Comparison

RowHero 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

RowHero

This app provides stroke-by-stroke rowing performance data for athletes and coaches, storing results indefinitely. It offers insights into technique and fitness to help users improve their rowing speed and performance.

Highlights
  • Stroke-by-stroke erg results
  • Wireless Concept2 PM5 connection
  • Permanent workout storage
  • Stroke length and potential split metrics
  • Personalized improvement insights
  • Team performance comparison
Read full description

Coaches: get 100% accurate, stroke-by-stroke erg results for your team, stored forever Here's how it works: • Before a workout, every athlete quickly connects RowHero to their Concept2 PM5. It's all wireless. • Every piece/interval result then gets sent directly to your app at the end of every piece. • You get access to everything you're used to, plus stroke-by-stroke breakdown of every piece, and new metrics like stroke length and potential split. And because workouts are saved forever, so you get to see your team's progress over time without trying to put together the right set of spreadsheets every single time. Rank results by raw speed or performance improvement to provide opportunities for everyone to shine. Athletes, find personalized ways to get faster As a former youth coach, my goal is to help you be the best competitive rower you can be. Here's what RowHero can do for you: • Never have to wonder about your 2K or 6K PR again. It's all right in the app for you. • Getting faster is all about understanding where you have the biggest area to grow: technique, fitness, and mindset. RowHero can help you identify where to focus based on its stroke length and potential speed metrics. • When you row with a team you can automatically you see how you stack up against others, so you can use your teammates as motivation to keep pushing for more. Stats are only part of the equation, but if you're driven to improve, you can build your confidence tremendously with what RowHero shares with you. Are you in? Questions, feedback, suggestions? Check out our website https://rowhero.com or contact us at support@rowhero.com. We are very open to helping you create the rowing data solution you need!

About

Start Rowing

This app provides structured rowing machine training plans for all experience levels, from beginner to advanced. It guides users through workouts with audio cues and a metronome, helping them build strength, burn calories, and improve rowing technique. Track progress and integrate with Apple Health for a comprehensive fitness journey.

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

RowHero4 screens
Start Rowing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RowHero at none against Start Rowing's 8. RowHero also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Start Rowing's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (681 vs 19). On price, rating, update cadence and device support 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. RowHero asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for RowHero against 4.7 for Start Rowing. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Start Rowing has 681 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of RowHero's written reviews are positive against 73% of Start Rowing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RowHero ships an update every 3 weeks, Start Rowing every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
RowHero versus Start Rowing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRowHeroStart Rowing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19 ratings)4.7 (681 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better73.2% of reviews
Number of ratings19681 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRowHero, LLCVigour Group Ltd

Customer experience

RowHero

All ratings19 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Start Rowing

All ratings681 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral9.3%
Negative17.5%

Bugs and requests

RowHero

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

RowHero

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 RowHero free?
RowHero 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, RowHero or Start Rowing?
Start Rowing is rated higher. RowHero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Start Rowing averages 4.7 from 681 ratings.
Do RowHero or Start Rowing have ads?
RowHero shows ads; Start Rowing does not.
Which is updated more often, RowHero or Start Rowing?
RowHero ships an update every 3 weeks, and Start Rowing every 2 weeks. Most recently, RowHero was updated on June 1, 2026 and Start Rowing on September 11, 2026.

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