Runbuds vs RunPal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Runbuds
This app allows you to run with friends in real-time, seeing each other's avatars on a virtual track. It includes a run tracker with lock screen support, group relay challenges, and detailed performance statistics with shareable visualizations.
- Real-time avatar tracking
- Live lock screen activities
- Group relay challenges
- Detailed run statistics
- Shareable run visualizations
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Runbuds is the social running app that is truly built for your friends first. /// THE TRACK /// ・ Your avatar moves around a physical track ・ Your friends move around the track with you ・ Pass (or get passed oh no !!!) by your friends /// LOG RUNS /// Our run tracker lets you choose between: ・ An in-app full screen view ・ Live activities on your lock screen /// GROUP RELAYS /// Run towards a shared goal: ・ Set a total distance target ・ Set a timeframe ・ Add your friends to the Relay ・ Run run run run run !!! /// BEAUTIFUL STATS & VISUALS /// ・ See beautiful visualizations of your past runs ・ Sort by date, pace, distance, or difficulty ・ Share images of your runs with your friends /// GET IN TOUCH /// ・ Hit us up with ANY feedback or requests !!! ・ Contact support@runbuds.app
RunPal
This app uses AI coaching and friend accountability to help you build a consistent running habit. Receive real-time voice messages and haptic feedback from friends during your runs, and track your progress with GPS.
- AI-powered coaching and nudges
- Friend accountability and peer support
- Real-time run tracking with GPS
- Haptic cheers and voice message encouragement
- Community feed for inspiration
- Goal setting and progress tracking
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A run hits different when your people are there. RunPal is the live run tracker built for runners and the friends who show up for them. Go live, bring your crew into the moment, and let them follow every mile as it happens. GO LIVE. BRING YOUR FRIENDS. Start a solo or group run and share a private live view. Friends can follow your route, pace, distance, and time in real time, see what you’re listening to, and stay with you from start to finish. FEEL THE HYPE MID-RUN Comments, tap cheers, and short voice messages come in while you move. Hear encouragement through your headphones, feel a haptic cheer in your pocket, and keep running without breaking stride. WATCH THE RUN UNFOLD Open a friend’s live run to see the route and key stats update on the map. Follow the hard miles, react in the moment, and know exactly when your support can make a difference. RUN TOGETHER FROM ANYWHERE Start a group run with friends in different places. Everyone runs their own route while the crew shares the energy, encouragement, and finish. YOUR WHOLE RUN, REVEALED When the run ends, dig into the story behind it. Explore pace, splits, elevation, heart rate, best efforts, and mile-by-mile analysis—all tied to the same run. SHARE THE FINISH Turn a completed solo or group run into a post-ready card with your map, stats, cheers, and voice moments. Share the run you actually experienced, not just a final number. MORE WAYS TO KEEP MOVING • Accurate GPS tracking for route, pace, distance, and time • Live solo and group runs with the people you choose • Community events for meetups, social runs, and training sessions • A friends feed for finding live and completed runs • Goals, gentle nudges, and smart reminders for consistency • Privacy-first controls for who can see each run Whether you’re chasing a first mile, a faster 5K, or a marathon finish, RunPal makes every run easier to show up for—and more fun to share. Go live. Bring your crew. Run together. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Runbuds at none against RunPal's 2. Runbuds also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. RunPal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Runbuds asks for nothing beyond the download.
RunPal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Runbuds's written reviews are positive against 100% of RunPal's.
Runbuds ships an update every 2 days, RunPal every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Runbuds | RunPal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (69 ratings) | 5.0 (26 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 96.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 69 — better | 26 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Light Nudge | Abraham Mangona |
Customer experience
Runbuds
RunPal
In-app purchases
Runbuds
No in-app purchases
RunPal
- Monthly Premium1 Month trial$12.991 Month
- Yearly Premium1 Month trial$99.991 Year









