# Vital vs Steps

The clearest difference is update cadence: Steps at every 3 weeks against Vital's every 18 months. Steps also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vital sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Steps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Vital against 5.0 for Steps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Vital ships an update every 18 months, Steps every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vital | Steps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vital-step-counter/id6451499273/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steps-pedometer-step-counter/id6503658882/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 13 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Justin Cabral](https://appshunter.io/developer/571424854) | [Hieu Dinh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470195666) |

## What reviewers say

### Vital

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vital-step-counter/id6451499273)

This app is a free health companion that precisely tracks your daily steps, distance walked, and floors climbed. It also offers dedicated walking workouts and provides yearly statistics to monitor your fitness progress.

**Highlights:** Step tracking, Distance walked monitoring, Floors climbed count, Walking workout tracking, Yearly statistics, Always free

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### Steps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steps-pedometer-step-counter/id6503658882)

Effortlessly track your daily walking progress, distance, and calories burned. Set personalized step goals, build streaks, and earn achievement badges to stay motivated on your fitness journey. Integrates with Apple Health for private, on-device tracking.

**Highlights:** Live step, distance, and calorie tracking, Customizable daily step goals, Achievement badges and streaks, 7-day trend and monthly calendar views, Home screen widgets, Apple Health integration

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vital free?

Vital is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Steps free?

Steps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Vital or Steps?

Vital and Steps are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Vital or Steps have ads?

Neither Vital nor Steps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vital or Steps?

Vital ships an update every 18 months, and Steps every 3 weeks. Most recently, Vital was updated on October 24, 2026 and Steps on October 10, 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.*