Comparison

MCF Thrivified vs Start Rowing

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

Head to head
About

MCF Thrivified

Achieve your fitness goals at home with a wide range of classes and personalized workout programs. Track your progress, sync with compatible fitness equipment, and get motivated with expert coaching. Offers both free and premium features to suit your needs.

Highlights
  • Personalized workout programs
  • Hundreds of coaching videos
  • Bluetooth fitness equipment integration
  • Workout tracking (weight, calories, distance)
  • Goal setting
  • Workout journal reports
Features
Read full description

Your Machine. Your Metrics. Your Coach. Connected. MCF Thrivified turns your MyCloudFitness machines into a complete training system. Connect over Bluetooth and every session flows straight into your phone, your Apple Watch and Apple Health. Your machine doesn't have to retire with its app. MCF Thrivified keeps your MyCloudFitness equipment connected, tracked and syncing — with training tools the original console never had. Go further than that console ever could: battle bosses in Momentum Quest, ride real-world routes on a live 3D map, train along with guided videos, and get an honest daily read on how hard to push today. More Ways to Train: • Momentum Quest: Turn your workout into a boss battle. Hold live speed, power, cadence or heart rate targets, set from your own baseline, to wear each boss down. Beat one, face the next, and earn XP all session. • Virtual Journey: Pick a real-world route and ride it on a live 3D map that moves as you move. • Live Diagram: Speed, power, cadence, heart rate and calories as rolling live charts. Switch modes anytime, mid-workout. • Machine Control: Set resistance from your phone, or start a built-in bike program and let it drive the ride. Key Features: • Built for MyCloudFitness: Connect your machines over Bluetooth and start training in seconds. • Real-Time Tracking: Live speed, distance, power, cadence, calories and time, logged automatically. No manual entry. • Let's Move! Video Training: Guided workouts and programs, with your machine's live metrics beside the video. • Thrivify Stream: Say goodbye to boring cardio. Watch YouTube while you train, send it to the TV with AirPlay, and come back to a freshly curated playlist every day. • Apple Watch & Heart Rate Straps: Log from your wrist, or pair a chest strap for accurate heart rate and live zones. • Deep Workout Reports: Splits, pace, cadence, zones and your route with its elevation profile, exportable as PDF or image. • Apple Health: Workouts, calories and active minutes sync automatically. • Thrive Index: Balances Recovery and Strain so you know exactly how hard to train without burning out. • Stress Score: A daily read on your body's load from heart rate, HRV and sleep, so you can tell strain from real recovery. • Circadian Alignment: See how last night's sleep lined up with sunrise and sunset, and get tonight's ideal bedtime. • Thrive Age: The fitness age your health trends add up to, moving as you train. • Workout Weather: Hourly windows that tell you the best time today to head outside. • Coach Thrivify: AI workout tips and training insights, grounded in your own numbers. • Wellness Planner: Personalized workout and meal plans built around your goals and schedule. • Leaderboards: See where you stand among Top Burners, Top Walkers and Top Trainers, on a board that resets every 30 days. Compatibility: • Built for Bluetooth-enabled MyCloudFitness equipment. Check your machine's manual to confirm it connects over Bluetooth. • Resistance control and bike programs require a machine that supports them. • Sleep and recovery features require Apple Health and an Apple Watch or compatible heart rate monitor. • MCF Thrivified is an independent companion app, not the original MyCloudFitness app. Download now to start your free trial! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Disclaimers: • MCF Thrivified is an independent app developed by LifeSmart LLC. It is not the original MyCloudFitness app, and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by MyCloudFitness or its equipment manufacturer. MyCloudFitness is a trademark of its respective owner. • This app is a third-party client utilizing the YouTube APIs. YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC. This application is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by YouTube or Google. • Thrivify scores and insights are wellness estimates, not medical advice.

About

Start Rowing

This app provides structured rowing machine training plans for all experience levels, from beginner to advanced. It guides users through workouts with audio cues and a metronome, helping them build strength, burn calories, and improve rowing technique. Track progress and integrate with Apple Health for a comprehensive fitness journey.

Highlights
  • Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced training plans
  • Audio coach guidance
  • Rowing metronome
  • Workout logging and progress tracking
  • Apple Health integration
  • Session-based Challenger workouts
Features
Read full description

Start Rowing without any previous experience needed. Get in shape, build strength and burn calories. Our rowing app's workout plans will train you for the next stage in your rowing journey. Never rowed before? Start with our beginner plan. In 8 weeks you’ll be comfortable rowing 2000 meters with correct technique. Experienced erger? Use our intermediate and advanced plans to improve your overall fitness while increasing your rowing capacity. Start Rowing will guide you step by step, letting you know when to change rowing intensity and when to rest. Each plan is designed to slowly become more challenging so your body can adapt and gain endurance while minimising any risk of injury. Spend just 10-30 minutes a day, 2-5 days a week. You’ll be fitter, stronger and a much better rower! Features - Choose from Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced training plans. - Session based Challenger workouts to exercise your whole body. - Audio coach to guide your through your rowing workout. - Rowing metronome to help you keep in time. - Log your workouts and keep track of your overall progress. - Share your progress. - APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION: Connect your workouts to Health App to track your daily activity. Legal Disclaimer This app and any information given by it are for educational purposes only. They are not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any fitness program. If you upgrade to a premium Start Rowing subscription, payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. There is no increase in cost when renewing. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. Once purchased, the current period cannot be cancelled. Any unused portion of a free trial period is forfeited if you choose to purchase a premium subscription. Find the full terms and conditions at https://www.vigour.fitness/terms, and our privacy policy at https://www.vigour.fitness/privacy.

Screenshots

MCF Thrivified4 screens
Start Rowing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Start Rowing at 73% against MCF Thrivified's 29%. Start Rowing also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.7) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. MCF Thrivified sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Start Rowing sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Start Rowing holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Start Rowing has 682 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of MCF Thrivified's written reviews are positive against 73% of Start Rowing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MCF Thrivified ships an update every 10 days, Start Rowing every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MCF Thrivified versus Start Rowing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMCF ThrivifiedStart Rowing
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (15 ratings)4.7 (682 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.9% of reviews73.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15682 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB49 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperLifeSmart LLCVigour Group Ltd

Customer experience

MCF Thrivified

All ratings15 ratings
Positive13.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral6.7%
Negative64.4%

Start Rowing

All ratings682 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral9.3%
Negative17.5%

User reviews

MCF Thrivified

From 15 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent customer service
  • 👍 Helpful workout options
  • 🚀 Easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 💸 Excessive ads
  • 🔋 Battery drain
  • 🤯 Buggy and unreliable

Start Rowing

From 682 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helpful for beginners
  • 🚀 Structured workout plans
  • 👍 Easy to follow
  • 👍 Enjoyable and motivating
  • 🚀 Useful metronome and pacing features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues (blank screen, spinning circle)
  • 🔋 High battery drain
  • 💰 Misleading about free access, requires subscription
  • 👎 Limited customization and flexibility
  • 👎 Inconsistent performance (stroke rate changes, screen shutoff)

Bugs and requests

MCF Thrivified

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to save or log workouts
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Syncing issues with connected equipment

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to customize exercises
  • Integration with Apple Health
  • Improved data tracking and analytics

Start Rowing

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blank screen during workouts
  • Inconsistent stroke rate changes
  • Automatic screen shutoff during workouts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow custom workout creation
  • Improve volume control for metronome and audio
  • Add more advanced workout options
  • Enhance user interface and navigation
  • Improve sync and data tracking across devices

In-app purchases

4 purchases

MCF Thrivified

Subscriptions4
  • MCF Plus Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • MCF Ultimate Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • MCF Plus Yearly3 Days trial$30.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • MCF Ultimate Yearly14 Days trial$99.991 Year
7 purchases

Start Rowing

Subscriptions6
  • Start Rowing Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly2 variants$14.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Premium Yearly$79.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$179.99

Questions

Is MCF Thrivified free?
MCF Thrivified is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Start Rowing free?
Start Rowing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MCF Thrivified or Start Rowing?
Start Rowing is rated higher. MCF Thrivified averages 1.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Start Rowing averages 4.7 from 682 ratings.
Do MCF Thrivified or Start Rowing have ads?
MCF Thrivified shows ads; Start Rowing does not.
Which is updated more often, MCF Thrivified or Start Rowing?
MCF Thrivified ships an update every 10 days, and Start Rowing every 2 weeks. Most recently, MCF Thrivified was updated on September 21, 2026 and Start Rowing on September 26, 2026.

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