Steppa vs Macadam: Free Coins for Walking or a Daily Step Stake

Macadam is the better choice if you live in Europe and want a free, nicely designed app that pays a little real money for walking, with nothing at risk. Steppa is the better choice if you use an iPhone and want to stake money on a daily step goal, with the whole pool going to the people who finish.

Key Takeaways

• Macadam is free: you earn coins at step milestones, such as 75 coins at 10,000 steps, and validate them before midnight, usually by watching an ad.
• Macadam is built around Europe and pays in euros; a bank transfer appears to need a European account, and gift cards and charity are other options.
• Household Money Saving estimates about £10 to £15 a year from walking with Macadam.
• Steppa asks for a stake and pays the whole pool to the players who reach the goal every day; a missed day costs the stake.
• Macadam works on iPhone and Android; Steppa is iPhone only and pays out to PayPal or a US bank account.

Macadam stands out among reward apps for a clean design, a map to explore, and real money to a bank account. Steppa works differently, as a challenge where each player puts in a stake. Because this blog belongs to Steppa, the Macadam facts below come from its own site, its App Store page and two named reviewers.

Steppa vs Macadam at a glance

Milestones, ads and a map

Macadam reads steps from Apple Health or Google Fit and doesn't use GPS for counting. Its site lists the daily milestones: 75 coins at 10,000 steps, 100 at 12,500, 150 at 15,000 and 200 at 20,000. Each day you validate your steps before midnight, which PaidFromSurveys says usually means watching an ad. Map spots to visit, games and surveys add more coins.

The App Store lists small in-app purchases, such as a $0.99 streak repair and skips from $0.99 to $2.99. Reviewers there praise the design and the map, and some say the ads are compulsory and the cash-out threshold is high.

A pool shared by the finishers

Steppa works on a different idea. You join a challenge, pay your stake, and reach the challenge's daily step goal every day, midnight to midnight in your own time zone. One missed day and you are out, and your stake stays in the pool. When it settles, the finishers split the entire pool, and Steppa keeps none of it.

Official challenges usually last one to two weeks, and three-day ones come up often. You can also create one: 5 to 180 days, 5,000 to 50,000 steps, $10 to $1,000 each.

Comparing the money

Household Money Saving reports that about 30,000 coins cash out for £15 and puts a year of walking with Macadam at £10 to £15. An official coin-to-cash rate and minimum cash-out are not listed on their site as of October 2026.

A made-up Steppa example: 16 players stake $40 each on a 7-day challenge, and 12 finish. The $640 pool splits 12 ways, about $53.33 each. Each paid a $2.10 service fee to join (for most players $0.50 plus 4% of the stake, shown before you pay), so each finisher ends about $11.23 ahead. The four who missed a day are each $42.10 down.

Macadam's year of walking and that one Steppa week land in similar territory, but Macadam's comes with no chance of losing anything.

Where you live matters

Macadam is built around Europe and pays in euros. Its bank cash-out appears to need a European bank account, and some App Store reviewers outside Europe report trouble cashing out. Macadam's list of supported countries is not listed on their site as of October 2026.

Steppa is for adults 18 and over, and paid play depends on local law; it is available where its Terms allow. At settlement, 12:00 UTC two days after the last day, winnings move to your in-app balance. PayPal pays out outside the US as well, and a US bank account is the other choice, with no Steppa fee on a standard transfer. If PayPal charges a fee, you see it before confirming.

Steps and devices

Both apps read health data rather than GPS. Macadam works with Apple Health on iPhone and Google Fit on Android. Steppa works only on iPhone, through Apple Health, and never counts steps itself, so an Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Oura or Whoop counts when it syncs there. Steps typed into Apple Health by hand never count toward a Steppa goal.

Who each one suits

Macadam suits you if you:

• live in Europe and want a little money for walking, with no risk
• enjoy a map to explore and don't mind an ad a day
• use Android, or an iPhone

Steppa suits you if you:

• want a step goal with money riding on every day
• would rather be paid to PayPal or a US bank account
• have an iPhone with steps flowing into Apple Health

Macadam is one of several reward apps in our guide to apps that pay you to walk, and the comparison hub has every app we have compared with Steppa.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is Macadam worth a year?

Not much, by reviewers' numbers. Household Money Saving reports that about 30,000 coins cash out for £15 and estimates £10 to £15 a year from walking. An official coin-to-cash rate and minimum cash-out are not listed on their site as of October 2026. The app costs nothing, so that amount is pure upside, but it builds slowly.

Can I use Macadam outside Europe?

The app is built around Europe and pays in euros, and its bank cash-out appears to need a European account. Some App Store reviewers outside Europe report trouble cashing out, and Macadam's list of supported countries is not listed on their site as of October 2026. Steppa pays to PayPal, which works outside the US, or to a US bank account, where paid play is available.

Do I have to watch ads on Macadam?

Usually, yes. PaidFromSurveys reports that you validate each day's steps before midnight, and that validating normally means watching an ad. Some App Store reviewers say the ads are the app's biggest drawback. Steppa does not pay per day or per step, so there is nothing to validate: Apple Health records your steps, and the challenge settles at 12:00 UTC two days after its last day.

Which one makes me walk more?

Macadam's milestones climb from 75 coins at 10,000 steps to 200 at 20,000, so an extra walk earns a little more, and a short day costs nothing. Steppa pays only if you reach the goal on every day of a challenge, and a single missed day loses your stake. Some people respond best to a small, steady reward, others to money they could lose.