Comparison

ChiRunning vs V.O2

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

Head to head
About

ChiRunning

Learn to run faster, easier, and injury-free with this comprehensive running coach. It offers video lessons, audio guidance, and guided runs to improve your technique and achieve your running goals.

Highlights
  • Video lessons on key running focuses
  • Audio coaching and guided runs
  • Built-in metronome
  • GPS route mapping
  • Workout logging and history
  • Pre-run looseners and post-run stretches
Read full description

The best-selling runner’s book, Chi Running®, is now an iPhone app that has helped thousands of everyday runners to run faster, easier, and injury-free. Created by ChiRunning founder, Danny Dreyer, this app is feature-laden with Chi Running video lessons, audio coaching, guided runs, and a built in metronome - tools for you to always run your best. You’ll learn the technique that has taught hundreds of thousands to run relaxed, efficiently, and with less injury. For beginning runners, weekend warriors, marathoners and speed demons alike, everyone benefits from improved running technique. You’ll practice “intelligent movement”; using good technique to save your body from undue effort and injury. Danny’s voice will talk you through Guided Runs with audio focuses played at self-selected, repeating intervals. These audio and video lessons will help you achieve your running goals; whether to start running, run a PR, complete a half or full marathon, or run for the rest of your life without injury. Practice your technique while tracking your distance, pace, caloric burn, and mapping your routes. The workout log function allows you to track your run history and share it with friends via Twitter and Facebook. Unique among running apps, the Chi Running® app is a complete coaching tool for improving your running technique and boosting your training. Exceptional running for ordinary people! COMPATIBILITY Please note: This app can only be used on the iPhone, NOT on iPads or the iPod Touch. FEATURES The Chi Running app features: • 18 video lessons of the key Chi Running focuses. • A unique Guided Run feature - Chi Run audio focuses prompt you as you run. • Pick which of the 23 Chi Run Focuses you want to practice and choose from 5 selectable time intervals. • 4 different Guided Runs to choose from: Tempo, Intervals, Long Slow Distance (LSD), and Custom. • Built-in metronome with two beat sounds. • Workout timer with pause and resume. • GPS mapping of running routes. • Running history with daily run data: distance, pace, elevation gain, calories burned. • Weekly mileage totals displayed and stored. • Video and audio reminders of 8 pre-run Body Looseners and 6 Post-run stretches. • Music fades when audio reminders play during your Guided Runs. • Separate volume settings for metronome and Chi Focuses. • Share your runs on Facebook, Twitter and more. • Track your distance in US/English or Metric units. The Chi Running App is also your portal into our world of on-line training plans, books and DVDs, and 200 Certified Chi Running instructors around the world. For questions or help with the application, send us an email to feedback@chirunning.com. Check out our forum at www.ChiRunning.com/forum.

About

V.O2

This app provides adaptive training plans and personalized coaching for runners of all levels. It assesses your fitness, offers custom paces, and syncs with popular devices. Train intelligently to achieve measurable improvements and become your best runner.

Highlights
  • Adaptive training plans
  • VDOT fitness assessment
  • Personalized training paces
  • Sync with Apple Health, Coros, Garmin, Strava
  • Real-time guidance on Apple Watch, Coros, Garmin
  • Training adaptation based on improvement
  • Coach communication and training adjustments
Features
Read full description

Coaching app for athletes looking to take their running to the next level. How it works Athletes: Get an invite from a coach or choose one coaching option. • Adaptive Trainer (14-Day Free Trial) • Goal Race Plan • Match with a Private Coach Coaches: Start your 30-day free trial and learn how to manage your athletes at https://vdoto2.com/vdotcoach Popular Features • Assess your current running fitness (VDOT) • Built-in personalized training paces • Sync training calendar with GPS data from Apple Health, Coros, Garmin or Strava • Sync workouts/pace targets to Apple Watch, Coros or Garmin for real-time guidance • Adapt your training based on your improvement • Work with your coach, communicate and adjust training Truly Personalized Unlike most running apps, VDOT knows you. It understands the type of runner you are, what you're training for, and how to maximize your efforts. It also gives you more control over your training, leveraging your feedback to deliver real-time data which fine tunes your training and leads to continuous progression. With fully automated, truly personalized and highly-adaptive training, VDOT helps you achieve measurable improvement — all in an effort to make you the best runner you can be. Intelligent Training With a focus on training over tracking and coaching over running, VDOT offers access to the highest quality, Olympic-style training for runners of all levels-right from any mobile device. Designed to help runners train correctly and more intelligently, VDOT elicits maximum benefit while reducing the required effort. These high-quality workouts promote healthy, responsible, and beneficial sessions while simultaneously preventing overtraining. Olympic Pedigree V.O2 was built from the foundation of a scientifically-validated training methodology. Based on former Olympian, author, and legendary running coach Jack Daniels’ exercise science principles, the methodology not only benefits runners of all ages and abilities when it comes to improving their running fitness but it also serves as the best measure of running economy across a variety of runners and events, making it an ideal way to compare performances. High-school, college, Olympic and non-elite runners have all trained, ran, and succeeded with the VDOT methodology. -”Dr. Jack Daniels has had a bigger influence on training-for-running than anyone. He might be considered the Albert Einstein of the sport." - Runner’s World Magazine

Screenshots

ChiRunning4 screens
V.O24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: V.O2 at Free against ChiRunning's $9.99. V.O2 also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 13 months). ChiRunning's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On review sentiment, 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

V.O2 is free to download; ChiRunning costs $9.99 up front. V.O2 sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. ChiRunning asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

V.O2 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: V.O2 has 6.3K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of ChiRunning's written reviews are positive against 71% of V.O2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChiRunning ships an update every 13 months, V.O2 weekly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ChiRunning versus V.O2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChiRunningV.O2
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (13 ratings)4.9 (6.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews71.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings136.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB142 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChiLiving, Inc.The Run SMART Project, LLC

Customer experience

ChiRunning

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative24.1%

V.O2

All ratings6,278 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews176 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative21.0%

User reviews

ChiRunning

From 13 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent lessons and coaching
  • 🎶 Effective metronome feature
  • 🎥 Helpful short videos
  • 🏃 Improves running pace and reduces pain
  • 🧘‍♀️ Promotes mindful running

Room to improve

  • 💰 Overpriced for content
  • 🤔 Repetitive and monotonous content
  • 📱 Lacks Apple Watch support
  • 📉 Limited tracking features
  • 🔌 Poor integration with other apps/devices

V.O2

From 6.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Great integration with Garmin watches
  • 💡 Excellent for coaching and athlete communication
  • 👍 Fantastic adaptive programming and training plans
  • 👍 Seamless sync with Garmin and other platforms

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with syncing to Garmin and other platforms
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance and bugs
  • 🐛 Difficulty editing or moving workouts
  • 🐛 Inaccurate elevation and GPS tracking
  • 🔍 Limited customization and preset workout options

Bugs and requests

ChiRunning

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Miles not changing during run
  • Occasionally locks up/crashes
  • Freezes when sharing with Map my Run
  • Pandora audio volume reduced
  • Won't install on iPad
Show 3 more
  • Metronome & Chi Focuses interfere with each other
  • Music volume too loud after focus ends
  • Won't install on original iPad with 5.1.1

Requested features

35 requests
  • Indoor run metrics
  • Interval walk/run programs
  • Apple Watch support
  • Set intervals
  • Export run data
Show 30 more
  • Weekly/cumulative stats view
  • Integration with iWatch and Apple Health
  • Ability to enter own run info
  • Treadmill mode
  • Link to heart monitor
  • Link to local weather
  • Upload data to calendar
  • Compare against previous runs on same route
  • Record regularity/data and improvement
  • Detailed in-app journal entries
  • Community features
  • Diagrams and slow-motion walkthroughs in videos
  • Animations for technique demonstration
  • Clean up interface
  • Allow users to save their own information
  • Focus on fostering interactive understanding
  • Cadence monitoring
  • Training plans for different distances
  • Audible stats (time, distance, pace)
  • Autopause setting
  • Custom run/walk intervals with metronome settings
  • Different focuses for run and walk
  • Post-run stretches to automatically start
  • Metronome fades in background during chi focuses
  • Walk/run interval option
  • Integration with popular running sites (Runkeeper, Garmin Connect)
  • Better integration with iPhone music player
  • Warm-up and cool-down period
  • Integration with Runkeeper
  • Map my run integration

V.O2

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Apple Watch app issues and lack of functionality
  • Problems with syncing Garmin runs to the correct workouts
  • Inconsistent elevation and GPS data
  • Bugs and crashes when using the app

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to duplicate and edit workouts
  • Improved Apple Watch and Health app integration
  • More advanced adaptive training and automation
  • Expanded cross-training and workout modalities
  • Better user interface and workflow for coaches
Show 1 more
  • Keyword-based search for notes and workouts

In-app purchases

None

ChiRunning

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

V.O2

Subscriptions2
  • Adaptive Training Subscription14 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • Adaptive Training - Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time14
  • Base/Fitness - 8 weeks$44.99
  • Half Marathon - 12 weeks$54.99
  • 10 Km - 12 weeks$54.99
Show 11 more
  • 5 Km - 12 weeks$54.99
  • 1500m - 12 weeks$54.99
  • 3 Km - 12 weeks$54.99
  • Marathon - 15 weeks$69.99
  • Half Marathon - 15 weeks$69.99
  • Marathon - 18 weeks$79.99
  • Half Marathon - 18 weeks$79.99
  • Jack's Elite Marathon - 18wks$79.99
  • Jack's First Marathon - 18wks$79.99
  • Jack's Boston Marathon - 18wks$94.99
  • Marathon - 24 weeks$99.99

Questions

Is ChiRunning free?
ChiRunning costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is V.O2 free?
V.O2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ChiRunning or V.O2?
V.O2 is rated higher. ChiRunning averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while V.O2 averages 4.9 from 6.3K ratings.
Do ChiRunning or V.O2 have ads?
Neither ChiRunning nor V.O2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChiRunning or V.O2?
ChiRunning ships an update every 13 months, and V.O2 weekly. Most recently, ChiRunning was updated on October 26, 2026 and V.O2 on October 26, 2026.

Other comparisons