SmartRow vs Rowr
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmartRow
Transform your WaterRower into a high-precision ergometer. Track detailed workout metrics including force curves and heart rate, and monitor fitness indicators like Watts-per-Beat. Sync your progress seamlessly with Apple Health.
- Lab-grade ergometer conversion
- Detailed force curve analysis
- Heart rate graphing
- Workout tracking and history
- Fitness metrics (Watts-per-Beat, Watts-per-Kilogram)
- Apple Health synchronization
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The SmartRow App (together with the SmartRow-conversion) will turn your WaterRower into a lab grade ergometer. It will not only show you power, distance, work-per-stroke, calories etc., it will show you each force-curve, heart rate graph and much, much more! It keeps track of your workouts, and even shows you well-known fitness metrics like 'Watts-per-Beat' and 'Watts-per-Kilogram'. It even syncs your workout data with Apple Health. This is the best training tool you can invest in—after hiring a coach, of course!
Rowr
This app connects to your indoor rowing machine to offer guided workouts and challenges. Experience virtual rowing with videos of real locations, designed by expert coaches to enhance your fitness.
- Connects to indoor rowing machines
- Virtual rowing video experiences
- Coach-designed workouts
- Individual fitness challenges
- Supports Concept II rowers
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Row'r connects to your indoor rowing machine to provide workouts and individual challenges to improve your rowing times or general fitness. Row'r uses video of real rowing sites to transport you around the world, while still in your basement, garage, or gym. Workouts and training programs are designed by real coaches and competitive rowers. Rowers currently supported: Concept II
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rowr at 100% against SmartRow's 46%. Rowr also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8). SmartRow's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (73 vs 3). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Rowr holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartRow has 73 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of SmartRow's written reviews are positive against 100% of Rowr's.
SmartRow ships an update every 2 months, Rowr every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmartRow | Rowr |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (73 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 73 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 261 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ergometer Innovations B.V. | Rowr Fitness, Inc. |
Customer experience
SmartRow
Rowr
Bugs and requests
SmartRow
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes during long rows
- Workout data not saving properly
- Connectivity issues with Bluetooth devices
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
Requested features
6 requests- Distance-based interval workouts
- Audible cues and prompts during workouts
- Ability to duplicate/sort custom workouts
- Integration with Garmin devices
- More advanced performance analytics
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- Customizable heart rate zone settings
Rowr
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SmartRow
No in-app purchases
Rowr
No in-app purchases
