Ranking of the best running apps for 2022

2020 “pleased” us with the coronavirus, self-isolation and the closure of many organizations. Fitness clubs and gyms have also been hit. And the number of people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right and play sports is becoming more and more.

 Therefore, many athletes, outdoor enthusiasts went to parks, stadiums, just to the streets and began to run when the departments were allowed to leave their homes. If you are a beginner, a regular jogger or a professional athlete, you do not know which software is better to buy, then read the review and do not make mistakes when choosing.

Why a mobile app for running?

Before races at a distance of 5 kilometers, training is necessary. An unprepared body, even without excess weight, will not be able to immediately withstand such a load. In order not to injure yourself, to enjoy the process and meet the allotted time, it is better to work with a trainer.If this is not possible, then you can install the application on your smartphone. It will not replace a professional mentor, but will help control the load during training, track results and motivate you to run more.

When installing software, modern users receive not only technical tracking of results and a plan for a period of time. Plus, there are adapted social networks where you can find like-minded people, communicate, find an opponent and pass a sports test. Therefore, every year the popularity of smartphone models with built-in software, which allows you to take part in sports competitions, is growing.

With the program it is much easier to instill the habit of running, it will tell you what to pay attention to in order to achieve a tangible result.

Next, we will consider what applications for running are, which company is better to purchase, all the pros and cons, and we will conclude which one is right for you. The products in question are compatible with any OS.

Paid Apps

Endomondo

Endomondo has a large number of workouts loaded into it. Not only running, but also walking, cycling and a huge number of other sports. But first of all, it is of course a running tracker.

Before starting, we select the type of training: quick start, with a specific goal, a run along the route. If it is necessary to increase activity indicators, then we press the option "Exceed yourself". You can choose interval training or engage in a specific plan.

The essence of the interval is to overcome the body's high load in a short period of time. After that, you need to give the body a rest. For each sport, you can set your own interval training. There are three main types in the base: standard, pyramid and high-intensity program.The option will be useful for professional athletes who fully train and combine other types of loads with running.

There are voice prompts from a Russian-speaking audio trainer. He pronounces the current state of the main indicators, advises how best to run the distance, when you need to reduce or increase the current speed. You can mute or pause the music when the audio trainer speaks.

The app tracks mileage, pace, calories burned. Available autopause, alarm signal when GPS is turned off, countdown.

According to buyers, Endomondo most accurately recognizes the route, compared to other products. This is a full-fledged running social network: you can add friends, chat, like, track the activity of other users and compete with them.

By setting a goal for a specific period of time, you can invite friends to join your lesson plan. All kinds of challenges that users send in response motivate them to achieve a better result. For example, run more than your opponent or burn more calories.

In Endomondo, users create routes that can be run in your city. The option is useful for travelers leading an active lifestyle. We go to "Routes", then "Routes near" and choose the appropriate one.

Endomondo is suitable for people who run on an ongoing basis. It makes no sense to buy the application for beginners, since most of the functions will simply not be useful to them. There are budget options in our review. But athletes will benefit from detailed statistics and a detailed training plan.

The advantage of the program is the ability to record the result of the lesson without access to the Internet.

The log stores all data from the moment of registration.The statistics collects your data, but it is only available in the paid version.

The free period is 30 days after which the program offers to buy premium access. For the price in the online store, this is one of the acceptable options - 459 rubles per month or 2290 rubles per year. The annual cost of a subscription is much lower than that of other companies, therefore it occupies one of the leading positions in our rating. Goes to iPhone and smartphones.

• Detailed statistics;
• Motivation for the result;
• A wide variety of workouts;
• Audio trainer in Russian;
• Accurately determines the route;
• Internet access is not required;
• Inexpensive for the price.

• The plan is available in a paid version;
• There are advertisements.

Strava

One of the most popular fitness trackers. It has a huge number of useful features. There are basic abilities that many applications have: GPS tracking, display of time, distance, average pace. Suitable for iOS and Android.

But there is one fundamental difference. Strava tracks your activity without having to keep your smartphone with you while you're on the move. To do this, you need to order a suitable fitness bracelet online, from which activity data will be sent to the application. In the settings, you can find out about all available devices that can work with Strava. This is convenient for owners of large smartphones or too expensive models that you don’t want to take with you for a run.

There is a built-in Beacon online tracker. It allows you to send detailed data about your location and running metrics to selected contacts. The option will be useful in self-training for athletes working in a team.

Detailed description of statistics: distance, calories burned, pace dynamics by segments, heart rate change, heart load and elevation changes.

Strava has an extensive social network. You can run with friends, watch their results, share feelings, give advice and make posts with beautiful photos. The application is used not only by amateurs, but also by recognized professional athletes who are interesting to watch. You can create your own Strava Club. You get support, detailed video tutorials and feel like you are part of a big sports group that have the same priorities.

It is possible to create your own route with the necessary parameters for accelerating or decelerating the pace of running and see detailed statistics. But you can only build a route in the web version. One and the same site can overcome many accounts and thus compete with each other. Participants can be sorted by age, weight or gender. The program remembers the data of all users and ranks them. In most cases, there is always a person who ran a better segment. It is for you an incentive and a guideline for improving performance.

The application allows you to run offline. But without the Internet, you can only see the line of your run. Strava in Russian, has a clear interface. The training plan is only available in the paid version. An annual subscription costs 4,000 rubles, which affects the user's wallet more tangibly.

• Sends location data;
• Detailed statistics;
• Excellent motivation;
• You can create your own routes in the web version;
• Advanced social network.

• High price;
• Few options available in the free version.

Runtastic

Classic tracker for running and walking. Allows you to track the activity of a person on a bicycle, during aerobics, basketball, football and so on. You can track a huge number of loads scored in the database, there is even an option for mountaineering. Runtastic also supports free intervals.

If you purchase the paid version, you will have access to the training program. The cost is 749 rubles for a month of use and 3790 rubles for a year. The plans were made by professional fitness trainers and athletes. Therefore, do not think about how much the application costs, it will definitely pay off. Fill in your parameters and the goal you want to achieve, for example, run 5 kilometers, half marathon, marathon or lose extra pounds.

If you are serious about sports and decide that the app is right for you, then you can set a goal for running distance for the whole year. In each case, Runtastic determines how many workouts to complete, at what interval. At the start, turn on the GPS to track the route. Plus - focus on individual results.

In the settings, you can download the music to which you want to go the distance. There are voice prompts and a countdown to the end of the run. During the race, the application shows the mileage covered, the number of calories burned, the average pace and displays the route map at the bottom of the screen.

At the end of the workout, you can specify additional data and the degree of difficulty of the race just for you. If the social component is significant for you, then you can share the results of the race by uploading photos and comments.

Runtastic even lets you keep track of your shoes! On average, you need to change your sneakers every 500 kilometers, because the material wears out a lot when running. But if you are a professional athlete and run in expensive sneakers, then the program will calculate the wear period for a specific brand. Then the person is definitely not injured when running for a long distance. The program has all popular models for running.

When registering, you get a well-thought-out social network. It's easy to track your activity, add friends, view their results, leave feedback and get news from Adidas. The information will be useful for both beginners and professionals. You can adjust training plans, view personal records while using Runtastic.

The disadvantages of Runtastic are that statistics and records are only available in the paid version. The route is not displayed correctly at all points, it cuts corners a little, and without access to the Internet, mileage indicators are not displayed. The application is Russified, but the manufacturer's blog and audio accompaniment are in English.

• There are intervals;
• Warns of shoe wear;
• Detailed statistics;
• There are video instructions.

• Inaccurate route display;
• Limited functionality in the free version;
• There is no audio trainer in Russian.

Runkeeper

The application motivates and leads to a clear result. Fill in an account with your personal parameters, choose a goal. There are 5 types of goals available in Runkeeper. By filling in the parameters in a timely manner, you can track the dynamics of changes in weight, body endurance and other indicators necessary for you.

Before training, you need to choose the type of activity, in this case running.Next, set up a workout: choose from the list or create your own. When creating an individual lesson, you need to set up intervals, set the time, pace, add a warm-up and a hitch, if necessary for you, come up with a name and save it in memory.

In the paid version, the user gets an advanced package of features with a lesson plan. The application offers to choose the level of training, the maximum distance that you can overcome and how many times a week you are ready to run. Next, we get an individual plan that will lead to the cherished goal.

The cost of a monthly premium access to Runkeeper is 749 rubles, an annual one is 2990.

Before the start of the race, you can download your favorite music, specify audio statistics parameters. In the audio statistics menu, we specify the parameters that the voice assistant will pronounce in a timely manner during the race.

Runkeeper gives the best graphs and summaries of the results. As in other applications, you can report on your results: upload photos, write comments, add friends and track their parameters.

For advanced runners, there is an opportunity to pass the test. By raiding, you not only get a badge or rank in the system among other users, but you are also rewarded with real bonuses: you get discounts, personal offers in the Runkeeper store. You can also earn free access to a premium account for a month. All other products offer only badges and a rating, this is a novelty in this segment.

Runkeeper has a minimalist design with nothing superfluous. A wonderful tracker that helps you achieve your goal. Suitable for any level of training.

• Detailed charts and summaries;
• Tests with real bonuses;
• There is a heart rate monitor;
• You can share the location;
• Average price.

• Great weight;
• Limited functionality without a paid subscription.

Free Apps

Nike + Run Club

Good product, installs on Android without problems, excellent compatibility with iOS. It allows you to choose the mode of training depending on the age, physical fitness and purpose of the run. Nike+ isn't just for the outdoors, with indoor running and treadmill modes.

Detailed statistics, a variety of workouts and wide functionality that is available in the free version of the application are excellent indicators that push the program to the top of the ranking.

Many of the features available are due to the presence of ads for Nike products. This is a marketing ploy, thanks to which the best manufacturers increase loyalty to their brand.

Nike + Run Club has a great motivation system. A person runs not by his own feeling, but by the result, thus reaching a few more kilometers. For a certain raid, a person is awarded badges. You can complete challenges with tasks and compete with other accounts. Encouraging audio coaches will not let you get bored during the race.

Users note the excellent work of Nike + without freezes and interruptions. No internet needed to record results and track them. Therefore, you can not interrupt statistics and classes when leaving for a place where there is no Internet coverage area. For example, in the forest, in the countryside or relaxing outside the city.

The program is completely in Russian. Simple and stylish design, advanced interface.

• Free;
• Excellent functionality;
• Detailed statistics;
• There is a motivation for the result;
• Tracks the pulse;
• Can be used offline;
• With a Russian-language interface.

• There are advertisements;
• Big weight.

Samsung Health

An excellent app for Samsung smartphone users. Gets up on any Android version 6.0 and above, works perfectly, without lags. If there is 1.5 GB of RAM on the gadget, then you can compete online with your friends and acquaintances. The device allows you to track your place among all Samsung Health users or make a selection by age. There are world competitions in which advanced accounts participate.

The application supports not only running, there are other modes. For example, if you run or ride a bike for more than 10 minutes, the program understands this and registers it as an active workout. The dynamics is displayed by day, the number of kilometers traveled, for what time and how many calories were spent.

For the record number of kilometers covered, the account receives rewards and saves statistics in the device's memory. You can also measure heart rate, blood oxygen, track the amount of coffee, water and weight you drink. Suitable for those who want to get in shape. Just indicate the amount of food eaten per day, the program determines the number of calories needed based on personal data and gives nutritional recommendations. Samsung Health also tracks the number of floors climbed.

If the smartphone is next to the bed, then you can even track the phases of sleep, that is, the device recognizes when you sleep and when you wake up without taking into account the alarm data.

Samsung Health syncs with a lot of other apps on the device. This is not a dedicated running and cycling program. Suitable as health monitoring for beginners and hobbyists.It is free, so it got into our rating of quality software in last place.

• Free;
• Excellent performance;
• Tracking consumption of water, caffeine, calories;
• Sleep monitoring;
• For newbies;
• Doesn't take up much space.

• Suitable only for beginners and amateurs;
• Location cannot be shared.

Each application is worthy of attention, but you need to download the one that suits you best according to the selection criteria. Depending on the goals, the degree of preparation, the desire to play sports, the need to be part of the team and the amount that they are willing to spend.

• If you are a professional runner and are willing to invest in getting results, then Endomondo, Runkeeper, Runtastic or Strava are your best bet. Phone apps are listed in ascending order of price.
• If being part of a team of professional runners and athletes is important to you and you need detailed statistics with a personal route, definitely install Strava.
• If you are not ready to spend money, but you need to achieve a specific result, you are a beginner or an amateur, then it is better to install Samsung Health or Nike + Run Club.
• If it is important for you to track the route as accurately as possible, then choose Endomondo.

Where to buy software? Only on official websites, Play Market and App Store.

And remember that regular training is the key to success.