Comparison

Pace Watch vs Start Running For Beginners

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

Head to head
About

Pace Watch

This app helps runners maintain a target pace during training. It provides haptic and audio feedback when you deviate from your desired speed, with adjustable leeway. It integrates with HealthKit to read and write workout data.

Highlights
  • Target pace training
  • Haptic and audio feedback
  • Phone-free operation
  • Adjustable pace buffer
  • HealthKit integration
Read full description

Pace Watch doesn't use your phone or watches GPS and can be used without your phone. Pace Watch helps you stay at your target pace while training for your next big run. If you start to go too fast or slow it will tap your wrist and play a tone every 5 seconds until you are back in your target zone. Hints: - Use the buffer setting to give yourself a little more leeway around your target pace. - Only want the watch to tap you? Use the silence option in the control center on your watch to quiet the noise. This app uses HealthKit to access some of your data in the Health app(workouts, distance, and active energy(Calories burned)) and to write new data into the Health app(workouts, distance, and active energy(Calories burned))

About

Start Running For Beginners

This app guides beginners into running with a structured plan designed to increase jogging time gradually. It offers personalized coaching, detailed tracking, and voice feedback to help users achieve their fitness goals, including weight loss.

Highlights
  • Personal running coach
  • Couch to 5K training plan
  • Distance, speed, and pace tracker
  • GPS route tracking
  • Calorie counter
  • Voice feedback
Features
Read full description

Taking up running? What could be easier! Don’t worry about distance, pace, or speed. Let's think about all this later. Listen to the instructions and run as you like. Don't focus on your running technique. The most important thing now is to get out and start running. Your goal is to increase the jogging time. Nothing else matters right now. Features: + Personal running coach + Couch to 5K (c25k) alternative training plan + Detailed statistics of each training + Distance, speed and pace tracker + GPS-route of every session + Built-in pedometer + Calorie counter + Custom workouts + Voice feedback + Sync with Apple Health The workout plan is split into 4 levels. Each level has a specific goal for jogging duration: • Level 1 goal is 20 minutes. • Level 2 goal is 30 minutes. • Level 3 goal is 40 minutes. • Level 4 goal is 60 minutes of running. Each level has a 4-weeks duration, and 3 workouts per week. Join us running! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pace Watch2 screens
Start Running For Beginners4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Start Running For Beginners at 97% against Pace Watch's 50%. Start Running For Beginners also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 4). Pace Watch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Start Running For Beginners sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Pace Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Start Running For Beginners holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Start Running For Beginners has 2.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Pace Watch's written reviews are positive against 97% of Start Running For Beginners's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pace Watch ships an update every 8 days, Start Running For Beginners every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Pace Watch versus Start Running For Beginners: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPace WatchStart Running For Beginners
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (4 ratings)4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews96.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings42.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS10.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon FortelnyAxiom Mobile LLC

Customer experience

Pace Watch

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Start Running For Beginners

All ratings2,063 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.9%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews1,330 reviews
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.1%

Bugs and requests

Pace Watch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Start Running For Beginners

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sync issues when changing devices
  • App crashes or freezes occasionally

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more customization options
  • Provide more detailed workout statistics
  • Integrate with fitness trackers
  • Offer more advanced training plans

In-app purchases

None

Pace Watch

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Start Running For Beginners

Subscriptions2
  • Full Version$1.991 Month
  • Full Version$9.996 Months
One-time3
  • Full Version$1.99
  • Full version$4.99
  • Full version$19.99

Questions

Is Pace Watch free?
Pace Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Start Running For Beginners free?
Start Running For Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pace Watch or Start Running For Beginners?
Start Running For Beginners is rated higher. Pace Watch averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Start Running For Beginners averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.
Do Pace Watch or Start Running For Beginners have ads?
Neither Pace Watch nor Start Running For Beginners shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pace Watch or Start Running For Beginners?
Pace Watch ships an update every 8 days, and Start Running For Beginners every 3 months. Most recently, Pace Watch was updated on October 24, 2026 and Start Running For Beginners on October 24, 2026.

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