Comparison

Start Stretching vs Bend

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

Head to head
About

Start Stretching

Improve your physical flexibility with guided stretches designed for beginners. This app offers simple instructions and a built-in timer to make daily stretching convenient. Track your progress and integrate with your health app to monitor your fitness journey.

Highlights
  • Beginner-level stretches
  • Easy-to-follow graphics and instructions
  • Configurable stretch durations
  • Built-in timer
  • Health app integration
  • Statistics tracking
  • Automatic stretch cycling
Read full description

Start Stretching is a stretching coach intended for healthy individuals who are seeking to improve their physical flexibility. The app is an entry point into the world of flexibility training for anyone with the capability to perform a few basic movements. The app features a routine of beginner level stretches designed to help people improve their health and mobility, whether you have a minute or 10 to spare each day. Simple graphics with easy to follow instructions and a built-in timer make stretching convenient. Integration with the Health app allows tracking stretching time as a workout. ---------------------------------------- Why Stretch With Start Stretching? ---------------------------------------- - Basic stretches, clearly described – both textually and graphically - Configurable stretch durations for difficulty adjustment - Integration with the Health app to record your stretching workouts - Statistics tracking - Stretch hold length timing - Automatic cycling through the stretch routine

About

Bend

This app offers a wide variety of guided stretching and mobility routines designed to improve flexibility, relieve pain, and enhance overall well-being. With hundreds of exercises and programs for all levels, it aims to make daily movement a consistent and beneficial part of your life.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of stretching exercises
  • Daily routines for various needs (wake up, posture, sleep)
  • Improve flexibility and mobility
  • Relieve pain in back, neck, hips, shoulders
  • Customizable routines
  • Suitable for all ages and experience levels
Features
Read full description

Bend is the simple, affordable way to make stretching & movement a part of your daily routine. With over 15 million users, our quick & convenient routines help improve your flexibility and maintain your natural range of motion as you get older. We offer hundreds of exercises and easy-to-follow routines designed for all ages and experience levels. It's never too early to start stretching everyday! “It’s like having a personal stretching coach in my pocket.” — The New York Times “I could never stick to my stretching routine. Then I found this app.” — Wirecutter STRETCHING IS IMPORTANT A simple, daily stretching routine can have a huge impact on your quality of life. Every time you stretch, you invest in your long-term health and longevity. Stretching benefits include: ⊕ Increase flexibility & mobility in your muscles and joints ⊕ Prevent and relieve pain in your lower back, neck, hips, shoulders and more ⊕ Reduce the risk of injury during outdoor activities and sports ⊕ Improve sleep quality and energy throughout the day ⊕ Improve posture and strengthen your core ⊕ Reduce stress & anxiety ⊕ Improve athletic performance ⊕ Improve circulation and blood flow ⊕ Accelerate muscle recovery ⊕ Improve balance & coordination ⊕ And more! YOUR BODY'S FAVORITE APP Bend offers dozens of daily stretching & mobility routines for every occasion. ⊕ “Wake Up” Designed to maintain your body’s natural mobility and range of motion. Simple, quick, convenient, and effective, you can do it anytime, anywhere, everyday. ⊕ “Posture Reset” Specifically designed to improve your posture with seated stretches that can correct habitual posture problems by increasing flexibility in the shoulders, back, and neck. ⊕ “Full Body” Focused on improving overall flexibility, with more than 20 stretching exercises and poses that target key muscles and joints throughout your entire body. ⊕ “Sleep” Gentle, long-hold stretches designed to help you unwind and de-stress after a long day at work through better quality of sleep, which is made possible by relieving muscle tension and relaxing the body. ⊕ “Expert” Advance group of stretching exercises and yoga poses that cover all major muscle groups and extremities. Flexibility and range of motion can be improved significantly with their more complex movements. ⊕ "Hips" Open and unlock tight hips with deep, focused stretches designed to improve hip flexibility and undo hours of inactivity from sitting at a desk, in a car, or on the couch. ⊕ "Hamstrings" Improve hamstring flexibility with subtle stretches designed to reduce hamstring tightness and relieve pressure on the knees, pelvis, and lower back. ⊕ "Lower Back" Reduce and prevent lower back pain with gentle stretches designed to increase flexibility in the lower back, pelvis, and hip flexors. ⊕ "Isometric" isometric exercise routines that build muscle, strength, balance, and range of motion in targeted areas through static muscle contraction. ⊕ And more! CREATE YOUR OWN Create your own custom stretching routine suited to your specific needs. Choose from hundreds of stretches, yoga poses, and isometric exercises in our library. EASY-TO-USE Bend makes stretching simple. We use custom illustrations and a timer to guide you through each routine. Every stretch has detailed instructions, information about its benefits, and specific things to be cautious about! STREAKS & ANALYTICS Our dashboard displays your streaks and analytics to track your progress and you can set reminders to help motivate you to stretch every day. Check your Bendometer as a quick way to see how consistent you’ve been stretching over the last few weeks. APPLE HEALTH Bend integrates with the Health app, giving users the option to sync health information and activity with Apple Health. FEEDBACK & SUPPORT If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at hello@bend.com! LEGAL Terms of Use: https://bend.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://bend.com/privacy

Screenshots

Start Stretching4 screens
Bend4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Bend at none against Start Stretching's shown. Bend also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (175K vs 3.6K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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. Start Stretching sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bend sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bend holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bend has 175K ratings behind it against 3.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Start Stretching's written reviews are positive against 86% of Bend's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Start Stretching ships an update every 4 months, Bend every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Start Stretching versus Bend: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStart StretchingBend
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.6K ratings)4.8 (175K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.8% of reviews86.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.6K175K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#53 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB259 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperYogasoft ApplicationsBowery Digital

Customer experience

Start Stretching

All ratings3,509 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral4.9%
Negative15.2%

Bend

All ratings174,810 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews2,558 reviews
Positive86.5%
Neutral4.4%
Negative9.1%

User reviews

Start Stretching

From 3.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Straightforward stretching routine
  • 💪 Helpful for improving flexibility
  • ⏱️ Effective timer and countdown features
  • 📊 Useful statistics and progress tracking

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Limited number of stretches
  • 🤔 Lack of customization and progression options
  • 💰 Premium version not worth the cost
  • 🤯 Confusing instructions and interface for some users

Bend

From 175K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Variety of stretching routines
  • 👍 Customizable routines
  • 👍 Helpful for improving flexibility and mobility
  • 👍 Motivating with streak tracking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Everything locked behind paywall
  • 🔒 No free trial to test full functionality
  • 🔒 Expensive subscription for limited content
  • 👎 Lack of visual guidance and instructions for stretches

Bugs and requests

Start Stretching

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional freezing or looping issues
  • Inconsistent behavior with left/right stretch variations

Requested features

4 requests
  • More stretching exercises and routines
  • Ability to create custom stretching programs
  • Guided audio or video instructions
  • Integration with fitness tracking apps

Bend

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Streak tracking issues and data loss
  • Inability to access paid content after subscription
  • Inconsistent app behavior and crashes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more stretching categories and routines
  • Provide more free content and trial options
  • Allow customization of stretch order and duration
  • Implement voice guidance and video demonstrations
  • Add Apple Watch support and integration
Show 1 more
  • Introduce social features and sharing

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Start Stretching

One-time1
  • Start Stretching Premium$1.99
9 purchases

Bend

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Membership$4.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership$13.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Annual Membership (70% Off)$19.991 Year
  • Annual Membership (70% Off)$23.991 Year
  • Annual Membership (70% Off)7 Days trial$23.991 Year
  • Annual Membership (50% Off)2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Annual Membership (50% Off)$39.991 Year
  • Annual Membership$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Start Stretching free?
Start Stretching is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bend free?
Bend is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Start Stretching or Bend?
Bend is rated higher. Start Stretching averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Bend averages 4.8 from 175K ratings.
Do Start Stretching or Bend have ads?
Start Stretching shows ads; Bend does not.
Which is updated more often, Start Stretching or Bend?
Start Stretching ships an update every 4 months, and Bend every 2 weeks. Most recently, Start Stretching was updated on November 6, 2026 and Bend on November 6, 2026.

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