5k Simple vs First Run
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
5k Simple
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**5K Trainer — Run Your First 5K** Ready to run a 5K? This app gets you there. No clutter, no confusion — just a straightforward 9-week plan that takes you from walking to running 3.1 miles. **How it works** Tell the app your current fitness level and it places you in the right week. Three workouts a week, each one building on the last. Walk-run intervals that gradually shift until you're running the full distance. That's it. **Adapts to you, not a calendar** If a week goes great, the app moves you forward. If you need more time, it keeps you where you are. Your progress drives the plan — not a rigid schedule that ignores how you're actually doing. **Workout coaching included** Audio cues keep you on track mid-run: interval announcements, countdowns before transitions, and encouragement at key milestones. You'll always know what's coming and how far you've gone. **Race Day mode** When you're ready, switch to Race Day mode and run your 5K with kilometer markers and a projected finish time called out along the way. **Apple Music** Control your music without leaving the workout screen. Play, pause, and skip tracks right from the app so you can stay in the zone. **Apple Health** Every completed workout is saved to Apple Health automatically — distance, duration, and activity type all logged without any extra steps. **What this app is not** It's not a social network. It's not a GPS tracker. It doesn't have leaderboards, badges, or daily streaks. It's a simple, focused tool for one goal: getting you to the 5K finish line. **Get started free** Try the full app free for one week. After that, continue for $4.99/month. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
First Run
This app guides beginners through a 9-week program to complete their first 5K run. It provides structured walk and run intervals with voice cues, adapting to your schedule if you miss a session. Track progress, earn badges, and sync with Apple Health and Apple Watch.
- 9-week Couch to 5K plan
- Walk and run interval timer
- Full Apple Watch app
- Apple Health workout sync
- Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
- Achievement badges and run history
- Pre-recorded voice cues
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Run your first 5K, guided every step. First Run is the 9-week Couch to 5K coach that turns "I've never run before" into "I just finished my first 5K." Press play and follow the plan. Everything else is handled for you. A REAL PLAN, NOT A TIMER The classic Couch to 5K progression: three sessions a week for nine weeks. Each workout breaks down into clear walk and run intervals, so you can see exactly what's coming before you start. By Week 9 you're running 30 minutes straight. APPLE WATCH READY Start a run from your wrist and leave the phone at home. Heart rate, GPS route, distance, pace and calories live on the watch. Every workout saves automatically to Apple Health so it stacks alongside the rest of your activity. Pause, resume or skip from the watch, the Lock Screen Live Activity, or the Dynamic Island. They all stay in sync. A FINISH LINE YOU CAN SEE Every completed workout stacks into a streak you can scroll. Earn badges along the way: First Steps, Hitting Your Stride, Five-K Club. Share any run as a card to friends or social. ALWAYS ONE TAP AWAY Home Screen widget showing your next run. Watch face complication keeping today's session a glance away. Lock Screen Live Activity and Dynamic Island while you're out there. The app gets out of the way; the running stays the point. ADAPTS TO REAL LIFE Took a week off? First Run notices and offers to realign your schedule around today, so you pick up where you left off instead of falling off the plan. Rest days are part of training, not failures. VOICE GUIDANCE A real voice in your ear announces every interval, like "Start running for 60 seconds" or "Walk for 90 seconds", so you never have to look at your phone mid-run. Audio ducks your music only while speaking, then steps out of the way. Pre-recorded clips, no robotic text-to-speech. WHAT'S INCLUDED • 9-week Couch to 5K plan, three sessions a week • Walk + run interval timer with on-screen progress ring • Full Apple Watch app with heart rate, GPS route, distance, pace, calories • Apple Health workout sync • Live Activity on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Home Screen widget + watch face complication • Smart Stack workout widget with working pause / resume • Achievement badges + full run history • Share card for every completed run • Pre-recorded voice cues • No account required Get to your first 5K. Then keep going. FITNESS DISCLAIMER First Run is a fitness tracking and coaching app. It is not a medical device, and nothing in the app constitutes medical advice. The workouts and recommendations are general fitness guidance only. Talk to a qualified medical professional before starting any new exercise programme, particularly if you have a heart, lung, joint or other health condition, are pregnant, are recovering from injury or surgery, or have been inactive for an extended period. If you feel pain, chest tightness, dizziness, shortness of breath, or any unusual symptoms during or after exercise, stop immediately and seek medical advice. Listen to your body. Rest is part of training. Use of First Run is at your own risk.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Run at none against 5k Simple's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. 5k Simple sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. First Run asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | 5k Simple | First Run |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Roman Court Technologies | Active Development Limited |
In-app purchases
5k Simple
- 5k Simple Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
First Run
No in-app purchases









