Comparison

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing vs RowPal

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

RowPal

Features
Read full description

Make ANY rowing machine fun! Whether you have a fancy Concept2 or a less fancy Acme Rower, RowPal aims to make indoor rowing fun and habit-forming (even though it’s a killer). It works with any rowing machine using the front camera to count strokes, or can connect to the Concept2's PM5 to track strokes, splits, and metres directly. It's free and no account is needed. Just download, row and start your rowing habit today. Features: - Works with any rowing machine - Race the ghost of your personal best - Row alongside a pace boat - See your splits - Charts for stroke rate, stroke length, pace, and watts - Export row data as CSV - Saves rows to Concept2 Logbook - Works with Apple Watch - Syncs with Apple Health Privacy policy https://www.rowpal.app/privacy

Screenshots

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing4 screens
RowPal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RowPal at none against EXR | Virtual indoor rowing's 3. RowPal also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). EXR | Virtual indoor rowing's advantage is device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price 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. RowPal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, RowPal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing versus RowPal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEXR | Virtual indoor rowingRowPal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (297 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings297 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size912 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSalty Lemon EntertainmentRob Winters

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

RowPal

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)$65.906 Months
  • EXR (1 Year)$119.991 Year
None

RowPal

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 RowPal free?
RowPal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or RowPal have ads?
Neither EXR | Virtual indoor rowing nor RowPal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing or RowPal?
EXR | Virtual indoor rowing ships an update fortnightly, and RowPal every 2 days. Most recently, EXR | Virtual indoor rowing was updated on October 29, 2026 and RowPal on October 8, 2026.

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