The best step counter apps for iPhone, compared
Seven step counters people ask about most, with what each costs, what the free plan really covers and what each one is best at. We make Stepdy, so we've tried to be fair: where another app is the better pick, we say so.
Which one should you pick?
You want to compete with a few friends, without ads or sign-up
Stepdy. Stepdy puts a small group on one live board, adds head-to-head races and keeps a streak that allows rest days. The free plan has no ads; you can create 1 group and run 1 race at a time.
You want everything free, in big groups
StepUp. StepUp has no paid features at all and groups of up to 15,000 people. It shows ads and doesn't record walks on a map.
Your friends use Android
Pacer. Pacer runs on iPhone and Android, with free group challenges, clubs and weekly leagues. It always creates an account, and it shows ads unless you pay for Premium.
You walk and hike on your own with an Apple Watch
Pedometer++. Pedometer++ is built around the Apple Watch, with offline maps and route tools. It has no friend competitions.
You want your steps to earn rewards
Sweatcoin. Sweatcoin turns verified steps into an in-app currency for its marketplace.
You and your friends all wear an Apple Watch
Apple Fitness. Apple's Fitness app has 7-day one-on-one competitions built in, scored on Activity rings.
Side by side
| Stepdy | StepsApp | Pacer | Pedometer++ | StepUp | Sweatcoin | Apple Fitness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | Free · Pro $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr, 7-day free trial | Free · PRO $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr on its website (the App Store lists several price points); a Family plan | Free · Premium subscription (the App Store lists several price points, $3.99–$49.99); a Family plan | Free · Premium $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr on its website | Free; optional "Support StepUp" purchases ($1–$25) and ad removal | Free · Premium subscription (the App Store lists $4.99 and $24.99) | Free (Apple's own app); Fitness+ is a separate subscription |
| Free plan | Steps, streaks, water, activities and rankings; 1 group of your own, 1 race at a time | Daily steps, goals and streaks; friend and group challenges are free | Step tracking, goals, and creating or joining step challenges | Step counting and the core features; iPhone workout tracking needs Premium | Every feature is free | Earns sweatcoins for verified steps, up to a daily cap | Activity rings, sharing and competitions |
| Compete with friends | Groups with a live board, challenges against other groups, head-to-head races, world and country rankings, a Feed | Friends, groups and challenges (1 day to 18 months, personal or team), daily and weekly leaderboards | Friends, clubs, many challenge types including team vs team, weekly leagues | No friend competitions or leaderboards stated | Friends leaderboards, private groups of up to 15,000 people, group chat, challenges, country and global ranking | Compete with friends on who keeps the longest step streak | Share Activity with up to 40 friends; 7-day one-on-one competitions scored on Activity rings |
| Platforms | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, with maps on the watch (Premium) | Yes | Yes | Yes (the Exercise and Stand rings need one) |
| Walks and runs on a map | Yes (full route on the detail screen with Pro) | Yes (PRO) | Yes, with GPX export | Yes, with offline maps and GPX import | No | Not stated | Route maps for workouts |
| Water tracking | Yes, with reminders | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Account | No sign-up | Optional; needed for friends and groups | Always created; sign-in with email, Apple, Google or Facebook | None mentioned | Sign-in needed to add friends | Sign-up with phone, email, Apple or Google | Your Apple Account |
| Ads and tracking | No ads, no tracking | Contains ads (PRO removes them); tracking listed on its App Store label | Contains ads (Premium removes them); tracking listed on its App Store label | Contains ads (Premium removes them); no tracking on its App Store label | Contains ads; tracking listed on its App Store label | Contains ads; tracking listed on its App Store label | No ads, no tracking |
| App Store rating (US) | New in 2026 (few ratings yet) | 4.8 from 303,728 ratings | 4.9 from 336,888 ratings | 4.8 from 184,916 ratings | 4.8 from 149,810 ratings | 4.5 from 402,250 ratings | 2.9 from 11,647 ratings |
| Best at | Competing in small groups with a forgiving streak, water and GPS walks in one app, without ads or sign-up | A polished goal-and-streak step counter with free friend and group challenges and wide wearable sync | The broadest community toolkit: free group challenges across iPhone and Android, clubs and leagues | An Apple Watch-first, privacy-minded pedometer with strong hiking and route tools | Free social leaderboards and very large group challenges across iPhone, Android and wearables | Turning verified steps into an in-app currency to spend in its marketplace | Activity rings with 7-day one-on-one competitions built in; the full experience needs an Apple Watch |
Sources
- Stepdy: apps.apple.com
- StepsApp: apps.apple.com, steps.app, steps.app
- Pacer: apps.apple.com, www.mypacer.com, support.mypacer.com
- Pedometer++: apps.apple.com, pedometer.app, pedometer.app
- StepUp: apps.apple.com, www.thestepupapp.com
- Sweatcoin: apps.apple.com, help.sweatco.in
- Apple Fitness: apps.apple.com, support.apple.com, support.apple.com
Questions people ask
What is the best free step counter app for iPhone?
It depends on what you want for free. StepUp has no paid features at all but shows ads. Stepdy's free plan covers steps, streaks, water, walks on a map and the rankings, with no ads, and lets you create 1 group and run 1 race at a time. Pedometer++ keeps its core features free but puts iPhone workout tracking in Premium.
Which step counter lets me compete with friends?
Stepdy, StepUp, StepsApp and Pacer all have friend and group challenges, and in Sweatcoin you can compete with friends on the longest step streak. Apple's Fitness app has 7-day one-on-one competitions scored on Activity rings.
Which step counter has no ads?
Among the apps here, Stepdy and Apple Fitness show no ads. StepsApp, Pacer, Pedometer++, StepUp and Sweatcoin declare advertising on their App Store pages; most remove it with a paid plan.
Do I need an Apple Watch to count steps?
No. Every app here counts steps with an iPhone alone; an Apple Watch adds the steps you take while your phone is elsewhere. Apple's Activity rings need an Apple Watch for the Exercise and Stand rings.
Walk with the people you know.
Free on the App Store. No ads, no sign-up.
