Comparison

Virtual Race Runner vs OpenCycling

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

Head to head
About

Virtual Race Runner

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Virtual Race Runner (VRR), Basic edition, is a No-Look Running App with all the essential features for someone to run using Run-Walk or Always Running methods. VRR tracks time, distance, and pace and has an optional companion Apple Watch mini-App with heart-rate tracking. No-Look Apps provide additional safety because they provide all information a runner needs during a race thru using audio announcements allowing the runner to keeps their eyes on the route to avoid vehicles and path obstructions. Periodic Announcements of race time, distance and pace are controlled by the user through Settings. A before race Warmup, an after race Cooldown and Run-Walk (if chosen) durations are also are controlled by the user through Settings. Choose between 1 mile, 5K, 5 mile, 10K, 10 mile, Half Marathon race distances--Virtual Race Runner stops automatically when you reach your race distance, starts a cool-down and tells you your time! Or select a timed race and your race will stops at a specific time โ€” 30 minutes for example. You can end your race at anytime with the click of a button. After a race completes VRR shows a race summary and a Map of the track the runner traversed. VRR Basic is the entry edition of a family and has simple In-App Purchases(IAP) options for upgrade to VRR EveryDay edition or VRR RaceDay edition. In the event the runner chooses to look at their phone during a race, the phone display shows time and distance that is updated once per second. Or just deep tuck you phone, listen or look at your Apple Watch! โ€” Basic edition companion Apple Watch mini-App allows quick-look glances at a high visibility Watch screen that shows your heart-rate, race distance and race time Virtual Race Runner works in both kilometers and miles. It does not need the internet, or contains ads. Are you Ready to Race?

About

OpenCycling

Features
Read full description

Your trainer. Your data. Your ride. OpenCycling is a free indoor cycling app with structured workouts and smart trainer control. Connect your trainer and sensors over Bluetooth, pick a workout, and ride. No account required. STRUCTURED WORKOUTS 25+ workouts across VO2max, threshold, sweet spot, endurance, and recovery categories. Every interval is scaled to your FTP so the training adapts to your fitness. ERG mode controls your trainer's resistance automatically. REAL-TIME METRICS See power, heart rate, cadence, speed, calories, and interval targets as you ride. Post-ride summaries show your averages, peaks, and time in zone. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS No accounts. No cloud. Everything is stored on your device. Share rides to Strava when you choose. Export as standard FIT files that work with any platform. WORKS WITH YOUR GEAR Connects to Bluetooth smart trainers and sensors from Wahoo, Elite, Tacx, Stages, and more via FTMS, heart rate, power, and cadence protocols. COMPLETELY FREE No subscriptions, no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Virtual Race Runner1 screens
OpenCycling4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OpenCycling at every 3 months against Virtual Race Runner's every 14 months. OpenCycling also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virtual Race Runner ships an update every 14 months, OpenCycling every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Virtual Race Runner versus OpenCycling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtual Race RunnerOpenCycling
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 3 months โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS18.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size7 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJane BrownSami Wiktorin

In-app purchases

None

Virtual Race Runner

No in-app purchases

None

OpenCycling

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Virtual Race Runner free?
Virtual Race Runner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OpenCycling free?
OpenCycling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Virtual Race Runner or OpenCycling have ads?
Neither Virtual Race Runner nor OpenCycling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virtual Race Runner or OpenCycling?
Virtual Race Runner ships an update every 14 months, and OpenCycling every 3 months. Most recently, Virtual Race Runner was updated on October 11, 2026 and OpenCycling on October 7, 2026.

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