# StepMage vs Stride

The clearest difference is ads: StepMage at none against Stride's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StepMage sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stride sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

StepMage ships an update every 3 weeks, Stride fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StepMage | Stride |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [深圳十米网络科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463361355) | [Varsha Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788424861) |

## What reviewers say

### StepMage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepmage-magic-academy-rpg/id6758439614)

Transform your daily steps and workouts into magical spells and mana within a wizarding academy. Use your Apple Watch to explore, meditate, train, and brew potions, all while battling dark forces with motion-controlled casting.

**Highlights:** Convert steps into in-game energy, Mindfulness exercises for mental defense, Burn calories for magical potency, Sleep quality restores magical energy, Motion-controlled spell casting, Random encounters and exploration, Standalone Apple Watch app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-Time Full Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |


### Stride

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stride-run-tracker/id6813485483)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StepMage free?

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

### Is Stride free?

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

### Do StepMage or Stride have ads?

Stride shows ads; StepMage does not.

### Which is updated more often, StepMage or Stride?

StepMage ships an update every 3 weeks, and Stride fortnightly. Most recently, StepMage was updated on November 5, 2026 and Stride on October 31, 2026.

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