Comparison

Row Republic vs Start Rowing

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Row Republic

Discover and book classes at Boston's premier rowing fitness studio. Experience a unique full-body workout combining rowing and strength training intervals in a fast-paced, 60-minute session. Enjoy luxury amenities and expert instruction.

Highlights
  • Find and book classes
  • Rowing intervals
  • Strength training intervals
  • Full-body workout
  • Class scheduling
Features
Read full description

This is the official App of Row Republic. Download the App, find your classes, and book your spot. Row Republic is Boston’s first rowing fitness studio. 5-8 minute rowing and strength training intervals combine for the ultimate workout. It’s full body, it’s fast paced, and it’s unlike any other workout you’ve done before. 60 minutes of sweat paired with luxury amenities, top notch instructors, and a welcoming staff make it more than just a workout— it’s an experience.

About

Start Rowing

This app offers structured rowing workout plans for all experience levels, helping users build strength, burn calories, and improve rowing technique. It provides guidance on intensity and rest, with features like an audio coach and metronome for effective training sessions.

Highlights
  • Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced training plans
  • Session-based Challenger workouts
  • Audio coach guidance
  • Rowing metronome
  • Workout logging and progress tracking
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Start Rowing without any previous experience needed. Get in shape, build strength and burn calories. Our rowing app's workout plans will train you for the next stage in your rowing journey. Never rowed before? Start with our beginner plan. In 8 weeks you’ll be comfortable rowing 2000 meters with correct technique. Experienced erger? Use our intermediate and advanced plans to improve your overall fitness while increasing your rowing capacity. Start Rowing will guide you step by step, letting you know when to change rowing intensity and when to rest. Each plan is designed to slowly become more challenging so your body can adapt and gain endurance while minimising any risk of injury. Spend just 10-30 minutes a day, 2-5 days a week. You’ll be fitter, stronger and a much better rower! Features - Choose from Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced training plans. - Session based Challenger workouts to exercise your whole body. - Audio coach to guide your through your rowing workout. - Rowing metronome to help you keep in time. - Log your workouts and keep track of your overall progress. - Share your progress. - APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION: Connect your workouts to Health App to track your daily activity. Legal Disclaimer This app and any information given by it are for educational purposes only. They are not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any fitness program. If you upgrade to a premium Start Rowing subscription, payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. There is no increase in cost when renewing. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. Once purchased, the current period cannot be cancelled. Any unused portion of a free trial period is forfeited if you choose to purchase a premium subscription. Find the full terms and conditions at https://www.vigour.fitness/terms, and our privacy policy at https://www.vigour.fitness/privacy.

Screenshots

Row Republic4 screens
Start Rowing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Row Republic at none against Start Rowing's 8. Row Republic also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Start Rowing's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Start Rowing sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Row Republic asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Row Republic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 241 and 682 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Row Republic's written reviews are positive against 73% of Start Rowing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Row Republic ships an update monthly, Start Rowing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Row Republic versus Start Rowing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRow RepublicStart Rowing
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (241 ratings) — better4.7 (682 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better73.2% of reviews
Number of ratings241682 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMariana Tek CorporationVigour Group Ltd

Customer experience

Row Republic

All ratings241 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Start Rowing

All ratings682 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral9.3%
Negative17.5%

Bugs and requests

Row Republic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Start Rowing

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blank screen during workouts
  • Inconsistent stroke rate changes
  • Automatic screen shutoff during workouts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow custom workout creation
  • Improve volume control for metronome and audio
  • Add more advanced workout options
  • Enhance user interface and navigation
  • Improve sync and data tracking across devices

In-app purchases

None

Row Republic

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Start Rowing

Subscriptions6
  • Start Rowing Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly2 variants$14.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Premium Yearly$79.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$179.99

Questions

Is Row Republic free?
Row Republic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Start Rowing free?
Start Rowing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Row Republic or Start Rowing?
Row Republic is rated higher. Row Republic averages 5.0 out of 5 from 241 ratings, while Start Rowing averages 4.7 from 682 ratings.
Do Row Republic or Start Rowing have ads?
Neither Row Republic nor Start Rowing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Row Republic or Start Rowing?
Row Republic ships an update monthly, and Start Rowing every 3 weeks. Most recently, Row Republic was updated on November 2, 2026 and Start Rowing on November 7, 2026.

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