rating: NK Logbook at 3.8 against RowingCoach's 3.3. NK Logbook also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 38%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). RowingCoach's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (117 vs 12). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RowingCoach sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and NK Logbook sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NK Logbook holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RowingCoach has 117 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of RowingCoach's written reviews are positive against 63% of NK Logbook's.

RowingCoach ships an update every 2 months, NK Logbook every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RowingCoach | NK Logbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowingcoach/id1202290980/reviews) | **[3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nk-logbook/id1392561808/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **117** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 38.4% of reviews | **62.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gunther Cronenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202290979) | [Nielsen-Kellerman Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/698732840) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### NK Logbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nk-logbook/id1392561808)

This app pairs with compatible GPS devices to import, review, and analyze session data. It also streams live performance measurements for coaches and spectators, offering real-time insights into rowing performance and location.

**Highlights:** Import session data from compatible devices, Review and analyze boat metrics and stroke profile, Stream live performance measurements, Real-time location tracking for safety and spectator viewing, Team management for coaches and athletes, Compare live data from multiple boats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Coach Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Team Subscription | $74.99 | per month |
| Annual Coach Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Team Yearly Subscription | $749.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RowingCoach free?

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

### Is NK Logbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RowingCoach or NK Logbook?

NK Logbook is rated higher. RowingCoach averages 3.3 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while NK Logbook averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.

### Do RowingCoach or NK Logbook have ads?

Neither RowingCoach nor NK Logbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RowingCoach or NK Logbook?

RowingCoach ships an update every 2 months, and NK Logbook every 4 months. Most recently, RowingCoach was updated on September 21, 2026 and NK Logbook on September 7, 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.*