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Strava is the default app for runners and cyclists. Recording a run or ride is still free, but more of the good stuff now sits behind a subscription. On the US App Store, a Strava subscription is $11.99 a month or $79.99 a year. A family plan is $139.99 a year.
Price is the main reason people look elsewhere. Strava's own subscribe page lists these as paid features: drawing your own routes, saving routes for offline use, segment leaderboards, custom goals, advanced workout analysis and the Fitness score. Segments are the stretches of road or trail where you race other people's times. If you mostly want to log your runs, see your pace and keep a history, you are paying for a lot you do not use.
The good news: several free apps cover everyday run and ride tracking well. This list covers 8 of them for Android and iPhone. For each one we note the price, whether it tracks GPS with just your phone, whether it plans routes, whether it has privacy zones, and whether you need an account. Every detail comes from the official website, help pages or app store listing. We have not run our own tests.
Last checked: September 26, 2026. Prices are US App Store or official US prices. In-app prices can differ by country and by account.
- Best for route planning: Komoot lets you plan routes for free anywhere in the world, and your first map region is free forever.
- Best free running app: Nike Run Club has no subscription at all, with guided runs and training plans. It needs a free Nike Member account.
- Best for privacy: OpenTracks and FitoTrack are open source Android apps with no account, no ads and no cloud. Your data stays on your phone.
- Best for iPhone users: Apple Fitness now records outdoor runs, walks and rides on iPhone with no Apple Watch, starting with iOS 26.
- Best if you own a Garmin: Garmin Connect is free with a Garmin device, and includes a route planner and privacy zones.
- Watch out: Google Fit is being replaced by the Google Health app. Do not start a new training log there.
All 8 Strava alternatives at a glance
Search by app, platform or feature.
Tap any name in the table to jump to its full entry below.
| App | Price | One-time vs subscription | Platforms | GPS tracking without a watch | Route planning | Privacy zones | Account needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strava (for comparison) | Free, subscription $11.99 a month or $79.99 a year | Subscription | Android, iPhone, web | Yes | Paid (draw your own routes) | Yes | Yes |
| Komoot | Free, Premium $4.99 a month or $59.99 a year | Subscription, or World Pack $29.99 one-time | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes (in unlocked regions) | Yes, free | Yes (set on website) | Yes |
| Nike Run Club | Free | Free | Android, iPhone, Apple Watch | Yes | No | No | Nike Member account |
| adidas Running | Free, Premium optional | Subscription (optional) | Android, iPhone, Apple Watch | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Garmin Connect | Free with a Garmin device, Connect+ $6.99 a month | Subscription (optional) | Android, iPhone, web | No, needs a Garmin device | Yes, free | Yes | Garmin account |
| OpenTracks | Free on F-Droid, $4.99 on Google Play | Free and open source | Android | Yes | No | Not needed, no cloud | No |
| FitoTrack | Free | Free and open source | Android | Yes | No | Not needed, no cloud | No |
| Relive | Free, Relive Club optional | Subscription (optional) | Android, iPhone | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Apple Fitness | Free | Free | iPhone (iOS 26), Apple Watch | Yes (outdoor run, walk, cycle) | No | Not needed, private by default | Apple ID |
Free apps for route planning and tracking
Komoot
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Komoot is the best free answer to Strava's paid route builder. You can plan routes anywhere in the world for free, with surface and elevation details for cycling, hiking and running. The App Store listing says your first map region is free forever.
To navigate or record outside that region, you need a map unlock or Premium. The US App Store lists a one-time World Pack at $29.99 and Premium at $4.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Since 2025, new users also need Premium to sync routes to a bike computer or watch.
Komoot has real privacy zones. Parts of a tour that start or end inside a zone stay hidden from others. You set zones on the website, not in the app.
What you lose vs Strava: segment leaderboards and the big social feed of friends' activities.
- Replaces
- Strava route builder
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, web
- Licence
- Free planner, first region free, paid maps or Premium
- Skip if
- You only run the same loops from home
- Price
- Free (Premium $4.99 a month or $59.99 a year, World Pack $29.99 one-time)
Garmin Connect
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
If you already have a Garmin watch or Edge bike computer, you may not need Strava at all. Garmin Connect is free and keeps your full activity history, health stats and training data. It has a route planner, called courses, that sends routes to your device. It also has privacy zones to hide your home.
The catch: the app does not record GPS from your phone. You need a Garmin device. Garmin added a paid tier, Connect+, at $6.99 a month in the US. Garmin says features that were free before stay free.
What you lose vs Strava: segments and a big social network, unless you still sync to a free Strava account.
- Replaces
- Strava for Garmin owners
- Runs on
- Garmin watch or bike computer, Android, iPhone, web
- Licence
- Free, optional Connect+ subscription
- Skip if
- You do not own a Garmin device
- Price
- Free with a Garmin device (Connect+ $6.99 a month optional)
Free running apps with coaching
Nike Run Club
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Nike Run Club has no price and no subscription. Nike's own page says so. It tracks pace, distance, GPS route, elevation and heart rate. You also get audio guided runs and training plans from 5K to marathon, in selected countries.
You must sign up as a Nike Member, which is free. The App Store privacy label says some data is linked to your identity and used for advertising.
What you lose vs Strava: cycling, route planning, privacy zones and segments. It is a running app only.
- Replaces
- Strava run tracking and training plans
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, Apple Watch
- Licence
- Free, no subscription
- Skip if
- You ride bikes more than you run
- Price
- Free
adidas Running
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
adidas Running, once called Runtastic, tracks runs, walks, rides and more than 90 sports with GPS. You get live stats, training plans, voice coaching, global challenges and virtual races.
It needs an account and the App Store listing says it contains ads. Premium removes limits and unlocks more plans. adidas no longer sells Premium on its website, so you see the price inside the app.
What you lose vs Strava: route planning, segments and a strong cycling community.
- Replaces
- Strava for runs, walks and rides
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, Apple Watch
- Licence
- Free with ads, optional Premium subscription
- Skip if
- You dislike ads in a fitness app
- Price
- Free (Premium optional, price shown in app)
Open source trackers with no account
OpenTracks
- Android
OpenTracks records runs, walks and rides with your phone's GPS. There is no account, no ads, no analytics and no cloud. It works with Bluetooth heart rate straps, cadence sensors and power meters. You can export to GPX, KML or KMZ and upload anywhere you like.
It is free on F-Droid. The Google Play version costs $4.99, which supports the developer. Version 4.28.3 came out on September 2, 2026, so it is actively maintained.
What you lose vs Strava: everything social. No feed, no segments, no route planning, no iPhone app.
- Replaces
- Strava activity recording
- Runs on
- Android
- Licence
- Apache 2.0 (open source)
- Skip if
- You want to share runs with friends
- Price
- Free on F-Droid ($4.99 on Google Play)
FitoTrack
- Android
FitoTrack logs running, cycling and hiking with a map, speed chart, pace and full statistics. It has no ads and no tracking, and the code is open source under GPLv3.
It is free on F-Droid and Google Play. Version 16.3 landed on August 26, 2026. Like OpenTracks, your workouts stay on your phone, so there is nothing to hide with a privacy zone.
What you lose vs Strava: sharing, segments, route planning and sensor-heavy training analysis.
- Replaces
- Strava workout log
- Runs on
- Android 8.0 or newer
- Licence
- GPLv3 (open source)
- Skip if
- You use an iPhone
- Price
- Free
Apps for sharing and iPhone users
Relive
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Relive records your run, ride or hike and turns it into a 3D flyover video of your route. Relive's support page says the free version makes one video per activity, in horizontal or vertical format, with your highlights like max speed. You can tag friends and share to Instagram and other apps.
The paid tier adds more photos and clips, re-editing and music. It can also import activities from other apps, so it works well next to a free tracker.
What you lose vs Strava: segments, training stats and route planning.
- Replaces
- Strava's social sharing
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone
- Licence
- Free, optional subscription
- Skip if
- You want training analysis
- Price
- Free (Relive Club optional)
Apple Fitness
- iPhone and iPad
With iOS 26, the Fitness app on iPhone gained a Workout tab. It records outdoor walks, runs and rides with the phone's GPS, so you do not need an Apple Watch. You see your route, distance, pace and calories after you finish.
There is no live map during the workout on iPhone. Data stays in Apple Health, and nothing is public by default. Apple Fitness+ is a separate paid service for video classes. You do not need it to track.
What you lose vs Strava: route planning, segments and any public sharing or social feed.
- Replaces
- Strava on iPhone for basic logging
- Runs on
- iPhone on iOS 26, Apple Watch
- Licence
- Free, built in
- Skip if
- You use Android
- Price
- Free
Google Fit is being replaced by the new Google Health app, which took over from the Fitbit app in May 2026. Google says a migration tool for Fit data is coming, and the Google Fit APIs are only supported until the end of 2026. If you use Fit today, plan to move your data. Do not start a new training log in it.
Tracking what you eat as well as what you burn? See our list of MyFitnessPal alternatives. If you mainly used Strava Beacon to share your live location with family, our Life360 alternatives cover free location sharing apps.
Who should still pay for Strava
A Strava subscription still makes sense for some people:
- Segment chasers who want leaderboards, local legend status and to compare efforts on the same climb.
- Club riders and runners whose friends, club and group rides all live on Strava.
- People who plan many routes and want route building, offline routes and training analysis in one app.
For everyone else, Komoot, Nike Run Club, Garmin Connect or an open source tracker covers most of the same work for free.
What is the best free alternative to Strava?
How much does a Strava subscription cost?
Is Strava still free?
Is Komoot free?
Can I track runs without a watch?
Is Google Fit shutting down?
Sumit
ContributorHi, I'm Sumit, Being an introvert I have always been obsessed with technology-computers and reading dozens of posts to learn, find answers out of my curiosity. I love to write as I explore more.
