If the app is generally OK after a short learning curve, testers could give the app a middle-of-the-road 3-star rating. 5-star ratings were reserved for apps with a seamless user experience where workouts were easy to find, see, hear, follow along with, and track post-training. Our expert product testers tested all of the fitness apps for at least several workouts, while many were tested for a whole month or even longer, especially the apps we really loved using. However, it’s worth noting that not all categories applied to every app we tested.

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Its robust platform lets you track every run while engaging with a massive community of like-minded athletes. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or just starting with a Couch to 5K, these apps integrate with your favourite wearables (or work perfectly on their own) to give you detailed insights and motivation. Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, a dog lover, an Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.

• Apple Fitness is a versatile fitness tracking app that seamlessly integrates with Apple Watch to provide users with comprehensive health and fitness insights.
• Rarely under the same roof for long, when he’s not sampling wine and cheese in Bulgaria or downloading the latest travel app, you can find him running, gaming, or cooking up something delicious.
• The best one for you depends on your goals, needs, and what motivates you to workout.
• Zwift Run has revolutionized indoor running by transforming the typically monotonous treadmill experience into an engaging, gamified virtual world.
• If you would rather spend your hard earn money on a new pair of running shoes, then the Nike Run Club app could be the one for you.
• Before we dive into the specifics of the running features, it would be remiss not to take a glimpse at what the app offers overall.

Best for Flexibility Training

The biggest difference here is that the Train tier lets you create your own workouts and is available on equipment touchscreens. This helps the app earn a 4 out of 5 mad muscles review from our tester in the value category. While the pricing varies, the highest tier of Caliber starts at $200 per month, which is significantly more expensive than the average app.

Community

Android users have access to several excellent running apps that can track progress, map routes, and help beginners get started. The Zeopoxa Running & Jogging app is a GPS run tracker that helps you track your pace, distance, and calories burned during your workouts. It’s great for achieving fitness goals like losing weight, getting faster, or improving endurance. The app has many features like real-time GPS tracking, route calculation, and exercise progress monitoring. It’s lightweight and user-friendly, and all features are free to use.

Which app has the best social features?

There is both a free and paid version of Strava, both of which offer solid features, so let’s explore the difference. Garmin Connect is one of the most popular running apps for dedicated racers. You’ll need a Garmin watch to be able to benefit from this app’s social network, data analytics, and sleep and recovery insights.

Couch to 5K (iOS: 4.6 stars, Android: 4.6 stars)

Our other tester, a newer runner, agreed, “The first couple of workouts were tough, but the app slowly started to calibrate to what I was capable of.” Programming here scores a 4 out of 5. Truly, social media can get a bad rap, but I have made some of my best running friends because of Instagram. It’s so supportive and you’ll find a ton of great running coaches that I follow as well providing helpful tips. These are the best free fitness apps that I’ve found testing out a variety of things on my workouts from roads to trails to the gym. A great running app can not only track your distance, show elevation and route, but provides some additional tools that make running easier to stick to or more fun.

Motivation

Connect to your Garmin device(s) and track, analyze, and share health and fitness activities. The app offers individual activity data, long-term activity data, custom uploads, and training plans. Whether you’re a beginner embarking on your running journey or an experienced athlete striving for new personal bests, Adidas Running is an invaluable companion.

Best advanced running apps

With an app, you can complete your workouts any time of day—first thing in the morning or on your lunch break—it’s totally up to you. Once you’re past the beginner stage, you’ll probably need to repeat workouts many times, focusing on progressive overload, to continue to make progress. However, that doesn’t mean workouts should be boring, so we use this category to assess how much variety there is for users, both in terms of training styles (strength, cardio, etc…) and actual workouts. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else.

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Runners can support organizations like World Wildlife Fund, St. Jude’s Hospital, and Habitat for Humanity. The app creates extra motivation by connecting physical activity with helping others. Google Fit works on both iOS and Android but shines on Android devices with its deep system integration. The app uses your phone’s sensors to automatically track walking, running, and cycling activities.

Best for Personalized Training Plans

The first is the ease of use, which he gave 4 out of 5 stars, with one small callout. For those who aren’t Apple users, Strava is another great app that allows you to track nearly any sort of activity. Read our full Strava fitness app review for more information about this app.