Runna vs Strava: Which Running App Is Right for You?
Updated: 3 days ago
Written by Andy Hood · Ultra runner, cancer survivor and Runna Ambassador
Updated 22 October 2026 | Published 24 May 2026
Article contains affiliate codes that support this blog and my cancer charity work.
Runna vs Strava: Quick Answer
Runna and Strava do different jobs. Strava tracks and shares the runs you’ve already done, while Runna tells you what to run next and coaches you through it. Strava bought Runna in 2025, the two sync automatically, and plenty of runners, me included, use both: Runna for the plan, Strava for the record and the community.
In this Article
What Is Strava? A Brief History
Strava is the world’s biggest fitness tracking and social app for runners and cyclists. It was founded in San Francisco in 2009 by Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath, two old Harvard rowing teammates who wanted to recreate the friendly competition of team sport online. The name comes from the Swedish word for “strive”.
It started as a cycling app built around Segments, leaderboards for stretches of road, and grew into a social network for every sport, with over 135 million registered athletes. Nearly a billion runs were logged on Strava in 2024 alone.
I’ve used Strava since my cycling days, poring over the data after every ride looking for gains. As a runner I do less so as I find Runna's post run data provides post run valuable insights.
Who Founded Runna? A Brief History
Runna was founded in London in 2021 by Dom Maskell, a former McKinsey consultant, and Ben Parker, a professional running coach who is still Runna’s head coach. The app launched in 2022 and quickly became one of the world’s most popular running coaching apps.
Where Strava records what you’ve done, Runna builds you a personalised training plan around your goal, your fitness and the days you can train, from a first 5K right up to a 50K ultra. The plans are designed by qualified coaches, and AI personalises how they’re delivered as you train.
When Ben Parker stepped away from Runna in mid 2026 I wrote about that and why it mattered to me.
Did Strava Buy Runna? The Acquisition Explained
Yes. Strava bought Runna in April 2025. Strava’s own coaching had always been thin, and Runna’s adaptive plans filled that gap neatly.
For runners, very little has changed. Runna and Strava are still separate apps with separate subscriptions, and Strava has said it will keep them that way for the foreseeable future. The big difference is how well they now talk to each other, plus a joint subscription, which I cover below.
Strava Premium Features and Price
Strava’s free version tracks your runs and shows your core stats: pace, distance, elevation, heart rate and cadence. Strava Premium adds the deeper layer:
Segments and leaderboards, ranked by age and sex. Dangerously addictive.
Route building using heatmaps of where other people run
Training and fitness insights, including heart-rate zone analysis
Clubs and challenges, and of course Kudos
Strava Premium costs £8.99 a month or £54.99 a year in the UK, and $11.99 a month or $79.99 a year in the US.
I paid for Strava Premium for years, first as a cyclist and then as a runner, and I used it to dig deep into the data after every ride and run. I was never one for the Kudos or oversharing. Since Runna became my training partner, I’ve dropped Premium.
Once you understand Runna’s post-run data, it tells you a surprising amount about every run, and that’s now all the analysis I need.
One tip: Strava is public by default, so check your privacy settings before you share your first run from your front door.
Runna vs Strava Features: Coaching vs Tracking
Runna is a coach, not a tracker, and that’s where it pulls away from Strava:
A personalised plan built around your race, your fitness and your week
Plans that adapt: paces creep quicker as you hit your targets, and the plan eases off if you’re struggling, ill or away
Real-time audio coaching telling you when to speed up, slow down or start the next rep
Strength, mobility and Pilates sessions scheduled into your week
Feedback after every run and access to Runna’s coaching team in the app
Runna took my marathon from around 3:45 to 3:20 and got me round the Tour du Mont Blanc twice. Strava recorded every one of those runs, but it never told me what to do next.
Runna is £99.99 a year or £15.99 a month in the UK. I’ve listed Runna’s full UK, US and Europe prices in my review.
Runna vs Strava Comparison Table
Runna | Strava | |
What it does | Coaches you with a personalised plan | Tracks and shares your activities |
Best for | Runners training for a goal or race | Logging runs, data and community |
Training plans | Yes, adaptive, 5K to 50K | No, it now points runners to Runna |
Audio coaching during runs | Yes | No |
Strength and mobility | Yes, built into your plan | No |
Social features | Basic | Kudos, clubs, Segments, challenges |
Free version | 7-day trial (14 days with code ANDY2) | Yes, with core tracking |
Annual price (UK / US) | £99.99 / $119.99 | £54.99 / $79.99 |
Watch sync | Garmin, Apple Watch, Coros, Suunto, Fitbit | Most GPS watches |
Prices checked October 2026.
Strava + Runna Bundle: Price and Savings
The Strava + Runna bundle gives you full subscriptions to both apps for £119.99 a year in the UK or $149.99 in the US. It’s annual only and you buy it through Strava.
Against paying for both separately on annual plans, it saves you about £35 in the UK and $50 in the US. If you only want Runna, though, it costs £20 more than Runna on its own, so it’s only worth it if you’d pay for Strava anyway.
If you take the bundle, connect your Strava account inside Runna, otherwise Runna still shows you as a free user.
Can You Use Runna and Strava Together? How the Sync Works
Yes, and this is how I used to train. Runna sets the plan and coaches you through each session, then the finished run syncs to Strava automatically, so it lands on your feed with the map, the splits and the Kudos. As Runna has consistenty improved the post run data I found the Strava insights less valuable. Runna has now moved it's community function into the Strava app, a signal of closer integration.
Connect the two in Runna’s settings once and you never think about it again. Both also sync with Garmin, Apple Watch, Coros, Suunto and Fitbit, so your watch can record the run once and everything flows from there.
Runna or Strava: Which App Should You Choose?
Choose Strava if…
You follow your own plan, or a club’s, and want to track it
You love the data and want to see how your running changes over months and years
Kudos, Segments and challenges keep you lacing up
Choose Runna if…
You’ve got a race or a goal in the diary
You want to know exactly what to run each day, and why
You want strength and mobility built in, without paying for a personal coach
If you can only pick one and you’re training for something, pick Runna. You can still log your runs on Strava’s free version.
How to Start Training With Runna
As a Runna Ambassador, I can double the standard 7-day trial. Code ANDY2 gives you two full weeks of Runna Premium with every feature unlocked, and it works worldwide.
👉 Enter ANDY2 during setup, or go straight to web.runna.com/redeem?code=ANDY2
Connect it to Strava on day one, run a few sessions, and see how the two work together.
Runna vs Strava FAQs
Is Runna better than Strava?
Runna is better than Strava for coaching, and Strava is better than Runna for tracking and community. Runna gives you a personalised plan that adapts as you train, while Strava records and shares the runs you’ve done. If you’re training for a race, choose Runna; if you want data and social motivation, choose Strava.
What’s the difference between Runna and Strava?
The difference between Runna and Strava is that Runna tells you what to run next, while Strava records what you’ve already run. Runna is a coaching app with personalised plans and audio coaching. Strava is a tracking and social app with Segments, clubs and Kudos. Strava owns Runna, but they’re separate apps.
Does Runna sync with Strava?
Yes, Runna syncs with Strava automatically. Once you connect the two in Runna’s settings, every completed Runna session appears on your Strava feed with its map and splits. Both apps also sync with Garmin, Apple Watch, Coros, Suunto and Fitbit watches.
Do I need Strava Premium to use Runna?
No, you don’t need Strava Premium to use Runna. Runna works on its own, and syncing your Runna sessions to Strava works with a free Strava account. You only need Strava Premium if you want its extra features, such as Segments leaderboards and route building.
Does Strava have training plans?
No, Strava doesn’t build adaptive training plans; as of October 2026, it points runners to Runna, which it owns. Runna isn’t included in Strava Premium, so you need a Runna subscription or the Strava + Runna bundle, at £119.99 a year in the UK or $149.99 in the US.
Is the Strava + Runna bundle worth it?
The Strava + Runna bundle is worth it if you’d pay for both apps anyway. As of October 2026, it costs £119.99 a year in the UK or $149.99 in the US, saving about £35 or $50 against two separate annual subscriptions. If you only want Runna, it costs £20 more than Runna on its own.
Is Strava free?
Yes, Strava has a free version that tracks your runs and shows core stats like pace, distance, elevation and heart rate. Segments leaderboards, route building and deeper insights need Strava Premium, which costs £54.99 a year in the UK or $79.99 in the US as of October 2026.
Which is better for beginners, Runna or Strava?
Runna is better for beginners who want guidance, because its New to Running and Path to parkrun plans take you from your very first run to a 5K. Strava is better if you just want to log runs for free and enjoy the community. See my Runna training plans guide to pick a starting plan.
About the Author: Andy Hood
Andy Hood is an ultra runner from North Devon and a Runna Ambassador. He came back to running after a cancer diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy in 2021, and has since run two Tour du Mont Blanc routes, a 170-mile, five-day run along the South West Coast Path and 100K ultras. He has used Strava since his cycling days and trained with Runna for over three years, raising over £28,000 for cancer charities along the way. He is also the founder of Check Ya Balls.
Find him on Instagram at @runningwestwardho.
Comments