Comparison

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing vs ImersU

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

ImersU

Experience indoor rowing like never before with virtual, real-world courses. Train or race against AI, customize your environment, and connect with your rowing machine for an immersive fitness journey.

Highlights
  • Virtual real-world rowing courses
  • Customizable time of day and weather
  • AI boat racing
  • Connects with rowing machines via Bluetooth FTMS
  • Flow Row mode for non-connected ergometers
  • Multi-screen display support
Read full description

ImersU ROW helps make indoor rowing more enjoyable and rewarding by bringing the outdoors indoors. Row virtually on stunning, real-world courses, select time of day, weather, and viewing perspective. Train or Race against AI boats, challenge yourself, or take yourself out for a paddle. Pair with your ergo for a connected row or simply choose your speed and get into the flow so you can enjoy mersU on every rowing ergo. Rowing is the most efficient form of training compared to running and cycling, with over 86% of muscle groups being used. Many people have shied away from indoor rowing as it was considered boring. But no more. Combine the most efficient form of indoor training with stunning content, game play, and a growing community, and rowing is becoming the go-to choice for indoor training. Join the growing number of people making indoor rowing a central part of their fitness regime. With imersU, you can row in multiple locations, including Tokyo, Paris, Henley, and The Tideway. Turn your home rowing machine or gym session into a journey shared by elite athletes. imersU uses standard Bluetooth FTMS protocol so you can connect to compatible devices; these include Concept 2 PM5 and the WaterRower S4. There is also a Companion App, should you wish to connect on Windows and race against up to 7 other competitors when in the same room. The imersU content has been created to be displayed on all the latest phones and tablets as well as on high-powered MACS and PCs, so you can choose how you experience imersU ROW. At its most immersive, imersU can be displayed on super-sized screens on 3 walls to give you that on-water experience of having other rowers ‘on your shoulder. The app comes with NDI screen settings for connection to multiple monitors to make this possible. For the first time, you can join a rowing community whilst creating a rowing environment that suits your needs. An equivalent of a Maybach to an A-Class. Some users may not have the latest ergo that can connect to the imersU app, but they still want to be able to row on iconic courses. imersU has FLOW ROW, a feature that lets the user set a split time and then row in FLOW with the course environment as the ergo speed is matched to the selected split time. imersU will turn every training session into an experience that will keep you motivated and engaged to help you become fitter and stronger. WHY CHOOSE imersU ROW: • Stunning graphics created in Unreal Engine 5, an industry pioneer in creating virtual environments, are designed to inspire you as if you were in the great outdoors, but where you control the weather. • The ability to connect to multiple screens to create an indoor rowing environment that can be fully immersive and extensive, as you choose, or simply enjoyed on a tablet. • Use the benefits of virtual environments to add in AI boats to race against and help you focus on your goals. • Choose your time of day, weather, and viewing perspective, and track how your performance can be affected by your environment. • Enjoy imersU on every single rowing ergo with the FLOW ROW feature as well as enjoy connected rowing on leading Bluetooth-enabled ergos. SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY imersU believes in the benefits that rowing can bring to the community. As a result, imersU has special rates and arrangements with all those under 15, schools and rowing clubs to enable as many people as possible to experience rowing in the places rowed by the elite rowers. For everyone else, imersU can be enjoyed in an unlimited way each month for £14.99, with some prices affected by currency. Your involvement in imersU will help those new to rowing enjoy the benefits indoor rowing brings. Please see Terms of Use at https://row.imersu.com/register

Screenshots

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing4 screens
ImersU4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: EXR | Virtual indoor rowing at 4.5 against ImersU's 3.0. EXR | Virtual indoor rowing also leads on ratings volume (291 vs 2). ImersU's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, review sentiment, 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. EXR | Virtual indoor rowing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.95 per month. ImersU asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EXR | Virtual indoor rowing has 291 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of EXR | Virtual indoor rowing's written reviews are positive against 60% of ImersU's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, ImersU every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing versus ImersU: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEXR | Virtual indoor rowingImersU
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (291 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings291 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size866 MB259 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSalty Lemon EntertainmentImmersive Gym Company Limited

Customer experience

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing

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

ImersU

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative0.0%

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

ImersU

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

ImersU

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EXR | Virtual indoor rowing free?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ImersU free?
ImersU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or ImersU?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing is rated higher. EXR | Virtual indoor rowing averages 4.5 out of 5 from 291 ratings, while ImersU averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or ImersU have ads?
Neither EXR | Virtual indoor rowing nor ImersU shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or ImersU?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, and ImersU every 2 weeks. Most recently, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing was updated on September 22, 2026 and ImersU on September 10, 2026.

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