RunPackGuides · 5 min read
What to look for in a free running app for iPhone
A plain checklist for choosing a free iPhone running app: GPS tracking without a watch, splits and PRs, privacy, sharing with friends, and what costs extra.
Most running apps are free to download. What’s free to use varies a lot. Here’s what to check before you commit your running history to one.
1. Does it work without a watch?
Plenty of people run with just a phone. The app should record GPS with the screen locked, show your stats on the Lock Screen, and save the run to Apple Health so it counts everywhere.
2. Splits and records on the free plan
Splits and personal records are the basics of seeing progress. Check they aren’t behind a subscription.
3. Who sees your runs
Some apps default to public profiles and public maps of where you run. Look for private-by-default sharing, and controls to hide or delete any run.
4. Running with friends
If you run with other people, check whether friends can see each other’s runs, plan runs together, and whether everyone has to use the same watch.
5. What the subscription adds
Read what’s paid before you start, so nothing you rely on disappears after a trial.
How RunPack answers these
RunPack is our app, so weigh this accordingly. Free: GPS recording with just your iPhone (Lock Screen view, saved to Apple Health), splits, a pace chart and elevation for every run, PRs and full history, pace alerts, Story cards, group runs and crews of up to 8. Runs are shared only with your crews, never publicly. RunPack Plus ($4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, paid by one person for the whole crew) adds crews of up to 30, route maps and photos on shared runs, and crew goals. For other options, see the best apps for running with friends.