Comparison

Thru vs Kinapod

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

Head to head
About

Thru

Conquer legendary hiking trails virtually by tracking your real-world steps. Progress through illustrated landscapes, collect badges, and check in at landmarks on an interactive map. Every mile walked brings your virtual hiker closer to the finish line.

Highlights
  • Virtual thru-hiking expeditions
  • Real-world step tracking integration
  • Interactive progress map
  • Illustrated landscape representations
  • Trail badge collection
  • Landmark check-ins
Features
Read full description

Ever dreamed of completing a legendary thru hike? Now you can conquer epic trails like the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Grand Tour des Alpes, and more using nothing but your daily steps! Thru connects your real-world activity to a breathtaking virtual expedition. Whether you're walking the dog, running a marathon, or simply pacing around the office, every single mile moves your hiker further along the virtual trail. See your progress unfold on a beautifully designed, interactive map. As you clock the miles, you'll pass through illustrated representations of iconic landscapes. Stay motivated by collecting unique trail badges, checking in at landmarks, and watching your virtual self complete the journey.

About

Kinapod

This app helps disc sports enthusiasts measure and improve their throwing technique. It uses AirPods to provide real-time audio feedback on spin rate, speed, and airborne time, with detailed session summaries and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Spin rate and revolutions per throw
  • Release speed and airborne time
  • Nose and hyzer release angles
  • Session totals and GPS distance
  • Voice feedback via AirPods
  • Progress tracking with charts
  • Strava export
Features
Read full description

One AirPod. Eight sports. Kinapod turns an AirPod into a motion sensor inside your flying disc, inside your bowling ball, on your running shoe, on your bicycle wheel, under your swim cap, in your golf grip, or on your shuttlecock, measuring what no phone or watch can see. DISC SPORTS: DISC GOLF & FRISBEE 1. Secure an AirPod in a mount at the centre of your disc 2. Start a session and throw 3. Hear each throw's stats spoken aloud, no need to look at the phone • Spin rate (rpm) and revolutions per throw • Release speed • Airborne time per throw • Nose and hyzer release angles • Play catch with a partner: throws credited to each player automatically, with catch verdicts and rally streaks • Game mode for ultimate: lay the phone on the sideline and get a live stall count, completions vs turnovers, hang time, and your backhand/forehand split on a big spectator scoreboard. A disc toss even decides which team starts BOWLING Drop an AirPod into the thumb hole and plug it with a piece of sponge. Every roll is measured: • Ball speed and release rev rate • Roll time, spin-axis tilt and axis rotation (hook potential) • 3D replay of the ball spinning about its measured axis • Up to 4 players sharing one ball, rolls credited by turn order RUNNING: TREADMILL & OUTDOOR Tuck an AirPod under your shoelaces and it becomes a footpod: • Cadence, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, running power • Outdoors, GPS adds pace, distance and your route map • Upload runs to Strava, form metrics included, like a dedicated footpod CYCLING Strap the AirPod securely around your wheel hub, the same spot dedicated speed sensors use, or wear it on your leg as a cadence sensor. Your ears stay free while you ride: • True ground speed and distance from the wheel itself, immune to GPS drift • A customizable bike computer screen: swipeable pages, pick any metric for any tile • Bluetooth power meters and heart-rate straps connect directly • Rolling power averages, Normalized Power, TSS, laps, auto-pause • Optional wind gauge showing wind direction relative to where you ride SWIM Slip the AirPod into a small waterproof pouch under your cap: • Laps, distance and pace per length, counted automatically • Live distance and pace on the phone at the lane edge • Water lock ignores splashes on the screen • Upload swims to Strava with the pace graph GOLF Tuck the AirPod into the end of the grip: • Tempo (backswing over downswing) with the raw times • Backswing and follow-through length in degrees • Face rotation for putts, measured against your own address • Estimated club speed for every club, custom clubs included • 3D replay of every stroke with the measured arcs drawn on it JIANZI Strap the AirPod to the shuttlecock base, feathers up: • Rallies counted automatically, from first kick to landing • Kicks per rally, airborne time, average hang per kick • Kicking tempo and idle time TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Every session saved, with per-throw, per-roll, per-stroke and per-rally charts • Live heart rate during every workout (AirPods Pro 3 in-ear, or any Bluetooth heart-rate monitor), with session averages and Strava export • Shareable session summary image • Strava upload for runs, rides and swims • Voice feedback through your phone speaker or AirPods • Report a problem straight from any session REQUIREMENTS Requires AirPods with a built-in motion sensor: AirPods Pro (any generation), AirPods (3rd generation or later). All motion processing happens on your device. AirPods is a trademark of Apple Inc. The cycling wind gauge uses Apple Weather.

Screenshots

Thru4 screens
Kinapod4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Thru at 131 against Kinapod's 5. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Thru against 5.0 for Kinapod. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thru has 131 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Thru's written reviews are positive against 100% of Kinapod's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thru ships an update every 9 days, Kinapod every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Thru versus Kinapod: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThruKinapod
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (131 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron La LauDataPattern Labs Inc.

Customer experience

Thru

All ratings121 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.3%

Kinapod

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Thru

No in-app purchases

None

Kinapod

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thru free?
Thru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kinapod free?
Kinapod is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Thru or Kinapod?
Kinapod is rated higher. Thru averages 4.9 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while Kinapod averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Thru or Kinapod have ads?
Neither Thru nor Kinapod shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thru or Kinapod?
Thru ships an update every 9 days, and Kinapod every 8 days. Most recently, Thru was updated on November 5, 2026 and Kinapod on October 31, 2026.

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