Cardio Active vs PocketCox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cardio Active
This app prioritizes user privacy by keeping all workout and fitness data local and encrypted. It offers a range of cardio workout tracking features, integrates with the Health app, and supports various workout types on iPhone and Apple Watch.
- Private, encrypted workout data
- Records cardio workouts with few taps
- Optional workout route recording
- Smart sensor algorithms
- Heart rate monitor connectivity
- View previous workouts
- Supports Health app data
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Introducing Cardio Active - a new way to work out. Cardio Active is private, by design. That means no online account creation, none of your workout or fitness data floating around in the cloud, and you're fully in control of your data. In this digital age, we believe everyone should be able to work out with technology without sacrificing their data or privacy. That's why we made Cardio Active. - All of your workout and fitness data is kept private - All of your workout and fitness data is encrypted - A rich set of smart sensor algorithms on both iPhone and Apple Watch Decide you want to share your workout data with another app? Decide you want to export your workout data for a backup? Decide you want to delete your workout data just because? You get all of this and more just because we record workout and fitness data directly in the Health app, making it available for you to manage as you see fit. Features: - Records cardio workouts with just a few taps. - Records your workout route when you want it, and doesn't when you don't. - Uses the latest sensors on your device to get better data than GPS alone. - Connects to Heart Rate Monitors to record heart rate during a workout. - Previous workouts are made available for viewing at any time. - Can read other workout data saved in the Health app by Apple and other apps. - Full support of the new Dark Mode in iOS 13. Supported Workouts: - Walking - Running - Hiking - Cycling Apple Watch exclusive workouts: - Canoeing - Kayaking Cardio Active is made in Minnesota and we know just how much the seasons can change including the different ways to workout. Let us know what new kinds of workouts you want to record and we will work to add them. Terms of Service: https://cardioactive.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://cardioactive.app/privacy-policy
PocketCox
This app uses your Apple Watch to monitor on-water rowing performance, providing detailed metrics like stroke rate, speed, and heart rate. Analyze your sessions with graphs and share them across popular platforms. It's designed for rowers of all levels aiming to improve their training.
- On-water rowing workout tracking
- Comprehensive performance metrics
- Workout segmentation
- Automatic workout pause
- Detailed session analysis on iPhone
- Workout sharing to Strava and others
- Secure data storage in Apple Health
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PocketCox is the most advanced rowing performance monitor for your wrist. It leverages the high-end sensors in your Apple Watch to track your on-water rowing workouts, and delivers you with comprehensive data, helping you elevate your training without the need for a dedicated device. PocketCox is the perfect tool for both amateurs and professional rowers looking to improve their performance on the water. TRACKED METRICS • Stroke Rate • Speed / Split • Distance • Number of Strokes • Recovery-Drive Ratio • Heart Rate • Calories Burned FEATURES • Record rowing workouts with your Apple Watch. • Easy-to-read design optimized for legibility on the water. • Break down your workout into individual segments. • Workout gets automatically paused if you stop taking strokes. • Review and analyze your rowing sessions on your iPhone with detailed graphs showing split, stroke rate, ratio and hear rate. • Share your workouts effortlessly on Strava, Concept2 Logbook, TrainingPeaks, Rowsandall.com, and Intervals.icu. • All data is stored securely and privately in Apple Health and iCloud. --- PocketCox requires an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.0 or later. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pocketcox.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Cardio Active and PocketCox both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Cardio Active's written reviews are positive against 88% of PocketCox's. PocketCox's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Cardio Active sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PocketCox sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cardio Active against 4.9 for PocketCox. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 24 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Cardio Active's written reviews are positive against 88% of PocketCox's.
Cardio Active ships an update every 6 weeks, PocketCox every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cardio Active | PocketCox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (12 ratings) — better | 4.9 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 87.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 24 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Twin Cities App Dev LLC | Nicolas Camenisch |
Customer experience
Cardio Active
PocketCox
In-app purchases
Cardio Active
- Monthly Supporter$1.991 Month
- Seasonal Supporter$3.993 Months
- Annual Supporter$9.991 Year
- Single Tip$0.99
- Double Tip$1.99
- Triple Tip$2.99
PocketCox
- PocketCox Pro3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- PocketCox Pro14 Days trial$12.991 Year
Questions
Is Cardio Active free?
Is PocketCox free?
Which has better reviews, Cardio Active or PocketCox?
Do Cardio Active or PocketCox have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cardio Active or PocketCox?
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