Comparison

StepPup vs Lifter

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

Head to head
About

StepPup

This app transforms your daily walks into an engaging adventure with a virtual dog companion. Your real-world steps directly influence your dog's happiness and unlock rewards, fostering a fun way to build healthy habits and bond with your digital pet.

Highlights
  • Virtual dog companion
  • Real-world step tracking integration
  • Dog breed selection
  • Friend leaderboards
  • HealthKit integration
  • Achievements and challenges
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Turn every step into an adventure with your virtual dog companion! StepPup combines real-world fitness tracking with an engaging pet simulation game that makes walking fun and rewarding. YOUR STEPS MATTER Your real-world steps directly affect your virtual pup's happiness and wellbeing. The more you walk, the happier your dog becomes. Watch your companion's mood transform from you hitting your daily goals. ADOPT YOUR PERFECT COMPANION Choose from unique dog breeds, each with their own personality: Beagle, Golden Retriever, Husky, Shiba Inu, French Bulldog, Great Dane, Corgi, German Shepherd, and more! Some dogs bond quickly, others are more independent - find the perfect match for your walking style. BUILD A LASTING BOND • Earn XP with every step and level up your friendship • Unlock exclusive cosmetics like collars, leashes, and boots • Pet and feed treats to boost happiness WALK WITH FRIENDS • Add friends using unique friend codes • Friends Leaderboard - compete on steps, streaks, and dog levels • View your friends' dogs and walking progress DYNAMIC WALK EXPERIENCE • Real-time step, distance, pace, and calorie tracking via HealthKit • Random encounters during walks - find coins and meet other dogs • Beautiful time-of-day scenes (sunrise, day, sunset, night) • Apple Watch support for seamless workout tracking STAY MOTIVATED • 50+ achievements across walking, streaks, and bonding milestones • Daily challenges with streak rewards and XP multipliers • Game Center leaderboards - compete daily, weekly, and monthly • Track your walking history with detailed statistics NEVER LOSE PROGRESS • iCloud backup keeps your data safe • Automatic daily backups • Seamless sync across devices The more you walk in real life, the happier your virtual companion becomes. It's the perfect motivation to get moving and build healthy habits - one step at a time. Start your walking journey with a furry friend by your side!

About

Lifter

Features
Read full description

Lifter is your strength training companion: plan workouts, track sets, reps, and weights, monitor your progress, and stay motivated with clear goals. Start a workout in seconds, add exercises, and log every set while you train. Lifter calculates your training volume, shows streaks, and makes progress easy to understand, so you can see how your strength improves over time. Highlights: Workout tracking for sets, reps, and weights Create training plans manually or generate them with AI Track progress, volume, streaks, and personal bests Unlock badges and weight comparisons for extra motivation HealthKit integration for workouts, heart rate, calories, and activity data Training reminders to stay consistent Community features to share and save workout plans Widgets and Live Activities for active workouts Lifter Pro as a one-time purchase, no subscriptions Lifter is built for people who take training seriously but do not want a cluttered fitness app. Fast enough for the gym, structured enough for long-term progress. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

StepPup4 screens
Lifter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StepPup at none against Lifter's 1. StepPup also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lifter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. StepPup asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StepPup ships an update daily, Lifter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
StepPup versus Lifter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStepPupLifter
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharles ChiejinaSandro Wehrhahn

In-app purchases

None

StepPup

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Lifter

One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$7.99

Questions

Is StepPup free?
StepPup is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lifter free?
Lifter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StepPup or Lifter have ads?
Neither StepPup nor Lifter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StepPup or Lifter?
StepPup ships an update daily, and Lifter every 3 weeks. Most recently, StepPup was updated on September 30, 2026 and Lifter on October 7, 2026.

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