Comparison

Engine vs Marathon Running Plan

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

Head to head
About

Engine

Features
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Train Smarter. Run Stronger. Engine is a running companion built to help you boost your VOβ‚‚ max and unlock real endurance gains β€” without guesswork. Through personalized training plans and guided runs, Engine gives you the right workout at the right time, so every session actually moves your fitness forward. Designed for runners who want measurable progress, not random mileage, Engine turns every run into a step toward higher performance and stronger confidence. Features You’ll Love: - VOβ‚‚ Max Running Plans: Get personalized running plans designed specifically to improve your VOβ‚‚ max, endurance, and efficiency. - Guided Run Player: Hit start and let Engine guide your session β€” pace cues, structure, and automatic tracking included. - Clear Performance Insights: Visualize your VOβ‚‚ max, endurance, and consistency with clean stats and easy-to-read trends. - Train With Confidence: Know why you’re running each workout β€” and how it’s pushing your fitness higher. Turn Every Run Into Progress. Each workout has a purpose. No junk miles, no overthinking. Download Engine and watch your fitness rise. Run focused. Build power. Go further. A subscription is required to access the full app experience and features. Terms of Use: https://legal.rocapine.com/terms Privacy policy: https://legal.rocapine.com/privacy

About

Marathon Running Plan

Features
Read full description

Stride builds your marathon training plan and keeps you on track from first run to finish line. WHETHER YOU'RE TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST MARATHON OR CHASING A PR, Stride delivers a personalized 16-week plan built around your race date, goal time, and current fitness. Every workout, every long run, every recovery week - laid out and ready to follow. TRAINING PLAN - Periodized 16-week marathon plan with Base, Build, Peak, and Taper phases - Weekly schedule with Easy, Tempo, Interval, Long Run, and Rest days - Long run progression chart showing your mileage build week by week - Phase timeline so you always know where you are in training - Race countdown keeping your goal front and center RUN TRACKING - Log every run with date, distance, duration, and notes - See your complete run history in one scrollable list - Total miles, total runs, and longest run in your profile - Today's workout on the home screen - always know what's next PACE ZONES - Five training zones calibrated to your goal race pace - Easy, Tempo, Interval, Race Pace, and Recovery zones - Reference card available throughout your plan PRO TOOLS (Stride Pro) - AI Running Coach powered by Grok - ask anything about your training - Injury Tracker to log concerns and monitor recovery - Pace Zone Calculator based on your threshold pace - Plan Adjustment to shift your current week or race date - Multiple race plans for athletes juggling more than one goal - Pace Progression Tracker showing your aerobic fitness trend - Mileage Trend Chart across your entire run history DESIGNED FOR RUNNERS Stride is built with the same attention to data that endurance athletes demand. SF Mono for every pace and distance - the numbers you need to scan in seconds. Race-day urgency without the noise. Dark, bold, and fast. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Engine4 screens
Marathon Running Plan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Marathon Running Plan at none against Engine's shown. Engine's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Engine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Marathon Running Plan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Engine ships an update every 10 days, Marathon Running Plan every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on May 19, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Engine versus Marathon Running Plan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEngineMarathon Running Plan
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 days β€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better18
Further details β€” not scored
Size54 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLes NantsKarol Jaworski

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Engine

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Marathon Running Plan

Subscriptions3
  • Stride Pro$4.991 Month
  • Stride Pro1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Stride Pro$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Engine free?
Engine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Marathon Running Plan free?
Marathon Running Plan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Engine or Marathon Running Plan have ads?
Engine shows ads; Marathon Running Plan does not.
Which is updated more often, Engine or Marathon Running Plan?
Engine ships an update every 10 days, and Marathon Running Plan every 2 months. Most recently, Engine was updated on May 19, 2026 and Marathon Running Plan on September 8, 2026.

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