Ascend vs Cardio Log
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ascend
This app transforms your stair stepper workouts by adding a competitive element and automatically logging your progress. Track steps, time, and pace, compete on leaderboards, and virtually climb famous landmarks. Guided workouts and personal best tracking help you stay motivated.
- Real-time competition with other climbers
- Automatic step, time, and pace logging
- Detailed climb analysis
- Personal best tracking
- Global and filtered leaderboards
- Virtual climbs of famous towers
- Guided workout routines
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Never bored. Always logged. Finally consistent. Ascend turns your stair stepper into a climb with other climbers beside you and every step counted for you. No staring at the console. No forgetting to log. Just climb. COMPETE WITH OTHER CLIMBERS Every climb puts other climbers on the stairs beside you, each on their best attempt. See who's just ahead, pass them, and watch your rank change as you climb. YOUR CLIMBS LOG THEMSELVES Just wear your headphones. Motion sensors in compatible AirPods or Beats count every step on the machine, in real time. When you step off, the climb is already saved: steps, time and pace. Nothing to remember, nothing to type. ANALYZE EVERY CLIMB See your steps, time, pace and splits for every session. Pair a Bluetooth chest strap or connect Apple Health to add heart rate and effort. BEAT YOUR BEST Best Efforts turns your climbs into a record book only you can break: most steps, longest climb, fastest pace and more, each tied to the climb that set it. JOIN A GROWING COMMUNITY Weekly, monthly and all-time leaderboards. Filter by age, weight and location to see where you stand. Reach the podium, then defend it. CLIMB FAMOUS TOWERS Take on the real step counts of the Empire State Building, Taipei 101, the Eiffel Tower, Burj Khalifa and more. Each one has its own leaderboard and one permanent prize: the First Ascent. The first climber to finish keeps it forever, even after someone posts a faster time. FOLLOW GUIDED WORKOUTS Guided routines build intervals and changing intensity into your session. Or skip the structure and climb at your own pace, with a step goal if you want one. Every session lands in the same history. SHARE EVERY CLIMB Turn any climb into a share card for your story, with the result you earned. WHAT YOU NEED • A stair stepper • Compatible AirPods or Beats headphones (they count your steps) • Optional: Apple Health for heart rate and active calories, and a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor Every climb in Ascend comes from a session you do in Ascend. SUBSCRIPTION An auto-renewing subscription is required after onboarding. Plans, billing terms and any eligible trial are shown before purchase. Manage your subscription in your Apple Account settings; eligible purchases can be restored in Ascend. Ascend is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice. Terms of Use: https://ascendstepper.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://ascendstepper.com/privacy
Cardio Log
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The workout is done. Open CardioLog, tap the sport, set the minutes, rate the effort — logged in ten seconds. That is the whole job: a dead-simple cardio journal for people who run, cycle, swim, row or hit the elliptical and just want the work written down. No GPS to babysit. No pace charts to decode. No feed of strangers going faster than you. CardioLog measures nothing — it remembers. You did the session; the app keeps the receipt, adds it to your week and shows how close you are to the 150 minutes of aerobic activity the WHO recommends for adults. WHAT YOU GET • A session logged before your breathing settles — sport, minutes, effort, done • Your week at a glance: 112 of 150 minutes on Thursday tells you exactly what the weekend owes • A streak counter that makes day 14 feel too expensive to break • Your training mix laid bare — when "I swim sometimes" turns out to be 2 swims in 30 sessions, you will know • A monthly summary card ready to share: sessions, minutes, active weeks, longest session and your activity mix • Edit any entry, add notes ("hill repeats", "new shoes"), and export your entire log as CSV anytime PERFECT FOR • Runners and cyclists who want a diary of the work, not another GPS trace • Swimmers, rowers and elliptical regulars whose sports GPS apps never handled well anyway • Anyone chasing the WHO 150-minute week, one logged session at a time • Lapsed athletes rebuilding the habit who need a streak more than a coach WHY NOT JUST A GPS TRACKER? Trackers record where you went. A journal records that you went. If maps and splits kept you consistent, you would be consistent already. CardioLog strips the workout down to the three facts that build a habit — what, how long, how hard — and turns them into a week you can see and a streak you will not want to lose. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your log lives on your device. No account, no location, no third-party SDKs. A daily reminder at the hour you choose is the only time CardioLog speaks first. It is an activity journal, not a medical device — it measures nothing and assesses nothing. FULL ACCESS CardioLog Pro unlocks the complete experience: the daily volume chart, your training mix by sport, streak tracking and the shareable monthly summary. Choose a Weekly or Yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Tonight, after the run — log it. That is how streaks start. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Weekly and Yearly are auto-renewing subscriptions. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of that period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions after purchase. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and does not renew. Terms of Use: https://leanstudio.asia/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://leanstudio.asia/privacy-policy Support: support@leanstudio.asia
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ascend at every 4 days against Cardio Log's every 4 months. Cardio Log's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Ascend sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Cardio Log sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Ascend ships an update every 4 days, Cardio Log every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ascend | Cardio Log |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tyler Pavay | LEAN ASIA CO., LTD |
In-app purchases
Ascend
- Ascend Monthly$9.991 Month
- Ascend Yearly1 Month trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$49.99
Cardio Log
- Activity Minutes Weekly$3.997 Days
- Run Tracker Yearly$19.991 Year
- Cycling Lifetime$39.99









