Comparison

Ergometer Space vs The Rowing Coach

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

Head to head
About

Ergometer Space

Features
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Ergometer rowing app for concept2 PM5 The app support blue tooth for PM5. Features - Create your own dashboard with values and gauges and other widgets - Row together over the internet. (Alone or as a team) * See each other and projected positions * Publish a high score * Chat using text * Traffic light * login as observer to watch a race and collect the end times. * Row together as one team and race against other teams - Row in 3d or using an VR headset. - You can load your own map with a predefined course and show your rowing position on the map. - View your power curve and compare it with an base curve - Make your own base curve - View history of your race - Row stroke advisor which bases is based on the user defined base curve. - Get warnings when user defined stroke value limits are exceeded - Plugins (which you can create using the ergometer space website) - Share your power curve with other users. This way you can your train together over the internet. - Ad free and your data stays private. (this app is made for fun, not for making money) - Record an replay of all the ergometer data plus an optional video. The import/export function allows you to give this data to a coach for further analysis. - Test your condition in the 3d shark game - Spark lines in the value widgets to quickly see trends. - Connect to a blue tooth heart rate device or include the heart rate data from the concept2 performance monitor. - Show your heart rate as percentage of the total max rate or as graph in a heart rate zone widget. The zones and max heart rate are configurable. More information: https://tijmenvangulik.github.io/Ergometerspace/ You can also try the application online https://ergometer-space.org Some platforms have more features than the other (for example some have usb support). To help you make your choice: https://tijmenvangulik.github.io/Ergometerspace/FeatureTable.html

About

The Rowing Coach

Features
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The Rowing Coach connects your rowing ergometer to your iPhone over Bluetooth and shows every metric that matters in real time โ€“ stroke rate, 500m split, distance, calories and heart rate. The app is built around the Apple Watch. The Watch measures your heart rate continuously and records the session as a workout in Apple Health. You can use the app without an Apple Watch, but you will lose heart rate, zone display and Health recording โ€“ a substantial part of what the app does. REQUIREMENTS - iPhone with Bluetooth - Apple Watch, paired and with the Rowing Coach app installed (strongly recommended) - A rowing ergometer with Bluetooth (see compatibility) - Apple Health permissions granted on BOTH iPhone and Apple Watch IMPORTANT: HEALTH PERMISSIONS On first launch the app asks for access to Apple Health on your iPhone, and then again on your Apple Watch. Please approve every request on both devices. iPhone and Watch manage these permissions separately โ€“ granting access on the iPhone does not automatically grant it on the Watch. If a request is denied or simply dismissed, the app cannot record your workout and cannot show your heart rate. The prompt will not reappear on its own. You can grant the permissions at any time afterwards: Open the Health app โ†’ profile picture (top right) โ†’ Privacy โ†’ Apps โ†’ The Rowing Coach โ†’ enable all switches. The Apple Watch usually picks up the change within about a minute. The same instructions are always available in the app's Help section. LIVE TRAINING - Stroke rhythm display with a visual metronome for drive and recovery - Target stroke rate freely adjustable, even while you row - 500m split, distance, strokes and calories at a glance - Live heart rate from your Apple Watch, including zone display ERGOMETER COMPATIBILITY The app connects over Bluetooth to common rowing machines: - Concept2 (PM5) - RP3 - WaterRower - Other devices supporting the FTMS standard APPLE WATCH & HEALTH - Continuous heart rate measurement throughout the session - Every session is saved as a workout in Apple Health - Heart rate zones using the Karvonen formula, based on resting and maximum heart rate from Health - The Watch app starts automatically with your workout โ€“ no need to open it separately INTERVAL TRAINING (Premium) - Ready-made plans for warm-ups, pyramids, interval blocks and more - Build your own workouts: duration, target stroke rate and rest per step - Automatic step transitions with audible and visual cues ANALYSIS (Premium) - Complete training history with distance, pace, calories and heart rate - Extended summary with trend charts - Achievements for milestones and consistency - Fully configurable heart rate zones INCLUDED FREE Bluetooth connection, live metrics, stroke metronome, open rowing, heart rate from your Apple Watch, zone display, saving to Apple Health and the post-workout summary. PREMIUM Premium unlocks interval plans, custom workouts, training history, achievements, configurable HR zones and the extended analysis. - Monthly EUR 1.99 with a 7-day free trial - Lifetime EUR 9.99 โ€“ one-time purchase, yours forever The subscription renews automatically for one month unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage and cancel your subscription in your App Store settings. The lifetime purchase is a one-time payment and does not renew. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cygot.de/#privacy-en Support: https://cygot.de/#support

Screenshots

Ergometer Space3 screens
The Rowing Coach4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ergometer Space at none against The Rowing Coach's 2. Ergometer Space also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. The Rowing Coach sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Ergometer Space asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ergometer Space ships an update every 6 days, The Rowing Coach weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Ergometer Space versus The Rowing Coach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterErgometer SpaceThe Rowing Coach
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 days โ€” betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS11.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size64 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTijmen van GulikCyrus Gottling

In-app purchases

None

Ergometer Space

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

The Rowing Coach

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$8.99

Questions

Is Ergometer Space free?
Ergometer Space is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Rowing Coach free?
The Rowing Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ergometer Space or The Rowing Coach have ads?
Neither Ergometer Space nor The Rowing Coach shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ergometer Space or The Rowing Coach?
Ergometer Space ships an update every 6 days, and The Rowing Coach weekly. Most recently, Ergometer Space was updated on October 7, 2026 and The Rowing Coach on October 10, 2026.

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