Steps vs Apple Fitness: Which Step Tracker Is Better in 2026?
Compare Steps and Apple Fitness for step tracking, widgets, workouts, and GPX export. Find out which app is the better fitness companion for your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Steps Team•
Steps vs Apple Fitness: Which Step Tracker Is Better in 2026?
Apple Fitness comes pre-installed on every iPhone, so it seems like the obvious choice for tracking your steps. But does built-in mean best? Steps offers a focused, feature-rich alternative that many fitness enthusiasts prefer. Let's compare both apps side by side.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Steps | Apple Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| Step Counting | ✓ | ✓ |
| iPhone Widgets | 8 widget types | 1 basic widget |
| Apple Watch App | ✓ Native | ✓ Native |
| Watch Complications | Multiple styles | Activity rings only |
| GPX Export | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workout Types | 23+ | 10+ |
| Streak Tracking | ✓ Daily streaks | Move rings |
| Yearly Insights | ✓ Wrapped-style | Monthly summaries |
| Personal Records | 8 PR categories | ✗ |
| Beautiful Charts | Hourly/weekly/monthly | Weekly summaries |
| Price | Free (Pro available) | Free (Fitness+ paid) |
Where Steps Wins
Home Screen Widgets
Apple Fitness gives you a single widget showing your activity rings. Steps offers 8 different widget types — step counters, progress rings, weekly charts, and more. Your home screen becomes a personalized fitness dashboard.
GPX Export
This is a feature Apple Fitness simply doesn't have. Steps lets you export your workout routes as GPX files, perfect for sharing hiking trails, running routes, or analyzing your GPS data in other apps.
Focused Step Tracking
Apple Fitness spreads across many features — meditation, workouts, Fitness+ videos. Steps is purpose-built for step counting and workout tracking, which means a cleaner, faster experience for what most people actually need.
Yearly Insights
While Apple gives you monthly summaries, Steps creates a Spotify Wrapped-style yearly recap of your fitness journey — your total steps, longest streaks, personal records, and more.
Personal Records
Steps tracks 8 different personal records including fastest pace, most calories, farthest distance, and max heart rate. Apple Fitness doesn't offer dedicated PR tracking.
Where Apple Fitness Wins
Deep System Integration
Apple Fitness is baked into iOS. Activity rings appear on your watch face by default, and sharing activity with friends is seamless.
Fitness+ Content
If you want guided workouts, meditation, and video content, Fitness+ (paid subscription) offers a library of classes that no third-party app can match.
Move/Exercise/Stand Rings
The three-ring system is iconic and motivating for many users. Steps uses a different approach with daily step goals and streaks.
Who Should Choose Steps?
Steps is the better choice if you:
- Want detailed widgets on your home screen
- Need GPX export for routes
- Prefer focused step and workout tracking
- Love yearly insights and personal records
- Track 23+ different workout types
Who Should Choose Apple Fitness?
Apple Fitness is better if you:
- Want guided workout videos (Fitness+)
- Prefer the activity rings system
- Want built-in activity sharing with friends
- Don't need GPX export or advanced widgets
Common Questions
Can I use Steps alongside Apple Fitness?
Yes. Steps reads from and writes to Apple Health, so both apps share the same data. You can use Apple Fitness for its rings and Steps for its widgets and insights.
Is Steps as accurate as Apple Fitness?
Both apps use Apple Health data from the same sensors, so step counts are identical. The difference is how each app displays and uses that data.
Does Steps replace Apple Fitness completely?
For step tracking and workouts, yes. For Fitness+ video content and the activity ring social features, you'd still need Apple Fitness.
The Verdict
Apple Fitness is a solid default, but Steps delivers a better experience for anyone who takes step tracking seriously. With 8 widget types, GPX export, yearly insights, and 23+ workout types, Steps turns your iPhone into a more powerful fitness companion.
Ready to upgrade your step tracking? Download Steps free on the App Store.