Guide
There is no single best running app. There is the best one for the job: logging runs with friends, getting off the couch, following a race plan, or training around a week that never goes to plan. Here is how the main apps split, what they cost, and where each one falls short.
By Rico Vossestein, founder of Runapt · Updated · prices checked
I build Runapt, one of the apps on this list. I have kept it in its own lane and listed its weak spots too. Weigh my take on it accordingly.
1. Best free running app
2. Best for logging runs and community
3. Best for structured race plans
4. Best for complete beginners
5. Best if you already own a Garmin watch
6. Best if you work with a human coach
7. Best for a plan that moves when your week does
I sorted apps by the job a runner hires them for, not by a single score. A beginner, a Strava regular and someone four months out from a marathon want different things.
Prices are US list prices, checked on the date at the top of this page. They vary by country and change often, so the store price at checkout is the one that counts.
I left out apps that mostly duplicate one above (Adidas Running, ASICS Runkeeper, MapMyRun are solid trackers in the Strava lane) and trail-first apps such as AllTrails, which deserve their own list.
It depends on the job. Nike Run Club is the best free app, Strava is the best for logging and community, Runna is the best-known structured plan app, Garmin Coach suits Garmin owners, and Runapt suits runners who want a plan that adapts when they miss runs, with a route for each session.
Nike Run Club for guided runs and Strava (free tier) for logging. For a beginner, NHS Couch to 5K is free and gets you to 5K in nine weeks. Runapt has a free plan for 5K and 10K training.
You need a structured plan with real pace targets and a taper. Runna and Runapt both build 5K-to-marathon plans; Runapt rebuilds the week when you miss a run and sets paces from VDOT. Garmin owners can start with Garmin Coach, and runners with a coach usually end up on TrainingPeaks.
Runapt rewrites the rest of the week from your current load and readiness instead of stacking the missed session. Garmin Coach also adapts its plans on Garmin watches. Fixed-template plans, such as those in Nike Run Club, do not.
If a structured plan is all you need and the price works for you, yes. If you want a free option, look at Nike Run Club or Garmin Coach. If you want a plan plus a route for each session and a week that reshuffles itself, compare it with Runapt.
No. Every app here tracks with your phone’s GPS. A watch helps with heart rate and interval alerts, and Garmin Coach needs a Garmin watch.
Download Runapt and build your first training week. The free plan has no time limit.
Or start on the web