Bubbles vs. other step tracker apps
An honest side by side. Most step apps just count. Bubbles turns every step into food, clean water, and a bigger home for a little fish who is counting on you.
| Feature | Bubbles | Pedometer++ | StepsApp | Walkr | Apple Fitness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A cute pet that depends on your steps | Spaceships | ||||
| Step powered care loop (feed, clean, happiness) | Partial | ||||
| Growing world to unlock (14 biomes) | |||||
| Daily promise + streaks | Goals only | Goals only | Move ring | ||
| In game currency + catalog (toys, friends, decor) | Coral coins | Crystals | |||
| Shareable milestone cards (Story + Polaroid) | Basic | Basic | Awards only | ||
| Apple Watch app & complications | |||||
| Lock Screen + Home Screen widgets | |||||
| Themes + character customization | 6 themes + fish colors | Light/dark | Light/dark | Limited | System only |
| iCloud backup | |||||
| Works fully offline | |||||
| No ads, no tracking | With pro | ||||
| Free trial | 3 days | Free tier | Free tier | Free tier | Built in |
| Price | Free + IAP | Free + IAP | Free + IAP | Free + IAP | Free (iOS) |
Based on App Store listings and public docs as of June 2026. Features change. We will keep this page honest as apps update.
Why Bubbles feels different
Steps with a purpose
Bubbles is a real little life who grows with you. Every step you take freshens his water and brings food to his bowl. Every day you show up, his world gets a little brighter.
A world that grows
Start in a tiny bowl. Walk far enough and Bubbles graduates into kelp forests, coral reefs, and deep abyss biomes. 14 worlds in all.
Private by default
No accounts, no servers, no ad networks. Your steps stay on your device. iCloud handles backup so nothing leaves the Apple ecosystem.
A fair word on each one
Pedometer++
Best for: people who want a clean step counter with strong widgets and zero fluff.
Pedometer++ is a beautifully made minimalist tracker by Cross Forward. No story, no character, just steps and rings. If you only want numbers, it is excellent. Bubbles is for the days when numbers alone are not enough to get you outside.
StepsApp Pedometer
Best for: chart lovers who want quick widgets and a free baseline.
StepsApp has a friendly UI, lots of widgets, and a free tier. The pro upgrade unlocks history and themes. Like Pedometer++, it is a tracker, not a companion. Bubbles adds the part that makes you actually want to hit your number.
Walkr - Fitness Space Adventure
Best for: gamers who like collecting spaceships and exploring planets.
Walkr is the closest gamified step app to Bubbles, but it leans heavy on systems, energy, and waiting. Bubbles is calmer and more emotional. One fish. One bowl. A little life built by your walks.
Apple Fitness
Best for: anyone who just wants the default Apple experience.
Apple Fitness is free, deeply integrated, and great at rings. It does not have a character, a world, or a daily promise. Bubbles plugs into the same Apple Health data and adds the soft, story driven layer on top.
Give Bubbles a reason to swim today
3 days free. Then less than a latte each month. He is waiting in his little bowl.