Comparison

Stark vs Pacer

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

Head to head
About

Stark

Features
Read full description

STARK is the definitive step goal tracker for high-performance living. Built for people who move with intention, Stark cuts through the noise and keeps you focused on one thing: hitting your daily step goal. TRACK YOUR STEPS Stark connects directly to Apple Health to deliver your real-time step count, estimated distance, and calories burned on a clean, no-fuss dashboard that loads instantly every time you open the app. SET YOUR GOAL Choose from pre-set daily goals (3,000, 5,000, 8,000, or 10,000 steps), or go Pro and set your own custom target. Your goal, your standard. STAY CONSISTENT Stark tracks your daily streak so you can build and protect your momentum. See your current week at a glance, visualize consistency, and get a haptic reward when you crush the day. HOME SCREEN WIDGET Keep your step count visible without opening the app. Add the Stark widget to your Home Screen or Lock Screen for a live view of your progress against your daily goal. UNLOCK STARK PRO Upgrade to Stark Pro for unlimited access to: • Custom step goal • Efficiency Analytics (today vs. average) • Weekly summary (total steps, distance, active time) • Daily breakdown chart with goal visualization • Personal records (best day, best week, best month, longest streak) PRIVACY-FIRST Stark reads step data from Apple Health and does not sell your data. Stark is designed for simplicity, speed, and daily use. No bloat. No distractions. Just you and your steps. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/tofu-stark/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://sites.google.com/view/tofu-stark/terms Subscription terms: • Subscription: Stark Pro (Auto-renewable) • Length: 1 year • Price: $29.99/year (USD; may vary by region) Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions in your App Store account settings.

About

Pacer

Features
Read full description

Most step counters tell you you're behind at 10pm. Pacer tells you at 10am. Pacer spreads your daily step goal across your active hours and shows whether you're ahead or behind pace right now, on every glance. A 10,000-step goal isn't a midnight cliff. By 3pm you can know if you're on track. WHAT YOU GET • A live ahead/behind number on your wrist — "+420" or "-180", not a percentage. • Three watch-face complications: rectangular (steps + delta + pace bar), Pacer Steps (circular), and Pacer Delta (circular). • Custom active hours. Active from 10am? Winding down by 6pm? Set it once. • Gentle behind-pace nudges if you slip off pace PRIVACY Pacer collects nothing. HealthKit step counts stay on your watch — no servers, no accounts, no analytics, no third-party SDKs. DESIGNED FOR APPLE WATCH Built with SwiftUI and Swift 6 for smooth, battery-friendly performance. HOW IT WORKS Set a daily goal and an active window (default 9am–8pm). Every minute Pacer computes your on-pace target, a moving line from 0 at your start time to your goal at your end time. The delta between your actual steps and that target is your dashboard, your complication, your nudge. PERFECT FOR • Walkers who want nudges, not alarms • Shift workers with non-standard hours • Anyone trying to get their steps in for the day, every day

Screenshots

Stark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Stark at Free against Pacer's $3.99. Stark also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Pacer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). On 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

Stark is free to download; Pacer costs $3.99 up front. Stark sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Pacer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stark ships an update every 2 weeks, Pacer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Stark versus Pacer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarkPacer
PriceFree — better$3.99
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.213.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRalph OlazoAditya Gupta

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Stark

Subscriptions2
  • Stark Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Stark Pro Annual$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Stark Pro Lifetime$39.99
None

Pacer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stark free?
Stark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pacer free?
Pacer costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Stark or Pacer have ads?
Neither Stark nor Pacer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stark or Pacer?
Stark ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pacer every 2 months. Most recently, Stark was updated on October 6, 2026 and Pacer on October 9, 2026.

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