Compared · checked 2026-10-23
Runna alternatives, free and cheaper.
Runna is a great app at $19.99 a month. If you want the same kind of plan for less, or for nothing, here is what each alternative does, from its own pages.
No account, no card.
The short answer
The best free alternative to Runna is Athlete Space: an adaptive running plan from 5K to marathon with paces from your own race times, a coach you can chat with, recovery data and Garmin and Apple Watch sync, at $0. Kiprun Pacer and Garmin Coach are also free. The cheapest paid options are Train Ultra ($49.99 a year) and Run With Hal's Hal+ ($59.99 a year).
Which one fits you?
| If you want | Pick |
|---|---|
| Everything Runna does for running, plus a coach to talk to, for $0 | Athlete Space |
| A free plan app with no in-app purchases | Kiprun Pacer |
| A free plan on your Garmin watch | Garmin Coach |
| Classic Hal Higdon plans, under $60 a year | Run With Hal |
| A low-cost chat coach on iPhone for trail and ultra | Train Ultra |
| Runna's polish, and price is no issue | Runna |
Side by side
Checked on 2026-10-23 on each tool's own pages. Prices in US dollars.
| Price | Adapts to what you did | Talk to your coach | Recovery data | Workouts on your watch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete Space | $0, every feature. No subscription, no card | Yes, every night: it re-checks tomorrow against what you did, your check-in and your recovery, and says why | Yes. Ask your coach anything, any time, and ask why a session changed | Check-ins, plus WHOOP, Oura, Polar and Apple Health | Garmin (the next 7 days, kept in sync), Apple Watch and intervals.icu |
| Kiprun Pacer | Listed free on the App Store; its support FAQ ties free access to when you signed up, so check before relying on it | Yes, to your progress and performance | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin, COROS and Apple Watch |
| Garmin Coach | Free with a compatible Garmin watch | Yes, to your performance; Run Coach also reads sleep, stress and recovery | Not stated | Sleep, stress and recovery status (Run Coach) | Garmin only |
| TrainAsONE | Free tier; Premium $9.99 a month or $101.99 a year | Yes, it recalculates your whole future plan after a missed run or a PB | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin, Apple Watch, COROS, Suunto and Polar |
| Run With Hal | Free; Hal+ $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year | Adaptive plans, per its App Store listing | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin |
| Nike Run Club | Free | Not stated; guided runs and set plans | Not stated; audio-guided runs | Not stated | Apple Watch |
| Train Ultra | Free download; Pro $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year (iPhone only) | Reads and evaluates each workout; automatic replanning not stated | Yes, unlimited coach chat in Pro | Sleep and recovery from Garmin, Oura and Apple Health | Garmin and COROS |
| Athletica | $19.90 a month or $189 a year, after a 2-week trial | Says it analyses performance and recovery to adjust workouts | Yes, AI coach chat (it does not change the plan itself) | Recovery, in general terms | Garmin, COROS, Wahoo and Concept2 |
| Runna | $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, after a 7-day trial | Adapts to your performance; suggested pace changes wait for your OK | Not stated; AI insights after each workout | Not stated | Garmin, COROS, Fitbit, Suunto and Apple Watch |
Every option, in one line each
1 · Our app
Athlete Space
Best for: Anyone who wants a real coach that talks with them and keeps the plan true to their real week, for free
$0, every feature. No subscription, no card
2
Kiprun Pacer
Best for: Runners on a budget who want a free adaptive running plan
Listed free on the App Store; its support FAQ ties free access to when you signed up, so check before relying on it
Sources:Kiprun PacerKiprun Pacer supportKiprun Pacer on the App Store
3
Garmin Coach
Best for: Runners who already own a Garmin watch and want a free plan that lives on it
Free with a compatible Garmin watch
Sources:Garmin: training plans for runnersGarmin Connect on the App Store
4
TrainAsONE
Best for: Data-minded runners who want an algorithm that replans all the time
Free tier; Premium $9.99 a month or $101.99 a year
5
Run With Hal
Best for: Runners who trust Hal Higdon's classic plans and want them in an app
Free; Hal+ $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year
Sources:Run With Hal on the App Store
6
Nike Run Club
Best for: Beginners who want free audio-guided runs and motivation
Free
Sources:Nike Run Club on the App Store
7
Train Ultra
Best for: Trail and ultra runners on iPhone who want a low-cost conversational coach
Free download; Pro $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year (iPhone only)
Sources:Train Ultra on the App Store
8
Athletica
Best for: Multisport athletes who want a science-led AI plan and are happy to pay for it
$19.90 a month or $189 a year, after a 2-week trial
9
Runna
Best for: Runners who want a polished, structured plan with pace targets, and the most-reviewed app in the category
$19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, after a 7-day trial
Athlete Space wrote this page, and Athlete Space is our app. We list it first because we built it for exactly this question, and we say plainly where another tool is the better pick. Every fact about another tool comes from that tool's own pages, linked under it.
What you give up, and what you do not
Runna's strengths are a polished app, clear pace targets and a very large community of reviews. The free alternatives match the core: a plan for your race date, paces from your fitness and workouts on your watch. Where they differ is in how the plan reacts to your week and whether there is anyone to ask.
Free Runna alternatives
Athlete Space, Kiprun Pacer, Garmin Coach and Nike Run Club cost nothing. Athlete Space and Kiprun Pacer build a plan for a goal race and adapt it; Garmin Coach does the same on Garmin watches; Nike Run Club offers guided runs and set plans.
Cheaper paid Runna alternatives
Train Ultra Pro is $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year, Run With Hal's Hal+ is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and TrainAsONE Premium is $9.99 a month. Runna is $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year.
Common questions
Is there a free version of Runna?
Runna offers a 7-day free trial, then $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year. Athlete Space builds the same kind of adaptive running plan for free, with no trial and no card.
What is the best free alternative to Runna?
Athlete Space: a plan from 5K to marathon with paces from your race times, rewritten every night from what you did, with a coach you can chat with and Garmin and Apple Watch sync, all at $0.
Is Runna better than Garmin Coach?
Runna is a paid app with polished plans across watches. Garmin Coach is free but needs a Garmin watch. Both adapt to your performance.
What is the cheapest running coach app?
Athlete Space, Kiprun Pacer, Garmin Coach and Nike Run Club are free. Among paid apps, Train Ultra is $49.99 a year and Hal+ is $59.99 a year.
More comparisons
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Athlete Space is not affiliated with them.
Read your plan before you choose.
Answer a few questions and see every week of your plan, free. No account needed.
Free, at athletespace.ai