adidas Running vs Strava

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

adidas Running

GPS run and workout tracker from adidas, formerly known as Runtastic

Free plan + paid

Visit adidas Running adidas Running profile

Strava

Social fitness tracker for running, cycling and other sports, with segments and route planning.

Free plan + paid

Visit Strava Strava profile

The short answer

Both are free GPS trackers for runners with paid upgrades. adidas Running (formerly Runtastic) adds a voice coach and beginner-to-marathon training plans, so it suits casual runners who want guidance. Strava has a far bigger social side, segment leaderboards, cycling and dozens of other sports, and syncs with most GPS devices. Pick adidas Running for a simple, motivating phone tracker; pick Strava for community, multi-sport logging and deeper analysis.

adidas Running or Strava: our take

adidas Running is a phone-first tracker: it records runs, walks and workouts with distance, pace and route, talks to you through a voice coach, and offers challenges, leaderboards and community events. Its training plans run from walk-to-run and a first 5K up to a first marathon, which makes it friendly for people just getting into running. Strava records runs, rides, walks and dozens of other sports from your phone or a connected watch or bike computer, and its social layer (feed, kudos, clubs, challenges and segments with their own leaderboards) is the main reason people use it.

Both use a freemium model. adidas Running's basic tracker is free, and a Premium membership adds more plans and statistics, but it can only be bought inside the app. Strava's free tier covers recording, sharing and basic safety tools; the subscription, with a 30-day trial, adds full segment leaderboards, route tools and advanced training analysis. Strava doesn't include training plans itself; those come through its Runna bundle.

adidas Running runs on iPhone and Android, and its website mostly points you to the app. Strava runs on iPhone, Android and the web and works with most GPS devices, which matters if you train with a Garmin, Wahoo or Apple Watch. Analysis in adidas Running is lighter than in Strava. On the other hand, Strava's activities can be public by default, so check its privacy settings.

For a newer runner who wants a free tracker with a coach's voice and a plan to follow, adidas Running is the simpler fit. If you also cycle, use a dedicated GPS device, or want a large community and competitive segments, Strava is the better home for your activities.

Choose adidas Running if…

Casual runners who want a free GPS tracker with challenges and beginner plans
Free GPS tracking with voice coach
Plans from walk-to-run up to a first marathon

Choose Strava if…

Runners and cyclists who want a social feed, segment leaderboards and to sync any GPS device
You need Web, which adidas Running doesn't list
Large active community with clubs, challenges and kudos
Segments and leaderboards make training competitive

What is adidas Running?

adidas Running is a GPS activity tracker for iPhone and Android, originally developed by the Austrian company Runtastic before adidas bought it and renamed the app. It records runs, walks and other workouts with distance, pace and route, and adds a voice coach, leaderboards, challenges and community events. Training plans cover goals from walk-to-run and a first 5K through to a first marathon. The basic tracker is free; a Premium membership unlocks more plans and statistics and can now only be bought inside the app, not on the website. It suits casual and intermediate runners who want a free, motivating tracker with built-in challenges. The old Runtastic website now mostly points to the app, and serious data lovers may find the analysis lighter than in Strava or Garmin Connect.

What is Strava?

Strava records runs, rides, walks and dozens of other sports with your phone's GPS or a connected watch or bike computer, then shows a map, pace, speed, heart rate and other stats for each activity. What sets it apart is the social side: friends follow each other's activities, give kudos, join clubs and challenges, and compete on segments, short stretches of road or trail with their own leaderboards. Recording, the feed and basic safety tools are free. A paid subscription adds full segment leaderboards, route suggestions and offline maps, advanced training analysis, custom goals and the Fitness Score, and Strava also sells a bundle with Runna, its running-coach app. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web, and syncs with most GPS devices including Garmin, Wahoo and Apple Watch. Some useful features that used to be free now need the subscription, and the public-by-default privacy settings are worth checking when you sign up.

Side by side

Attribute	adidas Running	Strava
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Casual runners who want a free GPS tracker with challenges and beginner plans	Runners and cyclists who want a social feed, segment leaderboards and to sync any GPS device
Status	Active	Active