StepOpen vs PlainWalk
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StepOpen
Read full descriptionHide full description
StepOpen is the "walk to unlock" app. Lock the apps that distract you (social, video, games) and unlock them once you reach today's step goal. The more you walk, the more of the time your phone was taking comes back to you. Instead of guilt or pressure, it turns moving your body into the "key" - a gentle digital detox habit. It's simple 1. Choose the apps you want to lock 2. Set the steps needed to unlock them (2,000 / 3,000 / 5,000 / 8,000) 3. Until you reach that count, the chosen apps stay locked 4. Walk, and they open automatically Free - Lock up to 2 apps - Unlock step by step as you walk - This week's records (achievements, streaks, charts) - Morning reminder / almost-there notifications - One temporary unlock per day (an escape hatch for when you really need it) StepOpen Pro - Lock unlimited apps - Custom step goals (add unlock targets that fit you) - Schedules / time-of-day rules - Detailed records & insights (month / year, trends) - Strict Mode (rules you can't relax for a set period, for when you're serious) Privacy first Your steps (Health) and your choice of locked apps are, as a rule, processed only on your device and never sent to an external server. We can't know your step details or which apps you locked. May walking become the most pleasant way to put some distance between you and your phone. ---------- StepOpen Pro (auto-renewable subscription) - Monthly plan: ¥600 / month - Yearly plan: ¥4,800 / year (about 33% off) - New users get a 7-day free trial - Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. - The subscription auto-renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. If you cancel during the trial, you won't be charged. - Terms of Use: https://rai-prs.github.io/stepopen-web/terms.html - Privacy Policy: https://rai-prs.github.io/stepopen-web/privacy.html
PlainWalk
This app transforms your walks into a visual exploration by drawing your path on a blank map in real-time. It highlights newly explored roads and emphasizes frequently traveled routes, encouraging you to discover new streets and alleys. Your location data stays private on your device.
- Real-time trail drawing on a blank map
- Pioneered distance tracking for first-time roads
- Road thickness indicates frequency of travel
- Background recording
- Live Activity and Home Screen widget
- Real-map view overlay
- Pinning spots with photos and notes
Read full descriptionHide full description
PlainWalk is a walking app where you draw a pure white map with your own feet. Open the app and the map is empty. Start walking, and only the roads you actually walked appear, one line at a time. Roads you take often grow darker and thicker. Roads you walk for the first time are recorded as ground you pioneered. Take a different street home tonight. Turn into the alley you have never tried. Small adventures like these stay on your map. ■ Features ・Your trail is drawn onto the blank map in real time ・First-time roads count toward your pioneered distance ・Roads you walk often grow thicker, revealing the shape of your daily life ・Background recording keeps going after you close the screen ・Live Activity shows your distance on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island ・A Home Screen widget shows today's pioneered distance and your map ・A real-map view overlays your trail on the actual streets ・Daily walk history with trail previews ・Pin "spots" to your map with a photo, a category and a note ・Replay a single walk, or watch your whole map grow as a timelapse ■ Privacy Your location and walking records are stored only on your device. Nothing is ever sent to a server, and no account is required. Why not turn that still-blank corner on today's walk? —————— PlainWalk Plus (auto-renewable subscription) Unlocks map colour schemes, trail and photo pin styles, area badge details with crystal finishes, town replays, cat coats and a hedgehog, automatic recording and recording from home and work, several flags and unlimited Someday places, workouts from Apple Health on your map, your own LUTs, sticker finishes, and the Around you and Your region widgets, and removes ads. The blank map, all statistics and the pioneer ranks stay free. - Monthly and yearly plans. Prices are shown in the app for your region. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel it in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://bitpackman.github.io/plainwalk/privacy.en.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: StepOpen at none against PlainWalk's shown. StepOpen also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. StepOpen sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PlainWalk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.69 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
StepOpen ships an update daily, PlainWalk every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StepOpen | PlainWalk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 84.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Takumi Shirai | KANTA KOKONNO |
In-app purchases
StepOpen
- StepOpen Plus 月額$1.991 Month
- StepOpen Pro 月額7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- StepOpen Plus 年額$19.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- StepOpen Pro 年額7 Days trial$29.991 Year
PlainWalk
- PlainWalk Plus Monthly$2.691 Month
- PlainWalk Plus Yearly7 Days trial$26.901 Year
- Remove Ads$5.99









