The best running app depends on whether you want a log and a feed, a coached plan, or the numbers a coach reads, and on what you will pay once the free tier ends. This page ranks the real options on what each one is and publishes, so the choice is about fit, with the free pace charts on this site beside them.
Best running app: the ranking, and the criterion
- Strava: A run and ride log with a social feed; the free tier records activity, the subscription adds analysis and route tools.
- Runna: A coached running plan built to a race date and adjusted as you go, for runners who want structure without a human coach.
- TrainingPeaks: A training platform with the fitness-and-fatigue metrics a coach reads, built around a structured calendar to a goal.
What separates the running apps
A running app can be three quite different things: a log with a social feed, a coached plan built to a race date, or a training platform with the fitness metrics a coach reads. Strava leads the first, Runna the second and TrainingPeaks the third, and the best running app for you is whichever of those jobs you actually want done.
How to judge one
Judge a running app on whether the free tier does enough, what the paid tier adds, and what it renews at. A polished feed is worth little if you want a plan; a coached plan is more than you need if you self-coach off a pace chart. The price record on this site quotes each app's own figure so the cost is not a surprise.
Where the free charts fit
Whichever app you pick, the pace charts, treadmill conversion, VO2 estimates and race predictors on this site are free. An app makes storing and trending those numbers convenient across a season, but the numbers themselves are the same ones you can read here without a subscription, which is worth knowing before you pay.
Questions people ask about best running app
What is the best running app?
It depends on the job: Strava for a log and feed, Runna for a coached plan to a race date, TrainingPeaks for the fitness metrics a coach reads; pick the one that does the job you want.
Do I need to pay for a running app?
No; the pace charts and predictors here are free. A paid app adds convenient tracking and, for some, a coached plan, which is worth paying for only if you want that specific job done.
What does the best running app cost?
It varies by app and the figure that matters is the renewal, not the intro; the price record on this site quotes each app's own published number.