# Step It Up vs Ascend

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ascend at 78% against Step It Up's 28%. Step It Up's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (823 vs 14). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Step It Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ascend sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Step It Up holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Step It Up has 823 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of Step It Up's written reviews are positive against 78% of Ascend's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Step It Up ships an update monthly, Ascend every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Step It Up | Ascend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (823 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/step-it-up/id719690083/reviews)** | [4.2 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-floor-counter/id1493411512/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **823** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 28.0% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bean's Bytes, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/339072174) | [Eddie Koranek](https://appshunter.io/developer/888930672) |

## What reviewers say

### Step It Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/step-it-up/id719690083)

This app tracks your daily steps, distance, stairs climbed, and active calories burned. It offers insights into your progress over time and allows for customization. Compatible with iPhone and Apple Watch, it provides a privacy-first approach to monitoring your activity.

**Highlights:** Track daily steps, distance, and stairs, Monitor active calories burned, View trends and insights for progress, Set daily step goals and track exercise minutes, Syncs with Apple Watch and Watch face complications, Home Screen Widgets for quick activity glance

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Step It Up Plus | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate step tracking
- 🚀 Great for Apple Watch
- 💡 Useful features like step goals and rest days

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with real-time updates on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Inconsistent data display and syncing
- 🔋 High battery drain on Apple Watch
- 🤔 Paid version doesn't offer much additional value

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or disappearing from Apple Watch
- Incorrect distance and calorie tracking
- Inability to set or save user preferences

**Requested features**

- Ability to track weight and other fitness metrics
- Competitive features like challenges with friends
- More customization options for step goals and reminders


### Ascend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-floor-counter/id1493411512)

This app visually tracks your daily stair climbing by using your Apple Health data. Set goals, monitor your progress with dynamic charts, and earn achievements for your efforts. It offers personalized themes to customize your experience.

**Highlights:** Integrates with Apple Health, Dynamic tracking charts and graphs, Daily, weekly, monthly, and lifetime tracking, Personal record tracking, Real-life equivalent achievements, Personalized themes and icons

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Feature Unlock | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coffee sized tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Feature Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |
| Feature Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |
| Lunch sized tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Step It Up free?

Step It Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ascend free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Step It Up or Ascend?

Step It Up is rated higher. Step It Up averages 4.5 out of 5 from 823 ratings, while Ascend averages 4.2 from 14 ratings.

### Do Step It Up or Ascend have ads?

Neither Step It Up nor Ascend shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Step It Up or Ascend?

Step It Up ships an update monthly, and Ascend every 5 months. Most recently, Step It Up was updated on September 23, 2026 and Ascend on September 14, 2026.

---

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