Run to Victory: Strava vs. MapMyRun vs. Runtastic. vs. Runkeeper

Running and cycling apps bring precision to your workouts, but also add the feeling of community.

It is gone the days of wearing a Garmin watch to track your speed and mileage. While that was a significant leap from what we had before, it is now possible to be more precise and connected. It’s a gamechanger, especially if you are driven by competitive pressure and social pressure.

We decided to compare the four most popular apps for running and cycling and put them all up against each other. This is what we discovered.

Strava

Strava is a huge player in the world of cycling. It’s not to be said that it can’t do great work for runners. However, cycling is where Strava got its start and is still a dominant app.

Strava’s interface

The leaderboard function allows you to compare yourself with other riders on the same routes. These routes are divided into “segments”. Segments can range from several hundred meters to many miles in length and are a time trial. The Strava user can compare their performance to see where you stand on a daily basis, yearly or all-time basis. If you meet the challenge criteria, Strava Challenges will award digital badges. You can take the monthly challenge “How far can I ride?” You can also run a half-marathon, or climb challenges for riders and runners. We must also mention the amazing Strava app that doesn’t drain your phone battery. This is great for long runs and rides.

Strava workout recap example.

Strava allows you to connect with other athletes around the globe socially. You can make friends, follow runners or riders, leave kudos and comment on their runs or rides. You can also compliment them and invite them to follow you. You can also create online clubs and invite your friends. Strava calculates which club member has ridden or climbed the farthest, run the most, and so forth. You don’t have to use the Strava social platform. You can also share your Strava results on social media platforms like Facebook.

The Heatmap is a great feature on Strava. It allows you to see the routes of other Strava users. This feature is extremely useful for finding good routes, especially when you are running or riding on unfamiliar terrain. FlyBy is another great feature that allows you to interact with other riders or runners on your route, and even learn a little bit more about them if their data is made public. FlyBy allows you to contact or view their public data whenever someone passes you.

Strava can be described as a social fitness application by tech-savvy people. It is a wonderful combination of a GPS log tool and a social media application. It is a great tool for tracking metrics. Additionally, it offers data visualization that highlights various aspects of the overall experience. These aren’t exactly the only features of this app, but the focus on competition and social community sets it apart from other similar apps.

Strava has improved their integrations for 2021. Strava, Strava and Peloton integrate well with Strava and Trainerroad. They can also group riders who use those apps together. The seamless integrations of Strava with Garmin watches, trackers and most bikestoo have been great. It is important to ensure that your settings are customized in the best way possible so that the correct level of information is shared. Even if you use other apps, Strava is becoming an ubiquitous platform for working out.

Strava is the best choice for athletes who want to share their data, compare scores, and connect with other athletes. Although the premium version has some great perks, the free membership includes all the features you need to record and compare your results and keep in touch with the community.

MapMyRun and MapMyRide

MapMyRun is for runners, while MapMyRide is for cyclists. Both are popular in their own way and have become top-rated tools for keeping track of metrics. They are very similar in terms of interface and features, so we will compare them simultaneously.

Map My Run / Ride

These apps allow you to track unlimited routes and offer a great online route-creation tool that makes it easy and fast. The apps also allow you to export maps to GPX and share routes and maps. The route overview screens include ratings for elevation gain stats, climbs, and are simple to use.

You have several options when it comes to route building. You can use the blank starter map or browse through user-generated maps. You can choose your starting point and type of run or ride (road, mountain, etc.) when you create a new route. You can easily move the zoomable, pannable maps and they load and zoom quickly. The route creation tools are exactly what you want them to do, and track the roads flawlessly. It’s simple to make any mistakes and go back. You can view the total route mileage in real-time and also access the elevation graph or elevation total screen. After the route has been completed, you can save it, print it and export it as a GPX file. You can also share it on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It’s a great way for you to compare and contrast possible
runs or rides before you head out on your run.

MapMyRide, MapMyRun and Strava don’t encourage competition with other runners or riders like Strava. There is only one thing that comes close to this: the Challenges section. Here you can create challenges and invite friends or join sponsored challenges that offer prizes. These apps focus more on your achievements and rewarding you, which is a huge help when it comes to long-term performance improvement.

MapMyFitness had an option to create a Route Leaderboard, which was very popular. However, it disappeared abruptly. We do not believe it is returning, except for the Challenge Leaderboards.

The downside is that the app’s feature that allows you to relive your ride 3D doesn’t make sense for most athletes. Even though MapMyRide/MapMyRun use less battery than Strava, they still drain your battery much faster than Strava. The interface is not as appealing as Strava’s, but it does contain ads.

MapMyRide is a full-service app that allows you to map your running or cycling route, visualize data and share your metrics. The community aspect of the app is not as well-developed, which may be a plus or a disadvantage depending on your preferences. While the basic features are sufficient for most runners and riders, dedicated athletes will likely require services such as audio coaching, training plans and nutrition elements that can only be obtained with the paid (MVP).

Runtastic

Runtastic is undoubtedly the most well-known running, cycling and fitness app. It is a basic, but sturdy Adidas product. This tool provides a map feature that allows you to see your progress and a variety of metrics such as pace, overall distance, calories, and monthly progress.

Runtastic’s login&interface

Let’s now take a closer look at Runtastic’s functionality. All your previous activities are displayed on the screen when you first open Runtastic. Click on any of your past activities to see a map showing your route, distance, calories burned, average speed, maximum speed, and other details. Runtastic’s free version lets you track all your data. After you have completed your ride or run, you will see the average metric breakdown. You can also add notes and a photo.

The app also provides audio updates that provide you with information such as distance, pace, elevation, and more. These updates are only available for a limited amount of miles until you’re invited to upgrade to the pro version.

Runtastic’s home screen displays a newsfeed. You can also connect with others to see their rides and runs, as well as interact with them. The app also has a good social community feature.

Runtastic is very easy to use. All you have to do is launch it and hit the start button. The GPS works extremely well and is very accurate. This means you don’t need to worry about changing settings or updating data. It’s a simple app that offers great functionality and useful features. It can be used for fitness and cycling, but it is best suited for running.

Runkeeper

Runkeeper is a popular app for runners, riders, and walkers. The app works in a similar way to other tools, including functionality, metric recording and GPS tracking. Runkeeper is unique in that it allows audio announcements for free, while other apps only allow them for paid versions.

Runkeeper

Pocket Track is another feature that Runkeeper offers. Once enabled, it automatically tracks your movements, without you having to initiate an activity. Runkeeper also integrates with iOS Health, which is a great feature for iOS users who want a complete log of all their activity.

Runkeeper tracks your location and allows you to view the live map. Once you’re done, you can see multiple metrics such as distance, time, pace, calories burnt, and so forth. You can save all your activities and tag other runners and riders. You can also add notes and upload photos.

While the app isn’t extremely economical with the screen space, it does have an aesthetically-pleasing interface and it’s also user-friendly. It also has a social component that allows you to see the activities of your friends.

Overall, Runkeeper is a great tool for tracking your running records and helps you to plan for the future.

Conclusion

Strava is the best choice if you love cycling. Strava seems to have given the cycling world a head start. The cycling community that uses it has grown rapidly. Strava is a network app that is much more likely to connect you with your training buddies and friends than any other. It has a great interface.

Runtastic or Runkeeper are great options if you plan to use the app to run. They are both highly-recommended, have a strong user base, and have been proven reliable over time.

You May Also Like