Comparison

The Run Experience vs RunMate

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Run Experience

This app offers daily audio runs, training videos, and structured programs for various running goals. It includes injury prevention routines, strength training, and a community forum to connect with coaches and other runners. Track your progress and stay motivated on your running journey.

Highlights
  • Daily audio runs
  • Training challenges
  • Weekly training videos
  • Injured runner program
  • Interactive running programs
  • GPS run tracker
  • Community forum
Read full description

Build a new healthy running habit, improve your body, conquer your next challenge, and even train for your next race with The Daily Run by The Run Experience! As featured in Runner’s World, Competitor Magazine, Triathlete Magazine, Strava, Men’s Health, 60 Minute Sports, Outside Magazine, Ragnar Relay Series, and Active. APP FEATURES & BENEFITS: - NEW Daily Run workouts featuring a 10 min audio run and a video warmup and cool down to build strength and range of motion. - MONTHLY training challenges on strength, form, nutrition, and speed. Earn prizes & badges! - WEEKLY Training Videos with full workouts, racing tips, and training advice. - Stay healthy & get back to running faster with the Injured Runner Program. - Easily search workouts based on time, fitness goal, and equipment needed. - Interactive programs for Beginner, 5k, Half Marathon, and Marathon. - Indoor workouts and exercises to build your fitness at home. - GPS tracker for all your runs. - Talk directly to coaches and connect with runners in our community. - Integrates with Apple Health to keep track of your progress. NEW DAILY AUDIO RUNS New daily audio runs alternate between form, breathing, speed, mystery, and motivation. Each day is new and different, keeping it fun while making you a better, fitter runner. Or choose the alternate strength and yoga workouts for the days you don’t want to or cannot run. TRAIN FOR ANY RACE OR GOAL If you have a goal or race in mind, we have structured progressive programs for you to follow. All programs include specific run workouts and directions, strength exercises and warmups, and access to coaching to keep you on track! Or join one of our live training challenges in The Daily Run, earn prizes, and become part of our community! STAY HEALTHY WITH STRENGTH & INJURY PREVENTION TRAINING 90% of overuse injuries that runners experience are preventable and self-treatable by building a stronger body with improved range of motion and mechanics. The Injured Runner Program walks you through the exact self-care routine you should follow for your injury or pain point. At The Run Experience, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best training available, and we have helped hundreds of thousands of runners all over the world. Now you can finally get all that training in your pocket. A premium subscription or a free trial is required in order to access the content of this app. —————— Learn more about our terms of service at https://api.ongo.app/tos or privacy policy at https://api.ongo.app/privacy

About

RunMate

This app combines running training plans with guided meditation to improve physical and mental health. It offers GPS tracking for routes, distance, and calories, along with programs for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon races. Users can unlock rewards and access curated music to stay motivated.

Highlights
  • Accurate GPS run tracking
  • Training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon
  • Guided meditation for stress relief
  • Mindful running programs
  • Audio guides for motivation
  • Unlockable rewards
  • Calorie and distance tracking
Features
Read full description

■ Accurate Run Tracker - track your route and heart rate! ■ Improve your mind and body ■ Zen Labs Fitness has been featured on The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Men's Fitness, Forbes, Mashable, Glamour Magazine, Popsugar Fitness, CBS News, NBC News, Macworld, Cosmopolitan, The Verge, Lifehacker, WebMD and many more! Goodbye to the days of stress and anxiety! With the same elements that made C25K successful for millions of first time runners (now with thoughtfully created guided meditation!), RunMate will help with both your physical and mental health! Our devices have turned into dopamine slot machines causing the mental health epidemic. We’ll help you get back on track to healthier habits. Finding the perfect balance in your schedule. RunMate has all the Training Plans and Guided Runs that you need to reach all your running goals. Running has never been more enjoyable and enlightening! Train for your next 5k, 10k or even marathon race, all the while benefiting from the guided meditation included in the training programs. We’ll help track your route, and provide all the tools necessary to smash all your milestones. Get instant STRESS RELIEF by combining the benefits of running (yay endorphins!) with guided meditation (yay serotonin!) from our experts! ≈ Track Stats ≈ Accurate GPS tracking helps you see your run route, as well as important details such as distance and calories burned. Log your stats in to the Health app! What gets measured, gets done! ≈ Mindful Running Programs ≈ Train for your next 5K race with our award winning C25K program! Or push yourself further with either our 10K, half marathon and marathon trainers! We’ll help get you ready! We’ve combined our award winning training programs with a little mindful meditation! ≈ Guided Runs from Experts ≈ Follow along with our audio guides to get motivated and inspired! You will leave feeling calm, focused, grateful and happy! The guided meditation has been carefully created to work in-sync while running. Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to close your eyes while on the move. ≈ Rewards ≈ Unlock cool regards to stay motivated. Stack those wins and stats! ≈ Zen Unlimited Pass ≈ ◉ Award winning music curated from top DJ's! ◉ Scientifically proven to increase motivation by 35% ◉ BONUS unlimited access to all pro features across ALL Zen Labs Fitness running apps Questions/comments? Please email us at contactus@zenlabsfitness.com, or visit us at www.zenlabsfitness.com. ≈ Connect ≈ Facebook: @C25Kfree Twitter: @C25Kfree Instagram: @officialc25k Hashtag: #C25K Subscription pricing and terms: The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you subscribe before your free trial ends, the rest of your free trial period will be forfeited as soon as your purchase is confirmed. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: https://www.zenlabsfitness.com/privacy-policy/ Legal Disclaimer This app and any information given by it or by Zen Labs LLC are for educational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any fitness program. C25K® is a registered trademark of Zen Labs LLC

Screenshots

The Run Experience4 screens
RunMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Run Experience at none against RunMate's shown. The Run Experience also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 71%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Run Experience sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and RunMate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for The Run Experience against 4.7 for RunMate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 542 and 243 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of The Run Experience's written reviews are positive against 71% of RunMate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Run Experience ships an update every 6 weeks, RunMate every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
The Run Experience versus RunMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Run ExperienceRunMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (542 ratings) — better4.7 (243 ratings)
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews — better70.6% of reviews
Number of ratings542 — better243
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB384 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThe Run ExperienceZen Labs

Customer experience

The Run Experience

All ratings538 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.5%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews152 reviews
Positive82.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative13.8%

RunMate

All ratings241 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative17.6%

User reviews

The Run Experience

From 542 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful training programs
  • 🚀 Comprehensive resources
  • 💡 Knowledgeable coaches
  • 👍 Supportive community
  • 👍 Effective for improving running

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app performance
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns
  • 👎 Poor customer service
  • 👎 Difficult to navigate

RunMate

From 243 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ❤️ Great concept and motivation
  • 🏃‍♀️ Helps beginners start running
  • 🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness and meditation integration
  • 👍 Encouraging for all fitness levels
  • 💯 Makes running enjoyable

Room to improve

  • 🔊 Music volume issue
  • 🎶 RunMate volume too loud
  • 📏 Inaccurate distance tracking
  • 🚫 Cannot change Miles to Kilometres
  • ⚠️ Crashes frequently

Bugs and requests

The Run Experience

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes during workouts
  • Inability to pause/resume workouts
  • Inconsistent tracking of runs

Requested features

4 requests
  • Integrate with fitness trackers
  • Offer more free content
  • Improve app stability and usability
  • Provide senior/military discounts

RunMate

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Music volume lowers significantly when RunMate speaks
  • App crashes when trying to play in-app music
  • Progress lost upon signing out

Requested features

3 requests
  • Control music/audiobook volume independently
  • Option to change units from Kilometres to Miles
  • Apple Health integration

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Run Experience

Subscriptions2
  • TRE Training Club (Monthly)7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Running Training Club (Annual)7 Days trial$119.991 Year
3 purchases

RunMate

Subscriptions3
  • Zen Unlimited Pass Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Zen Power Playlist 3 Months7 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • Zen Unlimited Pass Annual7 Days trial$74.991 Year

Questions

Is The Run Experience free?
The Run Experience is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RunMate free?
RunMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Run Experience or RunMate?
The Run Experience is rated higher. The Run Experience averages 4.8 out of 5 from 542 ratings, while RunMate averages 4.7 from 243 ratings.
Do The Run Experience or RunMate have ads?
RunMate shows ads; The Run Experience does not.
Which is updated more often, The Run Experience or RunMate?
The Run Experience ships an update every 6 weeks, and RunMate every 2 months. Most recently, The Run Experience was updated on October 24, 2026 and RunMate on October 24, 2026.

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