# Austin Marathon® vs Active Experience

The clearest difference is rating: Austin Marathon® at 4.8 against Active Experience's 1.5. Active Experience's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 12 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Austin Marathon® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Active Experience has 148 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Austin Marathon® ships an update every 12 months, Active Experience every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Austin Marathon® | Active Experience |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/austin-marathon/id1141037258/reviews)** | [1.5 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-experience/id1343144011/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **148** |
| Positive reviews | — | 6.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 61 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [High Five Events, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1231466113) | [Active Network, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/885139029) |

## What reviewers say

### Austin Marathon®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/austin-marathon/id1141037258)

This official event app provides essential information for runners, spectators, volunteers, and sponsors of a major marathon weekend. Access course maps, race details, runner tracking, and event updates. Stay informed about entertainment and charities along the route.

**Highlights:** Official event information, Interactive course maps, Personalized race scheduling, Real-time runner tracking, Social sharing capabilities, Event weekend push notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Active Experience

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-experience/id1343144011)

Follow live event progress, view real-time leaderboards, and get participant alerts. Discover event landmarks, share photos, and stay updated on races like marathons and triathlons. Integrates with HealthKit for heart rate and workout data.

**Highlights:** Real-time leaderboards, Participant GPS tracking, Course map with landmarks, Progress alerts and updates, Event photo sharing, HealthKit integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Easy to use
- 📷 Good for photos and social sharing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🚫 Fails at core functionality of tracking runners
- 🔍 Difficult to set up and navigate
- ⏱️ Slow and unresponsive
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot enter date of birth to create account
- Tracking stops working mid-race
- Inconsistent and inaccurate runner locations

**Requested features**

- Improve runner tracking accuracy and reliability
- Provide course maps and mile markers
- Allow easy spectator tracking without complex setup


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Austin Marathon® free?

Austin Marathon® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Active Experience free?

Active Experience is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Austin Marathon® or Active Experience?

Austin Marathon® is rated higher. Austin Marathon® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Active Experience averages 1.5 from 148 ratings.

### Do Austin Marathon® or Active Experience have ads?

Austin Marathon® shows ads; Active Experience does not.

### Which is updated more often, Austin Marathon® or Active Experience?

Austin Marathon® ships an update every 12 months, and Active Experience every 6 weeks. Most recently, Austin Marathon® was updated on October 8, 2026 and Active Experience on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*