# RowingCoach vs Row Nation

The clearest difference is rating: RowingCoach at 3.3 against Row Nation's 1.5. RowingCoach also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (117 vs 2). Row Nation's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 38%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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 Row Nation sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

RowingCoach holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RowingCoach has 117 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of RowingCoach's written reviews are positive against 75% of Row Nation's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RowingCoach | Row Nation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowingcoach/id1202290980/reviews)** | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/row-nation/id6445849536/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **117** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 38.4% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Gunther Cronenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202290979) | [ROW NATION PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674193783) |

## 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


### Row Nation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/row-nation/id6445849536)

This app offers a comprehensive rowing workout experience with on-demand videos, audio-only sessions, and detailed descriptions. It connects users with a community, allows event participation, and tracks progress, syncing with fitness devices. Transform your rowing machine into a full-body workout tool.

**Highlights:** On-demand video and audio workouts, Multiple workout types (endurance, strength, intervals), Social community and clubs, Event promotion and registration, Progress tracking and logging, Syncs with Concept 2 PM5 and fitness devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Row Nation Premium | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RowingCoach free?

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

### Is Row Nation free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RowingCoach or Row Nation?

RowingCoach is rated higher. RowingCoach averages 3.3 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while Row Nation averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do RowingCoach or Row Nation have ads?

Row Nation shows ads; RowingCoach does not.

### Which is updated more often, RowingCoach or Row Nation?

RowingCoach ships an update every 2 months, and Row Nation every 2 months. Most recently, RowingCoach was updated on September 21, 2026 and Row Nation on August 18, 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.*