# Ascend vs Sync Stairs

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sync Stairs at freemium against Ascend's subscription. Ascend's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ascend sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Sync Stairs sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 Ascend against 5.0 for Sync Stairs. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ascend has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Ascend ships an update every 4 days, Sync Stairs every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ascend | Sync Stairs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-stair-master-workouts/id6757202987/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sync-stairs/id6807886795/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 122 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tyler Pavay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865255425) | [Richard Witherspoon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690898003) |

## What reviewers say

### Ascend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-stair-master-workouts/id6757202987)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ascend Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Ascend Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $49.99 | one-time |


### Sync Stairs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sync-stairs/id6807886795)

Track your stair climbing workouts with real-time metrics, detailed analytics, and personal best achievements. Integrates seamlessly with Apple Health and Apple Watch for comprehensive fitness tracking. Offers smart features like live activities and widgets to keep you motivated.

**Highlights:** Real-time climb tracking, Comprehensive workout analytics, Apple Watch support, Apple Health integration, Live Activity and widgets, Automatic personal best detection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ascend free?

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

### Is Sync Stairs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ascend or Sync Stairs?

Ascend and Sync Stairs are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Ascend or Sync Stairs have ads?

Neither Ascend nor Sync Stairs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ascend or Sync Stairs?

Ascend ships an update every 4 days, and Sync Stairs every 4 weeks. Most recently, Ascend was updated on November 9, 2026 and Sync Stairs on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*