Running & Cycling Apps

The big three stories of cardio tracking in 2026: Strava is still the social default (and quietly more expensive), Komoot exists for routes, and OpenTracks + Runalyze are the FOSS pair if Strava's pricing or privacy ever pushes you out.

Sister sections: Apple Watch, Garmin, Indoor Cycling (Zwift / MyWhoosh), HRV & Heart Rate, Quantified Self DIY, GadgetBridge & Aggregation.

The hosted defaults

• ★ ★ Strava — iOS / Android / web; the social network for endurance athletes; paywalled most useful features in 2024-25 (segments, route builder, training plans). Free tier still works for "log + share." Apple Health / Health Connect sync.
  • https://www.strava.com/
• ★ Komoot — paid + free; Europe-strong; the route-planning answer (turn-by-turn navigation, surface-aware planning); region packs are paid.
• ★ RidewithGPS — paid + free; the cyclist's route library; turn-by-turn; pairs with Garmin / Wahoo head units.
• ★ Garmin Connect — free with a Garmin device; full activity log + training metrics + Insights. Locked to Garmin hardware. See Garmin.
• Wahoo ELEMNT Companion — free with a Wahoo head unit; clean, Strava-syncing.
• TrainingPeaks — paid + free; the coach's platform; structured workouts; covered under Training Plans.
• Final Surge — paid + free; TrainingPeaks competitor.

Run-specific apps

• ★ Nike Run Club (NRC) — completely free, ad-free; guided runs; surprisingly good. Apple/Android.
• Adidas Running (Runtastic) — paid + free; ad-supported free tier.
• Runkeeper — paid + free; older but maintained; ASICS-owned.
• MapMyRun — Under Armour; free with ads.
• Couch to 5K (NHS / others) — multiple apps; "C25K" is generic; many ad-free free versions exist.
• Runastic, Polar Beat, COROS apps — brand-locked, free with their hardware.

Cycling-specific apps

• Cyclemeter — paid; iOS-first; long-time iPhone cyclist favorite.
• Bikemap — paid + free; route community; Komoot competitor.
• Stages Cycling app — free with Stages power meters.
• Indoor cycling apps (Zwift / MyWhoosh / Rouvy) — separate page: Indoor Cycling.

FOSS / self-host

• ★ ★ OpenTracks — FOSS Android; no cloud, no account; offline GPX recording; the Strava-replacement for the privacy-minded. Pairs with bike sensors via BLE. Active dev.
  • https://github.com/OpenTracksApp/OpenTracks
• ★ Runalyze — FOSS PHP web app; self-hosted Strava-style analytics; imports GPX / FIT / TCX; trends, training load, VO2max estimation. Pairs perfectly with OpenTracks for a fully self-hosted stack.
  • https://github.com/Runalyze/Runalyze
• GPSLogger — FOSS Android; bare-metal track-to-GPX; no UI bells and whistles.
• FitoTrack — FOSS Android; OpenTracks-adjacent; lighter UI.
• Selfloops — paid + free; less FOSS but cycling-analysis-focused.

Power / cadence / HRM sensors (BLE / ANT+)

• HR straps: Polar H10 (★, see HRV), Garmin HRM-Pro / HRM-Dual, Wahoo TICKR FIT, Coospo HRM.
• Power meters: 4iiii, Stages, Quarq, Favero Assioma. ANT+ + BLE dual-broadcast is now standard.
• Cadence / speed: Wahoo RPM, Garmin Speed/Cadence Sensor 2.
• Running power: Stryd (★) — separate page: Running / Cycling Power.

OpenTracks reads BLE HRMs / cadence / power directly. Strava only reads them via your watch.

Interoperability

• GPX, FIT, TCX are universal. Most apps import/export at least GPX.
• ★ Run Gap (iOS) / SyncMyTracks (Android) — paid + free; sync activities between platforms when official sync breaks.
• ★ FitFileTools — free web; inspect / fix / merge FIT files; the "my Garmin recorded but Strava won't accept it" rescue tool.

Privacy notes

• ★ Strava heatmap has historically leaked sensitive locations (military bases, home addresses). Use Privacy Zones around home + opt out of metro heatmap aggregation if it matters.
• OpenTracks + Runalyze keeps everything on-device / on-your-server.
• See Health Data Privacy.

Cost / license honesty

• Strava — free tier, paid sub ~$12/mo or ~$80/yr. Most useful features are paywalled as of 2024.
• Komoot — region packs paid (~$4-30 one-time), full-world ~$60/yr.
• Garmin Connect / Wahoo / Polar / COROS — free with hardware purchase.
• OpenTracks — GPL-3.0 FOSS; F-Droid + Play Store.
• Runalyze — GPL-2.0 FOSS; Docker-friendly.

Pick this if…

• Default social cardio: Strava.
• Privacy-first, no cloud: OpenTracks + Runalyze.
• Best route planner: Komoot (hike + bike) or RidewithGPS (cycling).
• Already own a Garmin / Wahoo / Polar / COROS: their app, free.
• Run coaching for free: Nike Run Club.
• Self-hosted Strava replacement: Runalyze.