Comparison

First Run vs 5K

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

Head to head
About

First Run

Features
Read full description

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.

About

5K

This running coach guides you from beginner to completing a 5K and then a 10K. It uses a structured run/walk plan with audio cues and a visual runner to keep you motivated. Enjoy offline use and a private experience with no ads or tracking.

Highlights
  • Couch to 5K and 10K plans
  • Progressive run/walk intervals
  • Audio cues for jogging and walking
  • Visual runner animation
  • Offline functionality
  • Multiple language support
Features
Read full description

5K·10K is a simple, friendly running coach that takes you from the couch to your first 5K — and then all the way to 10K. Follow a proven run/walk plan, three short sessions a week. Each week you run a little more and walk a little less, until you can run a full 5K without stopping. When you're ready, the 10K plan picks up right where you left off. While you run, a little figure on screen moves in time with your real cadence, and clear audio cues tell you exactly when to jog and when to walk — so you can keep your phone in your pocket and just run. WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT • Couch to 5K (9 weeks) and a Couch to 10K plan • Run/walk intervals, week by week, with a built-in timer • A figure that moves at your real walking and running pace • Spoken cues for every interval — no need to look at the screen • Earn gems for the time you spend actually running • 7 languages: English, Persian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi • Two looks: clean modern or retro terminal, plus light & dark themes PRIVATE BY DESIGN • 100% offline — works with no internet • No account, no sign-up • No ads, no tracking. Nothing ever leaves your phone. Lace up and start your first week today.

Screenshots

First Run4 screens
5K4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: 5K at 15.0 against First Run's 26.2. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
First Run versus 5K: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst Run5K
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperActive Development LimitedSKYRAMP GAMES LTD.

In-app purchases

None

First Run

No in-app purchases

None

5K

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Run free?
First Run is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 5K free?
5K is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do First Run or 5K have ads?
Neither First Run nor 5K shows ads.

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