a StepsApp alternative
StepsApp is the most-rated step counter on the US App Store — 291,037 ratings, 4.8 on average, when we read its listing in August 2026. When people leave it, they say why in their reviews. Angel Step, the step counter we make, is built around the four things its 1- and 2-star reviews mention most.
What StepsApp's low reviews talk about
We collected App Store reviews of ten step counters and counted, by hand-written rules, which themes each review mentions. In StepsApp's 53 reviews rated 1 or 2 stars, the most common themes were the step count being off (34%), Apple Watch (22.6%), ads (17%) and syncing with Apple Health (15.1%).
| theme | share | reviews |
|---|---|---|
| the step count being off | 34% | 18 of 53 |
| Apple Watch | 22.6% | 12 of 53 |
| ads | 17% | 9 of 53 |
| syncing with Apple Health | 15.1% | 8 of 53 |
These are the reviews the App Store shows first, not a random sample, and one review can mention several themes. The full counts, for all ten apps and all 21 themes, are in what step counter reviews talk about.
How Angel Step answers each
We make Angel Step, so take this as ours.
The count
Angel Step shows the total Apple Health keeps — the same number you see in Health, on its screen and in its widget. It never keeps a second count of its own to disagree with.
Apple Watch
Health combines the steps from your iPhone and your Apple Watch rather than adding them, and Angel Step reads that combined total. It is an iPhone app; with a watch, the watch's steps reach it through Health.
Ads
None. There is no account to make either — your steps stay on your iPhone.
Syncing with Health
There is nothing to sync: Angel Step reads your steps from Apple Health directly, and its widget reads Health itself too, so the widget and Health show the same number.
What stays the same
Both read Apple Health, and both list a widget for the Home Screen and the Lock Screen in their App Store descriptions. Your steps are recorded by your iPhone into Apple Health, not by either app, so moving from one to the other leaves your history where it is.
Questions
What is a good alternative to StepsApp?
If what bothers you is ads, a count that disagrees with Health, or syncing, Angel Step is built around those: it shows Apple Health's own total, has no ads and no account, and its widgets on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen are free.
Will I lose my steps if I switch from StepsApp?
No. Your iPhone records steps into Apple Health, not into the app, so your history stays in Health and any step counter that reads Health shows it.
Is Angel Step free?
Angel Step is free to download, and the number, the sky and the widgets on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen are free to use.
Does Angel Step work with Apple Watch?
It is an iPhone app. If you wear an Apple Watch, Health combines its steps with your iPhone's, and Angel Step shows that combined total.
Sources
- Review themes: our open dataset of step counter reviews (CC BY 4.0), StepsApp Pedometer, reviews rated 1–2 stars.
- StepsApp Pedometer on the US App Store — ratings, widget and lock screen in its description, read 17 August 2026 (our survey). App Store listing.
- How Health combines iPhone and Apple Watch steps: how to see steps on Apple Watch.
Updated