# ChallengeRunner vs Challenges

ChallengeRunner and Challenges both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 51% of Challenges's written reviews are positive against 15% of ChallengeRunner's. ChallengeRunner's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for ChallengeRunner against 4.6 for Challenges. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.7K and 5.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 15% of ChallengeRunner's written reviews are positive against 51% of Challenges's.

ChallengeRunner ships an update every 2 weeks, Challenges every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChallengeRunner | Challenges |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challengerunner/id694925116/reviews) | **[4.6 (5.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenges-compete-get-fit/id1051342211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.7K** | 5.7K |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | **51.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 19 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ChallengeRunner LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/299052192) | [FitNow](https://appshunter.io/developer/297368632) |

## What reviewers say

### ChallengeRunner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challengerunner/id694925116)

Log and track your progress in employee health challenges. View real-time leaderboards, submit data, and engage with other participants. Integrates with Apple Health for automatic data syncing.

**Highlights:** Log health challenge data, View real-time leaderboards, Submit challenge data, Messaging and comments, Apple Health integration, Join challenges via codes/links/QR

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for motivation
- 👍 Simple and efficient
- 💡 Wellness partnership

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with Apple Health and other fitness trackers
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔍 Lack of visibility into team and individual rankings
- 🔧 Buggy and crashes frequently

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when scrolling leaderboard
- Steps not syncing correctly or disappearing
- Login issues and inability to access app features

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually enter steps and other activities
- Improved leaderboard and team management features
- Integration with more fitness tracking devices
- Better data visualization and analytics


### Challenges

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenges-compete-get-fit/id1051342211)

Compete with friends, family, and coworkers to get fit. Track your progress through stand, move, and exercise rings, earn medals, and send motivational nudges. Stay connected and motivated with real-time updates and team challenges.

**Highlights:** Team challenges, Activity ring tracking (Stand, Move, Exercise), Medal achievements, Motivational nudges and comments, Real-time team progress updates, Apple Watch integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for group challenges
- 👍 Motivating and fun
- 🤝 Allows competing across platforms
- 🎯 Individualized calorie goals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues with fitness apps
- 🕰️ Slow to update data
- 🤯 Inaccurate point tracking
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🔒 Privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Syncing issues with Apple Health
- Inability to delete account
- Challenges not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Allow rest days in challenges
- Increase maximum daily points
- Add option to set individual vs. group challenges
- Improve messaging and notifications
- Add Garmin integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChallengeRunner free?

ChallengeRunner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Challenges free?

Challenges is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ChallengeRunner or Challenges?

Challenges is rated higher. ChallengeRunner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8.7K ratings, while Challenges averages 4.6 from 5.7K ratings.

### Do ChallengeRunner or Challenges have ads?

Neither ChallengeRunner nor Challenges shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChallengeRunner or Challenges?

ChallengeRunner ships an update every 2 weeks, and Challenges every 3 weeks. Most recently, ChallengeRunner was updated on September 25, 2026 and Challenges on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*