Rowing App Comparisons

By the Watta Team · Updated

Most rowing app comparisons list features. The choice actually turns on four things: how the workout gets off the monitor and into the app, what the app can measure, where the data ends up, and what it costs. These 22 pages work through each option against those four, including where the other app is the better answer.

What actually separates rowing apps

How the workout gets in

This is the real differentiator and the one most comparisons skip. ErgData needs a phone cabled or paired to the PM5. Garmin and WHOOP infer a rowing session from a wrist sensor without ever reading the monitor. Concept2’s own logbook accepts typed entries. Watta reads the PM5 screen from a photograph. Whichever you pick, you live with that step after every single piece.

What it actually measures

A wrist device gives heart rate and a guess at distance. The PM5 gives distance, time, split, stroke rate, and on newer monitors watts and drag factor. An app that never sees the monitor cannot report a split, which is the number rowing is actually judged on.

Where the data ends up

Rankings and season totals live in the Concept2 logbook. Social feeds live in Strava. Coaching plans live in TrainingPeaks. Very few rowers use one app — the question is usually which one is the system of record and what it syncs to.

What it costs

ErgData and the Concept2 logbook are free. Strava, WHOOP and TrainingPeaks have paid tiers that gate the analysis most rowers want. Watta is free.

Head-to-head

One app at a time, against the four criteria above.

Watta vs StravaCompare Watta and Strava for indoor rowing. See how AI-powered erg tracking, Effort Score, and rowing-specific analytics stack up against Strava's general activity platform.Watta vs TrainingPeaksCompare Watta and TrainingPeaks for indoor rowing. See how AI erg capture and Effort Score compare to TSS, CTL, and structured training plans for rowers.Watta vs RunnaCompare Watta and Runna for athletes who row and run. See how AI erg tracking compares to adaptive running plans, and why rowers need sport-specific tools.Watta vs Garmin ConnectCompare Watta and Garmin Connect for indoor rowing. AI-powered erg capture and Effort Score vs Garmin's wearable ecosystem and Training Status metrics.Watta vs StrideCompare Watta and Stride for indoor rowing tracking. AI OCR erg capture and Effort Score vs Stride's Bluetooth-connected rowing workouts.Watta vs ErgDataLooking for an ErgData alternative? Watta logs your erg from a photo of the PM5 — no Bluetooth pairing. Side-by-side with the official Concept2 app.Watta vs Concept2 LogbookHow Watta compares to the Concept2 Online Logbook for tracking erg workouts: what each one logs, what it misses, and whether it is worth running both.Watta vs RowErg AppCompare Watta and RowErg app for indoor rowing tracking. AI-powered OCR and Effort Score vs Bluetooth-connected erg training with workout programming.Watta vs WHOOPCompare Watta and WHOOP for rowers. AI erg analytics and Effort Score vs WHOOP's strain, recovery, and sleep tracking for endurance athletes.Watta vs Apple FitnessCompare Watta and Apple Fitness for indoor rowing. AI erg capture and Effort Score vs Apple Watch workout tracking and Fitness+ guided rowing classes.Watta vs Peloton RowCompare Watta and Peloton Row for indoor rowing. See how AI-powered erg tracking with Effort Score compares to Peloton's instructor-led rowing classes and closed hardware ecosystem.Watta vs HydrowCompare Watta and Hydrow for indoor rowing. See how AI-powered Concept2 tracking and Effort Score analytics compare to Hydrow's on-water simulation and subscription-based rowing experience.Watta vs FitbodCompare Watta and Fitbod for athletes who row and lift. See how dedicated erg tracking and Effort Score compare to Fitbod's AI-generated gym workout plans.Watta vs StrongCompare Watta and Strong for athletes who row and lift. See how dedicated erg tracking with AI OCR and Effort Score compares to Strong's set-and-rep gym logging.Watta vs AvironCompare Watta and Aviron for indoor rowing. See how AI-powered Concept2 tracking and Effort Score compare to Aviron's gamified rowing machine and subscription content.Watta vs AsenseiCompare Watta and Asensei for indoor rowing. AI OCR capture and Effort Score vs Asensei's real-time AI coaching and form feedback for Concept2 rowers.Watta vs RegattaCompare Watta and Regatta for indoor rowing. AI-powered Effort Score analytics vs Regatta's social rowing community and on-water focus.Watta vs KinomapCompare Watta and Kinomap for indoor rowing. AI OCR analytics and Effort Score vs Kinomap's interactive video routes and virtual training experience.Watta vs NordicTrackCompare Watta with the NordicTrack connected rower ecosystem. AI OCR analytics and Effort Score vs iFIT-powered interactive training and built-in screen workouts.Watta vs WaterRower ConnectCompare Watta and WaterRower Connect for indoor rowing. AI-powered Concept2 analytics vs the WaterRower companion app and water resistance ecosystem.

Roundups

Several apps ranked together, for when you have not narrowed it down yet.

Best Rowing Apps 2026The best rowing apps for Concept2 in 2026, ranked by a maker with a point of view: Watta (free, photo logging), ErgData, Concept2 Logbook, Strava, Asensei, Regatta, Apple Fitness+. What each is best for.Best Erg Tracking Apps 2026The best apps for tracking Concept2 erg workouts in 2026. Compare AI OCR capture, Bluetooth sync, Effort Scores, and analytics for serious indoor rowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best app for a Concept2 rower?
It depends on which step you want to be painless. If you want official rankings and season totals, the Concept2 online logbook is the system of record and everything else feeds it. If you want the workout logged without cables or typing, an app that reads the monitor screen is the shortest path. If you want your rowing in the same feed as your running, Strava is the one your friends are already on. The head-to-head pages below work through each pairing.
Do I need an app at all, or is the PM5 enough?
The monitor shows the session and forgets it when you walk away. Anything you want to keep — comparing this week to last, tracking a personal best, spotting that your splits drift in the third quarter — needs the numbers somewhere else. That is the entire job these apps do.
Can a watch or strap replace the erg monitor?
No, and this is the most common mistake in rowing app comparisons. A wrist device estimates distance from arm movement, which on a rowing machine is unreliable. The flywheel is the only accurate measure of work done, so the monitor stays authoritative. A watch or strap is a good heart-rate source alongside the monitor, not a replacement for it.
Do these comparisons only apply to Concept2 machines?
The screen reader is built for Concept2 performance monitors. Photos of other brands (WaterRower, Hydrow, magnetic rowers) are not supported; their sessions can be entered manually.
Is Watta biased in its own comparisons?
Watta publishes these pages, so read them with that in mind. Each one states what the other app does better — ErgData’s stroke-by-stroke force curve, Strava’s social graph, TrainingPeaks’ plan structure, WHOOP’s recovery modelling — because a comparison that never concedes anything is not useful to the person deciding.
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