Comparison

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter vs Virtual Walking

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

Head to head
About

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter

This app tracks your daily activity, including steps, distance, and calories burned, to help you reach your fitness goals. It offers GPS mapping for outdoor exploration, personalized fitness plans, and community features for motivation and support.

Highlights
  • Effortless activity tracking (steps, distance, calories)
  • GPS mapping for outdoor routes
  • Personalized fitness plans and weight management
  • Community challenges and groups
  • Syncs with Apple Health and Apple Watch
  • No extra devices needed
Features
Read full description

Whether you’re just starting out or chasing big goals, wanting to get active or lose weight, Pacer’s insightful data, outdoor routes, and personalized plans help you move more, feel great, and stay on track—like your 24/7 walking buddy. Join over 12 million happy walkers and find motivation every step of the way. WHY YOU'LL LOVE PACER - Effortless Activity Tracking Tracks steps, flights climbed, calories burned, distance, and active time—whether your phone is in your hand, pocket, or bag. Syncs with Apple Health and Apple Watch for seamless data. - Motivation & Community Support Join walking groups, compete in friendly challenges, and share progress with friends and family in real time—no matter what phone they use. - Explore Outdoors with GPS Mapping Explore local gems—routes, trails, and parks. Record every walk, hike, run, or ride with precision maps. - Personalized Fitness Plans & Weight Management Set daily goals, track your weight and BMI, and use guided workouts designed to help you lose weight and get fit. - Simple Setup, No Extra Devices Needed Just download and start—no wristbands or hardware required. HEAR FROM OUR HAPPY WALKERS: - “Best Walking App. Period. I love this app and use it for every walk.” — James T. - “I'm 73 and I especially like that if I start an activity and want my kids to be able to monitor where I am I can turn live tracking on in Pacer.” — Dr J. - “…Tracks all progress and more! Love the challenges and clubs to join all while sharing and interacting with others all the hard earned work. Definitely recommend.” — Lustine K. - “Cheaper and better than a gym membership and 1000x more effective!” — Covette92 READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP? Download Pacer for free today and start your journey to better health with the happiest walking community! Note: - Pacer offers both a free version and a premium subscription with additional features. If you choose to subscribe, payment will be charged to your Apple ID upon confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. - Pacer has an optional feature for more accurate tracking that uses of iOS's location based services. - Terms of Service https://www.mypacer.com/termsofservice/ - Privacy Policy: https://www.mypacer.com/privacy

About

Virtual Walking

This app encourages physical activity by letting you virtually explore cities and set step goals. Track your progress, compete with others, and learn about new places as you walk.

Highlights
  • Set daily/weekly step goals
  • Track progress and monitor activity
  • Compete with other users in groups
  • Unlock city sightseeing attractions
  • Learn about city landmarks
  • Uses HealthKit API for step tracking
Features
Read full description

Virtual Walking is not only a fun way to explore cities but it's also a great way to stay healthy and active. With Virtual Walking, you can easily set daily or weekly step goals to challenge yourself and stay motivated to achieve them. And with the app's tracking features, you can monitor your progress and see how far you've come. The app's community features are also a big part of what makes Virtual Walking so engaging. You can join groups and compete with other users to see who can walk the most steps. Plus, the global walking feature allows you to see how many steps all Virtual Walking users have taken collectively, so you can work together to walk around the world. But it's not all about competition. Virtual Walking also offers a great opportunity to learn more about the cities you're virtually walking through. Every time you hit a milestone, you'll unlock a new sightseeing attraction and learn about the city's most fascinating spots. And the best part? Virtual Walking is completely free and requires no registration. Simply download the app, take your phone with you on your walks, and start exploring the world around you while getting healthier and more active. Virtual Walking: Step Tracker uses the HealthKit API to access data in order to track the steps you have taken. app icon - https://github.com/romannurik/AndroidAssetStudio http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt

Screenshots

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter4 screens
Virtual Walking4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pacer Pedometer Step Counter at 4.9 against Virtual Walking's 4.0. Pacer Pedometer Step Counter also leads on ratings volume (332K vs 9) and chart position (#137 vs unranked). Virtual Walking's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support 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. Pacer Pedometer Step Counter sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Virtual Walking asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pacer Pedometer Step Counter has 332K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter ships an update every 3 weeks, Virtual Walking every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Pacer Pedometer Step Counter versus Virtual Walking: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacer Pedometer Step CounterVirtual Walking
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (332K ratings) — better4.0 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews98.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings332K — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size516 MB124 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPacer Health, IncGaruda Development UG haftungsbeschrankt

Customer experience

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter

All ratings331,698 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews18,517 reviews
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.6%
Negative1.1%

Virtual Walking

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Steps/distance disappearing from history
  • GPS issues causing inaccurate location tracking
  • App crashes or freezes on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to edit/delete recorded activities
  • Integration with other fitness trackers
  • Personalized step/calorie goals based on user profile
  • More free access to advanced analytics and insights

Virtual Walking

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Pacer Pedometer Step Counter

Subscriptions9
  • Premium Subscription with Trial7 Days trial3 variants$3.991 Month
  • Premium Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$3.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium with Free Trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Subscription$19.991 Year
  • Premium Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • 1 Year Access (with Trial)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Pacer Premium Yearly1 Year trial$49.991 Year
None

Virtual Walking

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pacer Pedometer Step Counter free?
Pacer Pedometer Step Counter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Virtual Walking free?
Virtual Walking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pacer Pedometer Step Counter or Virtual Walking?
Pacer Pedometer Step Counter is rated higher. Pacer Pedometer Step Counter averages 4.9 out of 5 from 332K ratings, while Virtual Walking averages 4.0 from 9 ratings.
Do Pacer Pedometer Step Counter or Virtual Walking have ads?
Neither Pacer Pedometer Step Counter nor Virtual Walking shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pacer Pedometer Step Counter or Virtual Walking?
Pacer Pedometer Step Counter ships an update every 3 weeks, and Virtual Walking every 8 days. Most recently, Pacer Pedometer Step Counter was updated on October 15, 2026 and Virtual Walking on October 1, 2026.

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