Row & Recover

Head to head

WaterRower vs Ergatta

An Ergatta is, underneath, a WaterRower with a screen and a games layer bolted on. So the real question is whether the screen and the $39/month are worth it.

By Stephen V.An enthusiast who reads the manuals and does the math. Not a coach, not a lab.Last verified July 24, 2026.

We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no cost to you. It has no effect on what we recommend or the order we recommend it in — we say “skip this one” on machines that pay us the same as the ones we like. How we’re funded.

A wooden water rowing machine with its tank visible in a bright room

This comparison is unusual because the two machines share hardware. The Ergatta is built on a WaterRower frame — the same hand-built wooden water rower — with a touchscreen and a game-based programming layer added on top. So the stroke, the water sound and the upright storage are essentially identical. What you are really deciding is whether the screen and its $39/month membership earn their place.

What the Ergatta adds

Ergatta’s games and races genuinely work for people who cannot face another instructor-led class — the programming turns intervals into something you compete at rather than endure. Ergatta prices the membership at $39/month, falling to about $27/month if you prepay five years up front. Usefully, the rower still functions without the membership, because underneath it is a WaterRower.

What the plain WaterRower keeps

Everything mechanical, for considerably less and with no subscription at all. The WaterRower Natural gives you the hand-built ash frame, the S4 monitor, the water sound and the stand-on-end storage that takes about two square feet — and it never asks you for a monthly payment. Our full WaterRower review is here.

Availability decides the buy button

The WaterRower is sold on Amazon with a live price. The Ergatta is sold direct only, so there is no live price and no buy button for it here — we cover it for the comparison and point you to the machine you can actually purchase.

The honest recommendation

If the games are the reason you are excited to row, the Ergatta is a real product and it works — buy it direct. If they are not, buy the WaterRower underneath it, keep the difference and the monthly fee, and put a tablet on a stand if you want something to watch. The full water-rower field is here.

Our pick

WaterRower Natural (Ash)

The same hand-built water rower the Ergatta is built on, for less and with no subscription. Buy the Ergatta direct instead only if the game-based programming is genuinely the thing that will get you rowing.

Straight answers

Questions people actually ask

Is an Ergatta just a WaterRower with a screen?

Essentially, yes. The Ergatta is built on a WaterRower frame with a touchscreen and a game-based programming layer added. The stroke, the water sound and the upright storage are the same. The difference is the screen, the games and the $39/month membership - and the fact that the plain WaterRower costs less and needs no subscription.

Does the Ergatta work without a membership?

Yes, because underneath it is a WaterRower, which rows perfectly well on its own. Without the membership you lose the games and races - which is the entire reason to choose an Ergatta over the plain WaterRower it is built on.

Can you buy an Ergatta on Amazon?

No - Ergatta sells direct only, so there is no Amazon listing or live price, and no buy button for it here. The WaterRower Natural it is built on is sold on Amazon with a live price.

Show your working

Sources

Keep going

Read next