Comparison

Start Running For Beginners vs 5K Run

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

Head to head
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/

About

5K Run

This app guides beginners from inactivity to running a 5K with a flexible, adaptive training plan. It offers audio cues during runs and integrates with HealthKit to track progress and Apple Watch activity.

Highlights
  • Adaptive 5K training plan
  • Voice trainer for run/walk intervals
  • Flexible workout scheduling
  • HealthKit integration
  • Motivation and progress tracking
Features
Read full description

5K RUN is the easiest way to get you from couch potato to 5k. Our training plan will help you keep motivated and give your best in every workout. Don't give up, you can do it! 5K PLAN The training plan is design to help you keep motivated. It will let you know when you need to take a break and when it's time for another run. Run whenever you want, you don't need to set up a schedule of specific days for running, we all have busy days, or it's raining outside, or we're just tired. That's why our training plan adapts to you, giving you a time window to complete your workouts. Take your training to the next level! VOICE TRAINER During the runs, listen to your music and the voice trainier will tell you when it's time for you to run or walk. Set your goal and work to get there in a healthy way. HEALTHKIT INTEGRATION Run 5K integrates nicely with HealthKit, meaning that all your workout data will be available for you inside Run 5K and the Apple Health App. On top of that, all the races you save using Run 5K will contribute to filling the Activity rings on your Apple Watch. Isn't that cool?

Screenshots

Start Running For Beginners4 screens
5K Run4 screens

Verdict

The call

Start Running For Beginners and 5K Run both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 97% of Start Running For Beginners's written reviews are positive against 24% of 5K Run's. 5K Run's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 and 5K Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 — 4.7 for Start Running For Beginners against 4.7 for 5K Run. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 2.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of Start Running For Beginners's written reviews are positive against 24% of 5K Run's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Start Running For Beginners ships an update every 3 months, 5K Run every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Start Running For Beginners versus 5K Run: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStart Running For Beginners5K Run
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better4.7 (2.2K ratings)
Positive reviews96.8% of reviews — better24.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1K2.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAxiom Mobile LLCCarlos Fernandez Mayor

Customer experience

Start Running For Beginners

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

5K Run

All ratings2,168 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive24.3%
Neutral16.5%
Negative59.1%

User reviews

Start Running For Beginners

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Gradual progression
  • 💪 Helps build endurance
  • 🎧 Allows listening to music
  • 📈 Tracks progress

Room to improve

  • 🔊 Audio prompts can be difficult to hear
  • 🔒 Requires payment to unlock full features
  • 🧭 No treadmill mode
  • 🔄 Inability to repeat previous workouts

5K Run

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Motivating for beginners
  • 💡 Gradual training program

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable sync with Apple Watch
  • 🔒 Lack of customer support
  • 💰 Hidden in-app purchases
  • 🔄 Inability to repeat or restart stages

Bugs and 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

5K Run

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and loses user progress
  • Inconsistent tracking of distance and pace
  • Issues with treadmill workouts

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manually adjust training program
  • More detailed workout information
  • Integration with other fitness apps
  • Audio cues for run/walk transitions

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
1 purchases

5K Run

One-time1
  • Plan de entrenamiento 5K$4.99

Questions

Is Start Running For Beginners free?
Start Running For Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 5K Run free?
5K Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Start Running For Beginners or 5K Run?
Start Running For Beginners is rated higher. Start Running For Beginners averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while 5K Run averages 4.7 from 2.2K ratings.
Do Start Running For Beginners or 5K Run have ads?
Neither Start Running For Beginners nor 5K Run shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Start Running For Beginners or 5K Run?
Start Running For Beginners ships an update every 3 months, and 5K Run every 10 days. Most recently, Start Running For Beginners was updated on October 29, 2026 and 5K Run on October 26, 2026.

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