Stepdy vs Pacer
Pacer is one of the most-rated step counters, with free group challenges, clubs and leagues on iPhone and Android. Stepdy is for iPhone and Apple Watch only, with no ads or sign-up, and focuses on small groups, head-to-head races and your streak.
| Stepdy | Pacer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | Free · Pro $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr, 7-day free trial | Free · Premium subscription (the App Store lists several price points, $3.99–$49.99); a Family plan |
| Free plan | Steps, streaks, water, activities and rankings; 1 group of your own, 1 race at a time | Step tracking, goals, and creating or joining step challenges |
| Compete with friends | Groups with a live board, challenges against other groups, head-to-head races, world and country rankings, a Feed | Friends, clubs, many challenge types including team vs team, weekly leagues |
| Platforms | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | Yes |
| Walks and runs on a map | Yes (full route on the detail screen with Pro) | Yes, with GPX export |
| Water tracking | Yes, with reminders | Not stated |
| Account | No sign-up | Always created; sign-in with email, Apple, Google or Facebook |
| Ads and tracking | No ads, no tracking | Contains ads (Premium removes them); tracking listed on its App Store label |
| App Store rating (US) | New in 2026 (few ratings yet) | 4.9 from 336,888 ratings |
| Best at | Competing in small groups with a forgiving streak, water and GPS walks in one app, without ads or sign-up | The broadest community toolkit: free group challenges across iPhone and Android, clubs and leagues |
Where Pacer is better
- Runs on Android as well as iPhone
- More kinds of challenges, such as distance, pace and virtual races, plus clubs and weekly leagues
- GPS walks with GPX export
- A long track record: 4.9 from 336,888 ratings in the US
Where Stepdy is better
- No ads on any plan (Pacer removes them with Premium)
- No account to create (Pacer always creates one)
- Water tracking with reminders
- Head-to-head step races that show on your Lock Screen
The short answer
Pick Pacer if your group mixes iPhone and Android or wants big challenges and leagues. Pick Stepdy for a small group on iPhone without ads or an account.
Sources
- Stepdy: apps.apple.com
- Pacer: apps.apple.com, www.mypacer.com, support.mypacer.com
Questions people ask
Is Stepdy better than Pacer?
Pick Pacer if your group mixes iPhone and Android or wants big challenges and leagues. Pick Stepdy for a small group on iPhone without ads or an account.
How much does Pacer cost compared with Stepdy?
Pacer: Free · Premium subscription (the App Store lists several price points, $3.99–$49.99); a Family plan. Stepdy: Free · Pro $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr, 7-day free trial (US prices, checked November 6, 2026).
Walk with the people you know.
Free on the App Store. No ads, no sign-up.
