Most running apps are “free” until you want the good parts. Nike Run Club (NRC) is different: the whole app is free. That makes it one of the best deals in running, but there are a few catches worth knowing, mostly about where you live. Here is what you get, what the limits are, and how it compares with paid apps, as of October 2026.
What you get in Nike Run Club for free
| Feature | Free? |
|---|---|
| GPS run tracking: distance, pace, route map, heart rate | |
| 300+ audio Guided Runs with Nike coaches and athletesSelect countries only | |
| Training plans for all levelsUS, UK, JP, CN, BR, FR, DE, ES, IT | |
| Challenges, badges and trophies | |
| Shoe tracking (miles on each pair) | |
| Apple Watch app (watchOS 10 or later) | |
| Sync workouts and heart rate with Apple Health | |
| Race Finder for running events | |
| Paid subscription or premium tierNone on the App Store listing |
From the Nike Run Club App Store listing (US and Canada), checked October 31, 2026. The US listing is rated 4.8 from about 420K ratings.
- Guided Runs are the star feature: audio runs where a Nike coach or athlete talks you through it. There are easy runs, speed runs, treadmill runs and mindful runs.
- Training plans cover goals from getting started to race day, with coach tips on recovery and mindset.
- Apple Watch: NRC has its own watch app, so you can leave your phone at home.
- Apple Health: runs and heart rate sync to the Health app.
The catches: what “free” does not cover
- You need a Nike Member account. It is free, but you sign in with Nike, and the same login works on Nike.com. Nike’s own page calls NRC and Nike Training Club free apps for members.
- Plans are country-limited. The listing says training plans are available in the US, UK, Japan, China, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Guided Runs are in “select countries.”
- New iPhone needed. The current app needs iOS 18 or later, and the watch app needs watchOS 10 or later.
- No adaptive coaching. NRC plans are set plans. If you want a plan that changes around your race date and results, that is what paid apps like Runna sell.
Keep NRC. Add a garden.
Run&Grow is a free iPhone run tracker. Every run grows a plant in your garden, and it reads runs from Apple Health. Skip a week? Your garden waits.
Free on iPhone · Also on Android
Nike Run Club vs paid running apps
| App | Free part | Paid (US) | Training plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nike Run Club | Everything | No paid tier listed | Free (9 countries) |
| Strava | Tracking, feed, clubs | $79.99/yr | Paid, via Runna |
| ASICS Runkeeper | Tracking, audio cues | GO $39.99/yr | See GO upgrade |
| Runna | Week 1 of a plan | $119.99/yr | Paid |
| Run&Grow | Every run grows a plant | Free to download on iPhone | Not a plan app |
Prices from the US App Store listings for Nike Run Club, ASICS Runkeeper and Runna, and strava.com/subscribe, as of October 2026. Prices can change and tax may be added.
The short version: if you want free audio coaching and a set plan, nothing beats NRC on price. Strava’s free account is better for the social side, and paid apps like Runna are for people who want a plan built around a race. We go deeper in Nike Run Club vs Strava and Runna vs Nike Run Club.
Is Nike Run Club free in the UK and Australia?
The app is free everywhere it is sold. What changes is the content. In the UK, training plans are on the list, so you get the full free app. In Australia, plans are not on the App Store list as of October 2026, so you may get tracking, challenges and the Guided Runs on offer there but not the plans. Check the Plans tab after you sign in. If you run parkrun on Saturdays, NRC is enough to record your 5K for free; your official parkrun time still comes from parkrun itself. Wondering how your time stacks up? See is a 30-minute 5K good.
Free and low-cost alternatives to Nike Run Club
Logging runs with friends · Free; subscription $79.99/yr
Strava (free account)
The free account records runs, rides and walks and gives you a feed, kudos and clubs. Routes, full leaderboards and deeper stats are paid.
Pick it if: your friends are already on Strava.
Simple tracking · Free; GO $39.99/yr
ASICS Runkeeper
A clean tracker with audio cues. Free for tracking; the optional GO upgrade adds extra features for $39.99 a year (US).
Pick it if: you want something simpler than NRC.
A structured race plan · $19.99/mo or $119.99/yr
Runna
A paid coaching app that builds a plan around your race date. Week 1 of any plan is free, then you pay.
Pick it if: you have a race booked and want a coach-style plan.
Staying consistent · Free to download on iPhone
Run&Grow
Every GPS run grows a plant in your garden. It reads runs from Apple Health, so runs you record in Nike Run Club can count too. No public feed, no pace shaming.
Pick it if: you keep stopping and starting and want a gentle reason to go again.
You do not have to choose just one. Run&Grow reads your runs from Apple Health, so you can keep using NRC’s free Guided Runs and still grow a plant in your garden for every run. It does not have its own Apple Watch app; watch runs count because they sync through Apple Health. Comparing with adidas? See is adidas Running free. For the full list, see our Nike Run Club alternatives and the best free running apps. Is NRC acting up? Try our Nike Run Club not working fixes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Nike Run Club really free?
- Yes. As of October 2026 Nike Run Club is free to download on iPhone and Android, and its App Store listing shows no subscription or in-app purchases. Tracking, Guided Runs, training plans, challenges and the Apple Watch app all come at no cost.
- Do you need a Nike membership to use Nike Run Club?
- You sign in with a Nike Member account, which is free to create. Nike describes the app as a member benefit and uses one login across its apps and Nike.com. You do not have to buy anything.
- Are Nike Run Club training plans free?
- Yes, but only in some countries. The App Store listing says training plans are available in the US, UK, Japan, China, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Australia is not on that list as of October 2026. Guided Runs are offered in “select countries.”
- Why is Nike Run Club free?
- Nike makes its money from shoes and clothing, not the app. The app keeps runners in the Nike world: it tracks miles on your shoes and uses the same Nike Member account as Nike.com.
- Does Nike Run Club work with Apple Watch and Apple Health?
- Yes. Nike Run Club has its own Apple Watch app (watchOS 10 or later) and syncs workouts and heart rate with Apple Health. The iPhone app needs iOS 18 or later.
A free reason to keep running
Run&Grow turns every run into a plant, including runs from Nike Run Club via Apple Health. Free on iPhone.
Free on iPhone · Also on Android