Stride vs Runna, Which Marathon Training App Should You Use?
Runna is the best-known training app in running, covering every distance from 5K to ultramarathon with adaptive plans, and it's owned by Strava as of 2025. Stride is narrower on purpose: it's an iOS app built only for marathon training. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans built on the most proven training methods in the sport, maps every week from today to your race day, and puts you in a feed of runners training for your exact race. If you run multiple distances or use Android, choose Runna. If your whole goal is a marathon start line and you're on iPhone, Stride is built for exactly that.
Quick comparison
| Stride | Runna | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to download; $19.99/mo or $99.99/yr unlocks the plan | $19.99/mo or $119.99/yr; Strava bundle $149.99/yr |
| Platform | iOS only | iOS and Android |
| Distances | Marathon only | 5K to ultramarathon |
| Plan approach | Matched to 1 of 14 plans, every week mapped to your race day | Adaptive plan generated from your goal and level |
| Race-specific plans | Yes, pages and plans for races like NYC, Chicago, Marine Corps | Race date driven, not race-course specific |
| Community | Feed of runners training for your exact race | Runna community, Strava ecosystem |
| Extras | Marathon focus, nothing else | Strength, mobility, and Pilates add-ons |
What Runna does well
Runna earned its position. You tell it your distance, goal time, fitness level, and how many days you can run, and it generates a plan with pace targets that adapts as you go. It syncs workouts to Garmin, Apple Watch, and other devices, and since the Strava acquisition in April 2025 it sits inside the biggest social network in endurance sport. The strength and mobility add-ons are genuinely useful if you want everything in one subscription. It's a strong general-purpose running coach, and it works on Android.
The trade-off of covering 5K to ultra is that the marathon is one distance among many. Runna's plans key off your race date, but the plan doesn't know anything about your race. Training for the bridges of New York and training for pancake-flat Chicago look the same to it.
What Stride does differently
Stride only does marathons. That focus shows up in three places.
First, matching instead of generating. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans built on the most proven training methods in the sport, based on your experience, mileage history, and goal. You're running a plan with a track record, fitted to you, not a workout stream assembled on the fly.
Second, the calendar. Stride maps every week from today to race day: long runs, step-back weeks, and the taper, all pointed at one date. Open the app and you can see exactly where you are in the buildup and what's left.
Third, the feed. Stride puts you in a feed of runners training for your exact race. When you're 12 weeks out from the Marine Corps Marathon, so is everyone you see. Nobody's posting a casual 5K while you're grinding through an 18-miler. That's a different feeling from a general-purpose social feed, and it's the part users mention most.
The honest gaps: Stride is iOS only, so Android runners should use Runna. It's marathon only, so if you race 5Ks in spring and a marathon in fall, Runna covers your whole year. And like Runna, the plan sits behind a subscription, though Stride's annual price is $99.99 against Runna's $119.99.
Choose Runna if
- You run and race multiple distances, not just the marathon
- You're on Android
- You want strength and mobility programming inside the same app
- You live in Strava and want the ecosystem tie-in
Choose Stride if
- You're training for a specific marathon and want every week mapped to that date
- You want a plan built on proven marathon training methods, matched to you rather than generated
- You want to train alongside people running your exact race
- You're on iPhone and would rather pay $99.99/yr than $119.99/yr
If you're still deciding, our best marathon training apps for 2026 roundup covers the whole field, and if it's your first 26.2, start with the best app for a first marathon.
FAQ
Is Stride cheaper than Runna? Yes, on the annual plan. Stride is $99.99/yr against Runna's $119.99/yr. Monthly pricing is the same at $19.99. Both apps are free to download.
Does Runna still exist separately from Strava? Yes. Strava acquired Runna in April 2025 but has kept the apps separate, with separate subscriptions. A combined Strava + Runna annual bundle is sold at $149.99/yr.
Can I use Stride on Android? No. Stride is iOS only. If you're on Android, Runna is the stronger pick from this pair.
Does Stride have plans for my specific race? Stride has training plan pages for major races including Boston, London, Berlin, NYC, and Chicago, and the app maps any marathon date you give it, week by week from today.
Which is better for a first marathon? Stride, if you're on iPhone. First-timers get matched to a conservative first-finish plan, and the feed of runners doing the same race removes a lot of the loneliness of a first buildup. On Android, Runna is a good coach for a debut too.