A month ago, I decided to take care of my physical condition and chose running for myself, and since I am an active user of mobile technologies, I asked myself the question of choosing a companion application for tracking workouts. I was advised by RunKeeper and I was completely satisfied with it, but I wondered if it had any worthy analogues.
I want to note right away that I am not a professional sprinter and use the application only for my own interest and a little self-motivation, but not for serious tracking and analysis of my results.
I didn't bother with rebounds too much and just picked the top three positions on Google Play for 'running'. The candidates included: RunKeeper, Runtastic and an app called Weight Loss Run.
I will compare according to several criteria:
- Accuracy of results;
- Convenience;
- Functionality
Accuracy
When I was thinking about creating this material, I had the idea that accuracy would be the most important argument in comparison, although, in theory, all distance tracking applications use the GPS of a smartphone and the results should be approximately the same, but in reality it turned out a little wrong . I do not know all the ins and outs of the functioning of the companions, but from the comparison results, I dare to assume that the accuracy of the determination depends on the frequency of the satellites polling, because when I ran in a circle, everyone determined the distance approximately the same, and when I walked along a more difficult route than a circle , the results were slightly different.
The screenshots below show that the trajectory in RunKeeper is more detailed than in the Run or Runtastic app — 'Run' shows that I made only two turns from the beginning of the path to the end, Runtastic is a little more. Do not pay attention that in the RunKeeper results the time is slightly longer, I was waiting for the satellites to pick up.
As for the calories burned: the RunKeeper service asks to enter age, weight and gender to calculate the calories burned, in the Running application the same information, and in Runstatic, in addition, they ask you to enter height, so, in theory, Runstatic information is more accurate.
But still, you should not take these results seriously, I am rather skeptical about the accuracy of measuring the distance via GPS, because slightly different devices are used for professional sports, and in these applications the distance and the number of calories burned are shown, most likely, for approximate information and entertainment.
Convenience
This thing is quite subjective. It seems to me that the Running application loses quite a lot to the other two competitors in terms of appearance and information content of the interface, and there are problems with optimization, too, quite twitchy animation.
This is how the training interface of each application looks like.
In Runtastic, the most important information is shown on the display: time, distance, calories burned and average pace, and the bottom part is divided into four tabs that are flipped with swipes: in the first, the player controls (you can connect any music player, but, unfortunately, the podcast player is I could not connect, so this chip passed me by), in the second – a map with your location, in the third – the distances covered, in the fourth two buttons – turning on / off the soundtrack and rotating the display 180 degrees. Personally, it seems to me that the fourth tab is absolutely unnecessary, since it is very inconvenient and unnecessary to change the display orientation on the run, and controlling the player on the run from the display is also not the most convenient activity, because you can switch tracks from the lock screen or use the button to headset.
Everything is a little more modest in the Running app. The display shows the remaining time until the end of the workout and the end of the distance, control of a simple player built into the application – why I did not understand why it was built in, it is completely inconvenient to operate it, first you need to unlock the phone, and then tap on the player icon to switch the track, and he does not respond to the headset button. The application does not show the speed and pace of running, the distance covered, and this is quite important information, but this is more for the sake of the narrow focus of the application.
In RunKeeper, it seems to me the most logical use of screen space. Large numbers show time, distance and current pace (if desired, speed is shown), smaller numbers show average pace and calories, and in the middle there is a visual graph of the pace comparison throughout the workout. There are also all the additional tabs: on the left – a map with the location, on the right – workout segments. There is no unnecessary player in it, because player control is available on the lock screen or using a headset. Another plus is the presence of a widget that allows you to start a workout in one click, there is no other such possibility.
Functionality
This point is the most difficult. It should be noted right away that the Running application is not intended for more or less professional jogging, unlike other applicants, which is why the application does not have many elements, it is intended solely for weight loss (it just so happened that it got into the top 3), it has a set of workouts, but there is no way to create your own or just track a run.
The application has a soundtrack in Russian – a male voice does not cause irritation and voices everything that is needed: control points, what needs to be done at this distance, the remaining time, and so on. The app is free, but there are ads that can be turned off by purchasing the premium version. The developer also has separate applications for different purposes: 'Start running!', 'Run 5 km!' and '10km running coach!', although all this could fit into one, but, apparently, it is much more profitable for the developer, you cannot blame him for this :).
RunKeeper and Runtastic are positioning themselves as companions for tracking and managing physical activity data for more serious use. Both apps are free, RunKeeper has a premium subscription called RunKeeper Go, which gives you access to custom workouts, premium training modes, goal analytics – tips and data on how to achieve your goal, comparison of similar workouts – statistics of pace, ascent altitude and spent calories, as well as live workout broadcasts for friends and family. It all costs 351 rubles a month or 1405 rubles a year.
There are several free workout kits for losing weight, getting started running, preparing for a run and getting in shape – this is the main plus over Runtastic, where all training plans are paid, as well as connecting wearable devices such as smartwatches or fitness bracelets the paid version of Runtastic. There is a voice accompaniment in Russian – a pleasant female voice will inform you after a certain distance or after a time, for example, every 5 minutes or a kilometer, your pace, speed, distance traveled and time, and also summarizes the workout.
RunKeeper service contains a small social network where you can share your results and achievements with your friends. 
Runtastic has similar functionality with RunKeeper, but most of the features are paid, all training complexes are paid, one set can cost from 600 rubles to 1000 rubles, but you cannot create your own training plan. Another stone in Runstatic's garden – the soundtrack is present, but there is no Russian language.
Conclusion.
I didn't manage to draw an unambiguous conclusion. If you just want to lose weight, start running, learn to run 5 or 10 km and you don't need anything else, then the Running app and others from this developer will suit you. If you want to take running more seriously, compare the average pace and the time for which you run each kilometer, then RunKeeper is definitely. Free workouts, soundtrack in Russian, connection of wearable devices (smart watches, fitness bracelets – all this outweighs the scale in his favor. I highly recommend trying all the options, maybe something else will suit your taste.
If you want to recommend an application that you are using, feel free to write in the comments.
Thank you for attention.
Links:
Run
Runtastic
Runkeeper