ASICS Runkeeper and Strava have both been around for well over a decade, and both are still free to download and free to track a run. Most comparisons you will find online are from 2021 to 2023, and the prices and features have changed since then. Here is a fresh, plain comparison with prices from the App Store and Strava’s own subscribe page, checked in November 2026.
The quick answer
- You are new and want a plan for your first 5K or 10K: Runkeeper. GO includes plans and costs about half of Strava.
- Your friends, club or parkrun crowd post on Strava: Strava. The free version is enough for most people.
- You want someone to see where you are on a run: Runkeeper GO has live tracking.
- You love chasing times on the same hills: Strava, for segments and leaderboards.
- You also ride, swim or hike: Strava keeps all of it in one log.
Runkeeper vs Strava side by side
| Runkeeper | Strava | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Beginners who want a cheap plan | Runners whose friends or club are on Strava |
| Free version | GPS tracking, audio cues, challenges, virtual running groups | Run recording, friends’ feed, kudos, clubs |
| Paid plan (US) | Runkeeper GO: $39.99 / yr | $79.99 / yr or $11.99 / mo |
| Free trial | 7 days of GO | Yes; length depends on the offer |
| Training plans | Included in GO (race plans too) | Via Runna (separate app, or $149.99 bundle) |
| Live location sharing | Live tracking (GO) | Not listed on the subscribe page |
| Segments & leaderboards | No | Yes (full leaderboards are paid) |
| Social side | Small: groups and challenges | Big: feed, kudos, comments, clubs |
| Apple Watch app | Yes (watchOS 9+) | Yes (watchOS 10+) |
| Apple Health | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | ASICS | Strava, Inc. |
From the US App Store listings for Runkeeper (checked November 10, 2026) and Strava, Strava’s subscribe page (November 9, 2026) and the ASICS Runkeeper page (October 2026).
What you get for free
Runkeeper free tracks your runs with GPS and shows distance, pace, time and calories. You choose which stats you hear as audio cues while you run. You can join in-app challenges, earn rewards and join virtual running groups. It has an Apple Watch app (watchOS 9 or later) and shares workouts, including route and heart rate, with Apple Health.
Strava free records runs, 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 (watchOS 10 or later) 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 one to start.
What the paid plans add
Runkeeper GO adds three things, according to its App Store listing: tailored training plans (including race plans), detailed progress insights, and live tracking so friends or family can follow your run. ASICS gives you the first 7 days of GO free.
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 is training plans. Those now come from Runna, which Strava owns but sells separately (or as a $149.99 bundle in the US). 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
Runkeeper vs Strava price (US, UK, Australia)
Runkeeper GO is the cheaper upgrade in all three countries. The App Store lists several GO prices under the same plan name (older prices, trial and no-trial versions), so the price you see in the app when you subscribe is the one you pay.
| Plan | US | UK | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runkeeper GO, monthly | $9.99–$11.99 | £7.99–£11.99 | A$13.99–A$19.99 |
| Runkeeper GO, yearly | $39.99 | £29.99–£39.99 | A$55.99–A$62.99 |
| 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 9–10, 2026; UK and Australian prices from the local App Store listings, October 2026. Prices can differ on Android and the web.
A few things to know before you pay:
- Yearly is far cheaper on Runkeeper. Twelve months at $9.99 is $119.88; the yearly plan is $39.99. See is Runkeeper free for the full breakdown.
- 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. See cheaper ways to pay for Strava.
- Plans cost more in the Strava world. Getting a plan means Runna or the $149.99 bundle, almost four times the price of Runkeeper GO in the US.
Which one should you pick?
Good: Cheap upgrade with training plans for first races, progress insights and live tracking. Audio cues, challenges and groups are free. Calm, beginner-friendly feel.
Not so good: Small social scene, so fewer friends to follow. No segments or leaderboards. The App Store lists several GO prices, so check the price in the app before you pay.
Good: The biggest running and cycling social network: clubs, kudos, segments, route tools and deep stats. Works with most GPS watches and covers rides, swims and hikes too.
Not so good: Costs about twice as much as Runkeeper GO. Plans now live in Runna, a separate subscription. The public feed is not for everyone.
Pick Runkeeper if…
- You are training for a first 5K, 10K or half marathon and want a plan.
- You want to pay as little as possible for a paid plan.
- You like hearing your pace and distance as you run, and do not care about a feed.
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 you can record in one and let the run reach other apps through Health. Watch out 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 Runkeeper, Strava or your Apple Watch still grows a plant in your Run&Grow garden. No public feed and no pace shaming. Working toward a longer run? Our page on how long it takes to run 5 miles has times for every pace.
Compare more running apps
- Map My Run vs Strava
- Nike Run Club vs Strava
- Runkeeper alternatives
- Strava alternatives
- The best gamified running apps
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Runkeeper better than Strava?
- For a new runner who wants a plan, often yes: Runkeeper GO is much cheaper than Strava and includes training plans and live tracking. For a runner whose friends or club are on Strava, Strava is usually the better pick because of its feed, clubs, kudos and segments. Both track runs for free.
- Is Runkeeper cheaper than Strava?
- Yes. As of November 2026 the US App Store lists Runkeeper GO at $39.99 a year (or $9.99 to $11.99 a month). Strava’s subscription is $79.99 a year or $11.99 a month. So a year of Runkeeper GO costs about half a year of Strava.
- Can I use Runkeeper and Strava together?
- Yes. On iPhone both apps work with Apple Health, so you can record in one and let the workout reach other apps through Health. Turn off auto-saving in one of them if you start seeing the same run twice.
- Does Strava have training plans like Runkeeper?
- Not inside the main Strava subscription any more. Strava’s running plans now come from Runna, which Strava owns but sells as a separate app, or as a Strava + Runna bundle at $149.99 a year in the US. Runkeeper includes training plans in GO for $39.99 a year.
- Which is better for beginners, Runkeeper or Strava?
- Runkeeper is the gentler start. It has audio cues, simple challenges and, with GO, plans built for first races. Strava is more fun if your friends are there, but its public feed and leaderboards can make some new runners feel slow. If you mainly need a reason to keep going, a free app like Run&Grow can sit on top of either one through Apple Health.
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