Comparison

Oarca vs Rowly

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

Head to head
About

Oarca

Features
Read full description

Oarca is your complete rowing companion, designed to help you track every stroke, analyze every session, and reach your training goals. Whether you're training on open water or preparing for competition, Oarca provides the tools you need to improve your performance. Your Club, in Your Pocket Manage your club, its groups and its members directly in the app. Coaches can build training programs and assign sessions to specific groups and boats, follow crews live on the water, and keep safety information within reach on every outing. Track Every Detail Monitor your workouts with GPS route mapping, real-time stroke rate (SPM) detection, heart rate zone tracking, and comprehensive metrics including distance, pace, and time. View your speed visualization directly on your route map to understand your performance at every point. Train with Purpose Follow structured training programs including interval training (both variable and constant), distance-based workouts, time-based sessions, and stroke-based training. Set goals and track your progress toward completion. Analyze and Improve Review your workout history with detailed graphs and analytics. Dive deep into split analysis, interval breakdowns, and heart rate distribution to understand your performance trends over time. Connect Your Devices Seamlessly integrate with Polar heart rate monitors, ActiveLook smart glasses for heads-up display, GoPro cameras for workout recording, and other Bluetooth sensors to enhance your training experience. Plan and Organize Use the training calendar to schedule sessions, set event reminders, and save your favorite rowing locations for easy access. Share Your Progress Export your workout data and share your achievements on social media with custom workout cards that showcase your performance. Download Oarca and transform the way you train.

About

Rowly

Features
Read full description

Rowly is a rowing performance tracking app designed for on-water training and post-session analysis. It uses your phone’s GPS and motion sensors to record key rowing metrics in real time and presents them in a clear, practical way for review after each session. Rowly is free to use for real-time tracking during your sessions. See your pace, stroke rate, distance, and more as you row. More extensive analytics, integration with heart-rate sensor, and uploads to Strava are available in the Premium plan - with which you help me cover the cost of development. Rowly is suitable for both individual rowers and coxswains who want better insight into pace, rhythm, efficiency, and consistency during and after training. Uses advanced sensor fusion combining GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope with Kalman filtering and zero-crossing stroke detection for accurate speed, stroke rate, and boat stability tracking — no external hardware needed. Terms of use / EULA can be accessed here: https://rowly.ecvis.nl/terms

Screenshots

Oarca4 screens
Rowly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Rowly at 13.0 against Oarca's 15.1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Oarca sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Rowly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Oarca ships an update every 9 days, Rowly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Oarca versus Rowly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOarcaRowly
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB44 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHamla TeknolojiErik Christiaan Visser

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Oarca

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Oarca Premium$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Rowly

Subscriptions2
  • Rowly Premium - Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Rowly Premium - Annual$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Rowly Premium - Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Oarca free?
Oarca is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rowly free?
Rowly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Oarca or Rowly have ads?
Neither Oarca nor Rowly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Oarca or Rowly?
Oarca ships an update every 9 days, and Rowly weekly. Most recently, Oarca was updated on October 26, 2026 and Rowly on October 8, 2026.

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