# Swelldone vs Rowing Machine Workouts

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rowing Machine Workouts at 88% against Swelldone's 44%. Rowing Machine Workouts also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.7 vs 4.2). Swelldone's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swelldone sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days 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.

Rowing Machine Workouts holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 102 and 344 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Swelldone's written reviews are positive against 88% of Rowing Machine Workouts's.

Swelldone ships an update every 3 weeks, Rowing Machine Workouts every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on August 13, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swelldone | Rowing Machine Workouts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (102 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swelldone-virtual-row-plus-paddle/id1522371496/reviews) | **[4.7 (344 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowing-machine-workouts/id1552557008/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 102 | **344** |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | **87.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 1.2 GB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [5007490 Ontario Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1522371498) | [Vigour Group Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546613605) |

## What reviewers say

### Swelldone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swelldone-virtual-row-plus-paddle/id1522371496)

Experience an open-world paddling game with realistic wave physics and dynamic swells. Connect your erg for immersive training, race head-to-head in multiplayer, and explore iconic real-world venues. Choose from various paddlers, vessels, and workouts to enhance your fitness and enjoy virtual ocean adventures.

**Highlights:** Open-world ocean with realistic wave physics, Multiplayer virtual training and racing, Selectable paddlers, vessels, and real-world venues, Ergometer and trainer connectivity (FTMS), Customizable and pre-set workout library, Sync with Apple Health, Strava, C2 Logbook

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wiki Member (Weekly) | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Ohana Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Hoku Membership (Annual) | $99.99 | per year |


### Rowing Machine Workouts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowing-machine-workouts/id1552557008)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rowing Workouts Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Rowing Workouts Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Rowing Workouts Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Rowing Workouts Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Free trial not functioning properly
- Connectivity issues with some rowing machines

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swelldone free?

Swelldone 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, Swelldone or Rowing Machine Workouts?

Rowing Machine Workouts is rated higher. Swelldone averages 4.2 out of 5 from 102 ratings, while Rowing Machine Workouts averages 4.7 from 344 ratings.

### Do Swelldone or Rowing Machine Workouts have ads?

Rowing Machine Workouts shows ads; Swelldone does not.

### Which is updated more often, Swelldone or Rowing Machine Workouts?

Swelldone ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rowing Machine Workouts every 5 days. Most recently, Swelldone was updated on August 13, 2026 and Rowing Machine Workouts on September 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*