Comparison

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing vs Rowing Machine Workouts

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

Head to head
About

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

Transform your indoor rowing workouts with immersive virtual worlds and engaging challenges. Connect your rowing machine to explore scenic routes, race against others globally, and track your progress with detailed analytics. Gamified features and structured training plans help you achieve your fitness goals.

Highlights
  • Virtual rowing worlds and courses
  • Global races and challenges
  • Avatar customization and gear unlocks
  • Structured training plans and tests
  • Performance analytics and progress reports
  • Sync with Concept2, TrainingPeaks, Strava
  • FTMS Bluetooth rowing machine connectivity
Features
Read full description

Connect your rowing machine to row in virtual worlds. Boost your motivation as you beat challenges, crush goals and race to become #1. Row more than ever before with EXR! ___ Download the virtual indoor rowing app created by the award-winning game development studio Salty Lemon Entertainment. BOOST YOUR WORKOUT MOTIVATION - Explore real rowing hotspots and new courses - Beat daily, weekly and monthly challenges - Create and crush custom goals - Unlock achievements - Level up to unlock gear for your avatar SPICE UP YOUR ROWING ROUTINE - Row alongside friends at your own pace in Just Row - Race against rowers from all across the globe - Compete against your PR with ghost boats - Play minigames and become #1 TRAIN LIKE A CHAMP - Find out your FTP score with the ramp test and the 20-minute test - 100+ workouts based on your fitness level and 3 difficulty levels - Workouts created by the trainer of ex-indoor rowing champion Ward Lemmelijn ANALYZE & SHARE YOUR PROGRESS - Analyze your performance with detailed reports - Sync to Concept2 logbook, TrainingPeaks and Strava. - Visit your EXR web profile to download your workout data as FIT files for manual uploads. EASILY CONNECT YOUR GEAR - Connect your FTMS Bluetooth rowing machine in a few clicks. - Add your heart rate monitor for extra data (compatible with Apple Health). - Use EXR cross-platform on your favorite Apple devices. JOIN ONE OF THE BIGGEST VIRTUAL ROWING COMMUNITIES - “Never rowed as much in a period as I have with EXR.” - “I really like the Buoy Blast minigame! Real motivator for sprint rowing.” - “Works great and excellent motivator, customer service is great also.” - “I love all of the data the app collects and how easy it is to use.” - “EXR is the best app I have used and I think I have tried most of them. Absolutely love it.” GET STARTED IN 3 QUICK STEPS 1. Download the EXR app now on your iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple TV. 2. Enjoy a risk-free 14-day free trial by creating your free EXR account. 3. Connect your rowing machine and heart rate monitor and you’re ready to start your virtual rowing journey! A subscription is required after the 14 day trial period EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Rowing Machine Workouts

Guided indoor rowing workouts for fat loss, cardio, and strength. Offers plans for all fitness levels, from beginner to weight loss, with features like audio coaching and activity tracking. Works with any rower.

Highlights
  • Guided rowing plans for various goals
  • SPM metronome for pace control
  • Audio coaching with music support
  • Activity tracking and workout logging
  • Customizable workout builder
  • Free Row mode
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Full-body indoor rowing workouts — fat loss, cardio, strength & technique. Works for any rower or home setup. Get stronger and fitter with guided rowing machine workouts. Build muscle, lose weight, or enhance your overall health!  Follow along with rowing programs that help you smash your goals. Rowing is an excellent full-body workout that caters to all fitness levels, helping you live with energy and vitality. Why this app? Rowing workouts that help you achieve and exceed your personal targets. If you’re new to rowing, start with our Beginner Plan. Looking to shed some pounds? Our Weight Loss Plan is perfect for you! Rowing regularly will help you see progress and feel stronger over time. Train from just 2 days a week to improve your rowing ability and technique with simple approachable routines. Use the SPM metronome to keep your stroke rate in time. Each rowing plan is designed to help your body adapt and improve while minimizing the risk of injury or burnout. Why choose us? These rowing machine workouts are perfect as a supplement to your gym routine or for use with an at-home rowing machine, such as the Concept2. They're easy to follow and can be used regardless of your fitness level. No specific equipment needed! FEATURES GUIDED ROUTINES: Choose a rowing plan based on your fitness level and goals. Target your ideal SPM and follow rest guidance with HIIT-based rowing training, perfect for indoor rowing. ACTIVITY TRACKING: Monitor your rowing activity to ensure continuous growth. Use the countdown timer to enhance your rowing ability and endurance. AUDIO COACHING: Enjoy audio coaching with support to play your own music in the background. The metronome helps you maintain your target SPM, ensuring you row at the perfect pace. CUSTOM WORKOUTS: Build your own rowing workouts. Set your desired SPM and duration to row your way, while staying in sync with the metronome. FREE ROW: Row at your own pace with Free Row. Simply increment or decrement your SPM as you go to follow along with the metronome and phase guide. WORKOUT LOGGER: Log all your rowing workouts and repeat your favorites. Track metrics like average heart rate, distance, and split time to monitor your improvement over time. APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION: Sync your rowing workouts with the Health App to get a comprehensive view of your daily activity. DAILY EXERCISES: Supplement your rowing workouts with recommended exercises. Warm-up, cool down, and build full-body strength with additional exercises. 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 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

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing4 screens
Rowing Machine Workouts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: EXR | Virtual indoor rowing at none against Rowing Machine Workouts's shown. Rowing Machine Workouts's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 65%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. EXR | Virtual indoor rowing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.95 per month and Rowing Machine Workouts sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rowing Machine Workouts holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 291 and 338 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of EXR | Virtual indoor rowing's written reviews are positive against 88% of Rowing Machine Workouts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, Rowing Machine Workouts every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing versus Rowing Machine Workouts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEXR | Virtual indoor rowingRowing Machine Workouts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (291 ratings)4.7 (338 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews87.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings291338 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size866 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSalty Lemon EntertainmentVigour Group Ltd

Customer experience

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

All ratings291 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews211 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral8.5%
Negative26.1%

Rowing Machine Workouts

All ratings338 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews185 reviews
Positive87.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative7.0%

User reviews

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

From 291 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Motivational and data-driven
  • 🚀 Immersive rowing experience
  • 🎮 Fun and engaging games
  • 💪 Helps achieve fitness goals
  • 🤝 Supportive community

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription is overpriced
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs
  • 🤖 Avatar movement not in sync
  • 📊 Lack of integration with Apple Health
  • 🎵 No option to use own music

Rowing Machine Workouts

From 338 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Effective graphics and workout
  • 👍 Straight forward and easy to use
  • 👍 Metronome helps with pacing
  • 👍 Variety of workouts and programs
  • 👍 Warm-up and cool-down exercises

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Subscription issues and lost access
  • ⚠️ Lacks ability to sync with rowing machines
  • ⚠️ Interrupts stroke when changing pace
  • ⚠️ Limited data tracking and analytics

Bugs and requests

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Account creation and login issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate data sync with Concept2
  • Incompatibility with certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Live multiplayer races
  • More training programs and maps
  • Customizable workout editor
  • Age-based leaderboards
  • 360-degree live footage

Rowing Machine Workouts

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Free trial not functioning properly
  • Connectivity issues with some rowing machines

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to create custom workouts
  • Integration with Apple Watch
  • More detailed workout data and progress tracking

In-app purchases

3 purchases

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

Subscriptions3
  • EXR (1 Month)$14.951 Month
  • EXR (6 Months)$71.906 Months
  • EXR (1 Year)$119.991 Year
9 purchases

Rowing Machine Workouts

Subscriptions8
  • Rowing Workouts Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly2 variants$14.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Premium Yearly1 Year trial$79.991 Year
  • Premium$79.991 Year
  • Rowing Workouts Yearly$79.991 Year
  • Rowing Workouts Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Rowing Workouts Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$249.99

Questions

Is EXR | Virtual indoor rowing free?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rowing Machine Workouts free?
Rowing Machine Workouts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or Rowing Machine Workouts?
Rowing Machine Workouts is rated higher. EXR | Virtual indoor rowing averages 4.5 out of 5 from 291 ratings, while Rowing Machine Workouts averages 4.7 from 338 ratings.
Do EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or Rowing Machine Workouts have ads?
Rowing Machine Workouts shows ads; EXR | Virtual indoor rowing does not.
Which is updated more often, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or Rowing Machine Workouts?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, and Rowing Machine Workouts every 5 days. Most recently, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing was updated on September 22, 2026 and Rowing Machine Workouts on September 21, 2026.

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