# RowingCoach vs Fluid Connect

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fluid Connect at none against RowingCoach's 3. Fluid Connect also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). RowingCoach's advantage is review sentiment (38% vs 7%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RowingCoach sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Fluid Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | RowingCoach | Fluid Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowingcoach/id1202290980/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **117** | — |
| Positive reviews | **38.4% of reviews** | 7.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gunther Cronenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202290979) | [FIRST DEGREE FITNESS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449683561) |

## 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


### Fluid Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fluid-connect/id1514909463)

Record and review your rowing workouts with various styles like HIIT and distance challenges. Track session statistics, view charts, and monitor your total distance, time, and calories burned. The app also supports automatic firmware updates for compatible rowers.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth FTMS protocol communication, Multiple workout styles (Just Row, Target Distance, Target Time, HIIT), Session statistics and charts, Sortable workout history, Odometer for total metrics, Automatic firmware updates

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RowingCoach free?

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

### Is Fluid Connect free?

Fluid Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do RowingCoach or Fluid Connect have ads?

Neither RowingCoach nor Fluid Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RowingCoach or Fluid Connect?

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