Map My Run and Strava are two of the oldest running apps around, and both are still free to download and free to track a run. So the real question is not “which one works” but “which one fits how you run, and which one is worth paying for.” Here is a plain comparison, with prices from the App Store and Strava’s own subscribe page, checked in November 2026.
The quick answer
- Your friends or running club post on Strava: use Strava. The free version is enough for most people.
- You run alone and want a training plan: Map My Run MVP is the cheaper way to get one.
- You want someone to see where you are on a run: Map My Run MVP has Live Tracking.
- You love chasing times on the same hills: Strava, for segments and leaderboards.
- You just need a reason to keep going: either free app works. Add a free app that rewards showing up (more on that below).
Map My Run vs Strava side by side
| Map My Run | Strava | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Solo runners who want a cheap plan | Runners whose friends or club are on Strava |
| Free version | GPS tracking, routes, 600+ activity types, challenges | Run recording, friends’ feed, kudos, clubs |
| Paid plan (US) | MVP: $29.99–$49.99 / yr | $79.99 / yr or $11.99 / mo |
| Training plans | Adaptive plans in MVP | Via Runna (separate app, or $149.99 bundle) |
| Live location sharing | Live Tracking (MVP) | Not listed on the subscribe page |
| Segments & leaderboards | No | Yes (full leaderboards are paid) |
| Route tools | Save and find routes | Route ideas, draw routes, offline maps (paid) |
| Apple Watch app | Yes (watchOS 8.7+) | Yes (watchOS 10+) |
| Apple Health | Yes | Yes |
| App Store rating (US) | 4.8 (about 757K ratings) | 4.8 (about 381K ratings) |
| Owner | Outside (since 2024) | Strava, Inc. |
From the US App Store listings for Map My Run and Strava, and Strava’s subscribe page, checked November 9, 2026.
What you get for free
Map My Run free tracks distance, pace, elevation and calories with GPS, saves your routes, logs treadmill and indoor runs, covers 600+ activity types and lets you join challenges. It has an Apple Watch app and works with Apple Health.
Strava free records your runs (and rides, swims and hikes), puts them in your friends’ feeds, and lets you give kudos and join clubs. It also has an Apple Watch app and works with Apple Health. Full segment leaderboards, route building and deeper stats are paid. See is Strava free for the full free list.
For a beginner who just wants to see how far and how fast they ran, both free versions are enough. You do not need to pay for either to start.
What the paid plans add
Map My Run MVP adds four things, according to its App Store listing: Live Tracking (share your location with family and friends during a run), training plans that adapt to your fitness, heart rate zone tracking, and goal-based audio coaching for pace, cadence, distance and more.
A Strava subscription adds route ideas, offline maps and drawing your own routes, segment leaderboards, training and workout analysis, custom goals, challenges with friends and a Fitness Score over time. What it does not add any more is new training plans. Those now come from Runna, which Strava owns but sells separately (or as a $149.99 bundle). See Strava vs Runna for how that works.
Run&Grow · free iPhone app
Not sure you need to pay at all?
- Free on iPhone
- Reads your runs from Apple Health
- No public feed, no pace shaming
4.6 on the App Store
Map My Run vs Strava price (US, UK, Australia)
Map My Run is the cheaper upgrade almost everywhere. The App Store lists several MVP prices because Map My Run runs offers (including a one-year deal at $27.99 in the US), so the price you see in the app can vary.
| Plan | US | UK | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map My Run MVP, monthly | $7.99 or $9.99 | £5.99 to £9.99 | A$12.99 or A$14.99 |
| Map My Run MVP, yearly | $29.99 to $49.99 | £22.99 to £39.99 | A$43.99 to A$79.99 |
| Strava, monthly | $11.99 | £8.99 | A$14.99 |
| Strava, yearly | $79.99 | £54.99 | A$99.99 |
| Strava + Runna, yearly | $149.99 | £119.99 | A$199.99 |
iPhone App Store prices. US prices checked November 9, 2026; UK and Australian prices from the UK and Australian Map My Run listings (November 2026) and Strava’s UK and AU listings (October 2026). Prices can differ on Android and the web.
A few things to know before you pay:
- Strava has cheaper ways in. Verified students pay $39.99 a year, a family plan for up to four people is $139.99 a year, and teachers, military and medical workers get 25% off the individual plan. See cheaper ways to pay for Strava.
- Strava has a free trial. It covers the individual and student plans; the length depends on the offer you see.
- Training plans cost more on Strava. To get plans in the Strava world you need Runna or the $149.99 bundle, which is about three to five times the price of Map My Run MVP in the US.
For the Map My Run side in full, read is Map My Run free.
Which one should you pick?
Good: Cheap upgrade with adaptive training plans, Live Tracking for safety, heart rate zones and audio coaching. Less social, so it feels quieter.
Not so good: Smaller social scene than Strava. No segment leaderboards. The App Store lists several MVP prices, so the one you see depends on the offer.
Good: The biggest running and cycling social network. Clubs, kudos, segments, route tools and deep stats. Works with most GPS watches.
Not so good: Costs more. New training plans now live in Runna, which is a separate subscription. The public feed is not for everyone.
Pick Map My Run if…
- You mostly run alone and do not care about a social feed.
- You want a training plan without paying Runna prices.
- You want a loved one to follow your run live (MVP).
Pick Strava if…
- Your friends, club or parkrun crowd already post there.
- You like segments, leaderboards and comparing times on the same routes.
- You also ride, swim or hike and want one log for everything.
Can you use both?
Yes. Both apps work with Apple Health on iPhone, so many runners record in one and let the run reach the other through Health. Just watch for doubles. If your Strava runs are not showing up where you expect, see Strava not syncing with Apple Health.
That same Apple Health link lets you add a free motivation layer on top. Run&Grow reads your runs from Apple Health, so a run you record with Map My Run, Strava or your Apple Watch still grows a plant in your Run&Grow garden. No public feed and no pace shaming. If you are working toward a first goal, like a 35-minute 5K, every run counts the same, fast or slow.
Other options worth a look
Neither feels right? See our lists of Strava alternatives and Map My Run alternatives, or compare Nike Run Club vs Strava (NRC is free) and Runkeeper vs Strava. Want running to feel more like a game? Read the best gamified running apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Map My Run better than Strava?
- It depends on what you want. Map My Run is cheaper to upgrade and its paid MVP plan includes adaptive training plans and live tracking. Strava has the bigger social side: friends’ feeds, clubs, kudos and segment leaderboards. If your friends are on Strava, Strava usually wins. If you run alone and want a cheap plan, Map My Run is the better value.
- Is Map My Run cheaper than Strava?
- Yes. As of November 2026 the US App Store lists Map My Run MVP at $29.99 to $49.99 a year (or $7.99 to $9.99 a month). Strava’s subscription is $79.99 a year or $11.99 a month. Both apps are free to download and both track runs for free.
- Can I use Map My Run and Strava together?
- Yes. On iPhone, both apps work with Apple Health, so many people record in one app and let the run reach the other through Health. Check that you are not saving the same run twice.
- Who owns Map My Run now?
- Outside Interactive bought MapMyFitness (Map My Run, Map My Ride and Map My Walk) from Under Armour on August 30, 2024. The app is now sold by Outside on the App Store. Strava is still its own company, and it bought the training app Runna in 2025.
- Which is better for beginners, Map My Run or Strava?
- Both free versions are fine for a beginner who just wants to see distance and pace. Map My Run is less social, so it feels quieter. Strava is more fun if you have friends there, but the feed can make some new runners feel slow. If staying motivated is the hard part, a free app that rewards showing up, like Run&Grow, can sit on top of either one.
Run&Grow · free iPhone app
Run for the garden, not the graph
- Free on iPhone
- Reads your runs from Apple Health
- No public feed, no pace shaming
4.6 on the App Store