# RaceJoy vs Friend

The clearest difference is rating: Friend at 5.0 against RaceJoy's 3.9. Friend also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). RaceJoy's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 2) and chart position (#43 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RaceJoy sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Friend asks for nothing beyond the download.

Friend holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RaceJoy has 1.6K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

RaceJoy ships an update every 2 months, Friend every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RaceJoy | Friend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/racejoy/id596132953/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-a-thon/id6760599846/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#43** | — |
| Size | 67 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TriPerta LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/596132956) | [Zachary Schwartz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843943662) |

## What reviewers say

### RaceJoy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/racejoy/id596132953)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

Enhance your race day experience with real-time GPS tracking, progress alerts, and motivational cheers for participants and spectators. Offers live tracking for events and training, with features like progress updates and photo sharing.

**Highlights:** Live GPS phone tracking, Send-a-Cheer motivational audio, NearMe participant alerts, MeetUp tool for location sharing, Automatic progress postings, Scored race results, Official race photos

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RaceJoy Phone Fun-Tracking | $0.99 | one-time |
| RaceJoy Phone Fun-26.2 with DONNA | $0.99 | one-time |
| RaceJoy Phone Fun-Cherry Blossom | $0.99 | one-time |
| RaceJoy Phone Fun-Pittsburgh Marathon | $0.99 | one-time |
| RaceJoy Phone Fun-Glass City Marathon | $0.99 | one-time |
| RaceJoy PhoneTrak-Vermont City Marathon | $0.99 | one-time |
| PhoneTrak-Glass City Marathon | $0.99 | one-time |
| PhoneTrak-Zions Bank Ogden Marathon | $0.99 | one-time |
| PhoneTrak-Kentucky Derby Marathon Festival | $0.99 | one-time |
| PhoneTrak-Burning River | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for tracking runners and spectators
- 🚀 Accurate mile updates and estimated finish times
- 💡 Ability to send audible cheers to runners
- 🤝 Helpful for virtual and in-person races

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable tracking
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🤔 Unintuitive and confusing interface
- 🙅‍♀️ Requires runners to have the app and phone

**Reported bugs**

- Tracking stops working mid-race
- App crashes frequently
- Inaccurate distance and pace tracking
- Notifications and updates delayed or not received

**Requested features**

- Automatic start/stop tracking
- Ability to view cheers after the race
- Integration with other fitness apps and devices
- More customization options for spectators


### Friend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-a-thon/id6760599846)

Enhance your running experience with personalized voice cheers from friends and family. This app automatically plays pre-recorded messages at each mile marker during your race, turning your loved ones into your personal cheering squad. It integrates with iMessage and uses GPS for seamless mile detection.

**Highlights:** Personalized voice cheers, Automatic mile marker playback, iMessage integration for cheer recording, GPS and Apple Health tracking, Customizable cheer assignment, Face ID privacy lock

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RaceJoy free?

RaceJoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Friend free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RaceJoy or Friend?

Friend is rated higher. RaceJoy averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Friend averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do RaceJoy or Friend have ads?

Neither RaceJoy nor Friend shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RaceJoy or Friend?

RaceJoy ships an update every 2 months, and Friend every 6 weeks. Most recently, RaceJoy was updated on November 6, 2026 and Friend on October 31, 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.*