Endorphins Running vs InstaCal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Endorphins Running
This app provides science-backed, personalized training plans for runners of all levels, from beginners to marathoners. It offers expert coaching, real-time progress tracking, and integrates with popular wearables. Users can also join a large community for in-person training events and support.
- Personalized adaptive training plans
- Real-time progress tracking
- Expert coaching and support
- 1500+ community events
- Wearable device integration
- Strength and recovery programs
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Reach your next finish line with Endorphins — the top-rated training app powered by science, built by world-class coaches, and backed by the largest run community in the country. Whether you’re running your first 5K or chasing a Boston Qualifier, Endorphins gives you personalized plans, real-time progress tracking, expert coaching, and an in person community of 1500 events to help get you there. WHY THOUSANDS OF RUNNERS RUN & TRAIN WITH ENDORPHINS: 1) Personalized Coaching Plans We build your training plan around you—your pace, your race, your goals. Whether it's a 5K, 10K, half, full, or ultra, your plan adapts as you go. 2) 1500 Community Events A Year Train with other runners who share the same goals as you 3) Train Smarter with Wearables Sync your Garmin, COROS, or Strava to track runs in real time. We use your data to adjust your plan and optimize every workout. 4) Strength + Recovery Built In Our strength programs compliment your running schedule for optimal improvements and gains. 5) Real Coaches. Real Results. Our team has trained thousands of runners—from first-timers to sub-elites. You’re never more than a message away from expert support. JOIN THE LARGEST RUN COMMUNITY IN AMERICA: 1) In-Person Energy We host 1,500+ free group runs a year in 12+ cities. From long runs to shakeouts, connect with others who share the same goals and values as you. 2) Community Benefits Endorphins members get access to drops, exclusive partner benefits, and race-weekend events. 3) Track Progress + Stay Accountable From weekly goals to post-run recaps, we keep you on track and connected to your training—day in, day out. 4) Built to Grow With You As your goals evolve, so does your training. Whether you’re starting from scratch or going sub-3, we’ve got the plan. PLANS FOR EVERY GOAL: First-time 5K to your next marathon PR Strength + mobility for runners Recovery programs post-race or post-injury And more, always evolving COMPATIBLE WITH: Garmin, COROS, Strava, and more. ENDORPHINS PREMIUM: Unlock the full experience with a 7-day free trial. Train smarter with adaptive plans, real-time sync, and exclusive coaching content. $20/month or $120/year — cancel anytime. Subscriptions auto-renew. Manage in your iTunes settings. APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION: Endorphins uses your health data for accurate heart rate, distance, and pace tracking when using Apple Watch. 18+ ONLY: Endorphins is for adults 18+. Accounts may be removed if underage use is detected. Apple's standard license agreement applies to Endorphins Premium purchases: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
InstaCal
This AI-powered nutrition tracker uses photo scanning to instantly analyze your meals and provide macro breakdowns. Connect with friends through a social feed, discover local food options on a map, and gain insights from a virtual dietitian.
- AI photo meal analysis
- Social food feed
- Food discovery map
- Multiple logging options
- AI dietitian chat
- Health and fitness app sync
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InstaCal: The Social App for Food & Fitness Food is social. Your nutrition app should be too. InstaCal is where you see what your friends are actually eating, find your next meal from real plates near you, and log your own food in seconds with AI. Not a tracker with social bolted on, a social app where the content is what people eat. A FEED BUILT AROUND FOOD Follow friends and see every meal they log, with full macro breakdowns. Like, comment, and bookmark the ones that inspire you. Share yours on cards designed to post anywhere. You choose who sees each meal: your feed, your profile only, or only you. YOUR OWN COACH, IN YOUR DMS InstaCal Coach is an AI dietitian that reads every meal and workout you log and leaves a short note: what worked, what to fix, what to eat next. It recaps your day, week and month. Ask it anything. 6 WAYS TO LOG • Photo Scan - snap your plate, AI breaks down every ingredient • Barcode Scanner - scan packaged food in seconds • Nutrition Label Scanner - point and done • Food Search - describe it in plain English, adjust the portion, log it • Build a Meal - combine ingredients your way • Saved Meals - one tap to relog your go-to's Fix with AI: "the chicken is 8oz, add ranch." See exactly what changes before it's applied. TRACKING THAT READS AT A GLANCE Your day in boxes: calories, macros, streak, burned, distance, goals and body weight. Swipe through your week Monday to Sunday. Tap any box for full charts and the Coach's read. FOOD AND FITNESS, FINALLY TOGETHER Connect Apple Health or Strava, or type "ran 5k in 28 min" and it's logged. See calories burned next to calories eaten, with splits, pace, heart rate zones and elevation on every run. Set weekly training goals and watch them fill. EVERY ROUTE ON ONE MAP Your runs and rides draw themselves in as you scroll, and one map shows every route you've ever recorded. DISCOVER MEALS NEAR YOU Open the Map to see real meals logged around your city. Find your next lunch spot based on what people actually ordered, photographed and loved. Explore shows you plates that fit the macros you have left today. CHALLENGE YOUR FRIENDS Set a target like "run 50 miles this month" and race your friends, or go head-to-head on points where everyone is scored against their own goals. Join public seasons with the whole community. MESSAGE YOUR PEOPLE DM friends one-on-one or in groups. Reply to stories, react, share meals and workouts straight into a chat. EARN YOUR BADGES 88 achievements to unlock as you log, cook, compete and keep your streak alive. Then get your month, wrapped: a story of your meals, miles and streaks, ready to share. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Widgets for today's calories, your streak, a one-tap Log a meal, friends' latest plates and your last workout. Lock Screen too. YOUR PROFILE, YOUR RULES Public or private, you choose who sees what. Add your Instagram and website. Follow friends, creators, athletes and dietitians, or keep it to your close circle. FREE FOREVER Unlimited logging by photo, search or Build a Meal. The full social feed, Explore, stories, challenges, achievements, DMs, widgets, Wrapped and saving meals. Coach notes on every meal and workout, and Fix with AI, included. INSTACAL PRO UNLOCKS • Barcode and nutrition label scanning • One-tap relog, duplicate and edit your saved meals • Unlimited Coach chat, plus weekly and monthly recaps • Full insight pages: calories, macros, streaks, distance, training, trends and progress • Meal scores, pace zones and your last six runs • Nearby slides and your personal meal map Free to start. One subscription unlocks everything. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: InstaCal at every 2 days against Endorphins Running's every 2 weeks. Endorphins Running's advantage is ratings volume (879 vs 24). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Endorphins Running sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and InstaCal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Endorphins Running against 5.0 for InstaCal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Endorphins Running has 879 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 99% of Endorphins Running's written reviews are positive against 100% of InstaCal's.
Endorphins Running ships an update every 2 weeks, InstaCal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Endorphins Running | InstaCal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (879 ratings) | 5.0 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 98.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 879 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 177 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Endorphins Running LLC | Digital Delight LLC |
Customer experience
Endorphins Running
InstaCal
In-app purchases
Endorphins Running
- Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Monthly$19.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$119.991 Year
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- Yearly$119.991 Year
InstaCal
- InstaCal$7.991 Month
- InstaCal3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Streak Restore$0.99








