When it comes to fitness, there are a lot of ways to track your progress. You can count calories, weigh yourself, or even use a Fitbit. But what if you want to get a more holistic view of your activities?
We’ve put together a list of the best apps for tracking walking and running. These apps will help you track the distance you’ve covered, the number of steps you’ve taken and even how many calories you’ve burned. We think they’re great options for anyone looking to improve their fitness routine!
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Tracking Walking And Running
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Map My Walk
Best for Hiking: Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS by Abvio
Best for Tracking Calories: Argus by Azumio
Best for Motivation: Fitbit App MobileTracker
Best for a Cause: Charity Miles
Best for Treadmills: Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance
Walking apps come in two basic types. Apps that primarily track your walking workouts show your speed, distance, and route. Pedometer apps track your all-day steps and activity. The good news is that many apps do both by using the GPS and accelerometer chip in your mobile phone. Many also connect with your other fitness wearables, which can help you track treadmill workouts. These apps are all available for free, although they also have an opportunity for an upgrade or in-app purchases.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Map My Walk
Map My Walk
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Why We Chose It: MapMyWalk is one of the most comprehensive free apps online. With features like audio feedback, labeled routes, easy-to-see maps, metrics tracking, and data analysis, this app is one you should try.
Pros
Walking route marked in red for easy viewing
Audio feedback as you walk
Easy-to-read charts and graphs
Support community and connect with friends
Create and save custom routes
Cons
Need to upgrade for access to premium features
Advertisements may be annoying
Can freeze while in use
MapMyWalk is part of the MapMyFitness family of apps. It has stood the test of time and deserves first consideration for any fitness walker. These are some of its best features:
When you start a workout, you can see a map of the area. As you walk, the route you have taken is marked in red. The map allows you to explore. By seeing the path you’ve taken you’re able to find your way back to where you started.
As you walk, you can see the elapsed time, distance, pace, speed, elevation, and calories burned. Your speed is determined by GPS.
You can get audio feedback as you walk. The app can announce your distance, pace, calories burned, and other data every mile, half-mile, or another interval.
When you finish, you can upload and save your workout data and view it both on the app and on the MapMyWalk website.
See your mile-by-mile splits to analyze your performance.
You can also load a saved route to use again, or select routes that other MapMyWalk users have done in your area.
Connect with other apps and wearables such as Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal. You can view your daily steps as recorded by these devices or by your mobile phone.
You aren’t limited to walking. You can track over 600 different activities.
MapMyWalk is available for iOS or Android. An MVP premium membership allows an ad-free experience and unlocks even more features, such as interval training, live tracking, mobile coaching, training plans, heart rate analysis, and unlimited printed maps.
Best for Hiking: Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS by Abvio
Walkmeter
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Why We Chose It: Walkmeter stands out for its ability to track basic workouts like walking and running, as well as complex activities like hiking and kayaking.
Pros
Great for improving speed and distance
Ability to view time, distance, speed, and pace while walking
Records metrics for kayaking, cycling, hiking, walking, and more
Cons
Premium features require a subscription
GPS can be spotty if phone is not in the right place
The Walkmeter app has features that are excellent for fitness walkers who want to improve their speed and distance. It has features you used to have to get a fancy running watch and training coach to enjoy, such as splits, intervals, zones, and more.
It uses your phone’s GPS to measure the distance of your walks and hikes. It includes audio and voice integration so you can not only be alerted as to your workout stats, but you can also listen to replies your friends send about your workout posts from Facebook and Twitter while you walk. You can start and stop a workout with your earphone remote or use Siri voice commands.
It maps your walk and you can view time, speed, distance and pace as you walk. It has many free training features. You can race against yourself or others on previous workout routes, getting updates on whether you are ahead or behind. They have training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon or you can design your own and synchronize it with your iPhone calendar. You can set up repeating intervals and tempo workouts and analyze your performance afterward.
This app is available for iOS, Android, and Apple Watch. It will not only do the basics but also can help you train for distance walking events such as the 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or marathon.
Upgrading from free to Elite is less than $10 per year, far less than with some other apps, such as Endomondo. Upgrade features include tracking your daily steps, cadence coaching, treadmill support (distance and pace using your steps) and using the Apple Watch app.
Best for Tracking Calories: Argus by Azumio
Azumio
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Why We Chose It: Argus by Azumio combines the best walking app features with an excellent calorie tracking tool.
Pros
Measures heart rate, time, and distance
Food diary and barcode capability
Hourly graph tracks active time, distance, and steps
Cons
Does not work as well on Android
Accuracy is spotty
Premium upgrade is more expensive than other apps
Argus packs a lot into one lifestyle app. It functions as an all-day pedometer app using the motion sensor in your phone. But you can also track workouts with GPS.
The workout tracker displays your time, distance, and the map of your route.
When you finish, see your workout calories, steps, elevation gain, best pace, average pace, average cadence, graphs, and map.
Your daily step count updates from your phone’s motion sensor data and includes active time, distance, calories, steps, and an hourly graph.
Measure your heart rate at any time using their integrated heart rate app (simply place your index finger on your cell phone camera lens). You can easily take your heart rate during exercise and at rest.
You can link to a heart rate sensor band.
Track your water intake with a tap.
You can use the app’s food diary (which includes a barcode scanner) and sleep timer.
Premium subscribers get a wide range of fitness and diet plans.
Argus is easy to use and it has an interface that encourages you to interact with it and track many items for health and fitness. It’s available for both iOS and Android.
Best for Motivation: Fitbit App MobileTracker
Fitbit
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Why We Chose It: Community support and challenges with friends made the Fitbit App a shoe-in for our list.
Pros
Does not require a Fitbit watch to use
Tracks daily steps and distance based on stride length
Tracks heart rate
Participate in challenges and virtual races with friends
Cons
Some of the essential features cost extra
Does work better with a Fitbit device
Did you know that you don’t need a Fitbit device to use the Fitbit app? The free app can be used to track your steps using the motion sensor on your phone (unless you have a very old phone). This is good news if your Fitbit died or if you aren’t ready to buy one.
You can download the free Fitbit app for your operating system. Then when you set up the app, it will ask which tracker you are setting up. Choose “No Fitbit Yet” and it will set up the MobileTracker. Now it will track your all-day activity sensed by your phone’s built-in accelerometer. You’ll get a step count and hourly graphs.
Whether you have a Fitbit tracker or not, you can track speed and distance using the Track Exercise function. From the home screen, tap the + icon and select Walk, Run, or Hike.
When you start a workout, you will see the elapsed time and your average pace.
Swipe to see a map of the route you have taken.
You can get voice cues and updates at selected times.
When you finish and save your workout, you can review it by tapping on the Exercise tile on the home screen.
You can review your route on a map, distance, time, pace, mile split times, calories burned, and steps for each workout.
The Fitbit app also includes virtual adventure races and challenges with friends. If you have friends with Fitbits, you don’t have to be left out of the fun. The Fitbit app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows phones.
Best for a Cause: Charity Miles
Charity Miles
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Why We Chose It: Charity Miles gives users a platform to donate money to a favorite charity and get healthy, at the same time.
Pros
Company donates money on your behalf to charities
Tracks several activities such as walking, running, dancing, and biking
Walking earns money towards your favorite charity
Cons
Not ideal for fitness tracking
Limited features compared to other apps
Interface is on the lower end of apps
Charity Miles gives your walking a purpose (and your running and biking, too). Open up this free app (iOS or Google Play) and choose a charity. Start a workout, choosing walking, running, or cycling. For each completed mile, you’ll have earned a donation for your chosen charity. The basic rate is 25 cents for walking and running miles and 10 cents for cycling miles, subject to a periodic cap.
Along the way, you can view your exercise time and miles. When done, you must post to Facebook or Twitter in order to accept sponsorship and earn money for your charity. You can also form teams and work together to raise money for charities.
The fitness tracking is minimal, but you can use it at the same time as other apps and put your miles to good use. For every mile you complete, you will earn a donation for your chosen charity.
Best for Treadmills: Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance
Virtual Walk
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Why We Chose It: The Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance app takes monotonous treadmill workouts and turns them into a scenic walk through the mountains, a popular tourist attraction, and national parks.
Pros
Tracks steps using GPS or treadmill speed
Virtually walk national parks, Appalachian Trail, Central Park, and Boston Marathon route
Additional walks available for a fee
Cons
Not as many activity tracking abilities as other apps
Limited routes to walk
Not able to customize
Virtual Walk is a motivating app that you can use to spice up your everyday walk indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Your distance is plotted on a virtual walk through a scenic or historic place. These include the Appalachian Trail, the monuments in Washington DC, the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids of Giza, and more.
At checkpoints along the way, you can view photos and information about the sights on your virtual walk. Some routes are available for free and others are for purchase. At the end of your walk, you receive a medal. The Virtual Walk Treadmill or GPS versions get better ratings than the Street View versions.
As you walk, view photos and information about your scenic or historic virtual destination. Use this app on iOS or Android devices.
Final Verdict
When it comes to walking apps, finding the right one to fit your needs may take some trial and error. The good news is all of the apps featured on this list are free to download and use. If you’re looking for a comprehensive walking app that can do just about everything, start with MapMyWalk. The free tools are often enough for most people, but if you want access to more complex graphs and customization, you’ll need to upgrade. If step tracking and calorie counting are on your list of requirements, then consider Argus by Azumio. Its food diary combined with barcode scanner make this an excellent app for nutrition and fitness enthusiasts.
Walking Apps vs Running Apps
In general, walking apps and running apps share the same features. Both are designed to track metrics like steps, miles, speed, distance, and time. They often come programmed with routes, trails, and workouts. Some have extra tools like calorie counters and heart rate tracking capabilities. The main difference between a walking app and a running app is likely the programmed workouts. With a walking app, the workouts will be slower in pace and often shorter in the distance. A running app, on the other hand, will have programmed plans that cover a longer distance at a higher speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Walking App?
Walking apps are simple programs that can be used on an iPhone or Android-based smartphone to help you get more out of your walks. Some apps track data including your speed, distance, route, steps, calories burned, and activity. Others also have social features that allow you to connect with other walkers to share routes, stats, photos to help you stay motivated.
Some walking apps sync seamlessly with other wearables and apps such as Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal. Many walking apps are free to use, although there are opportunities to purchase premium features.
What Are the Benefits of Walking?
From reduced risk of chronic diseases to improvement in mental health and well-being, there are many benefits of walking for people of all ages. Regular exercise such as walking may help lower your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.1 Walking can also improve bone health, strengthen muscles, and is an effective way to manage stress, improve your mood, and boost energy.2
Walking is an easy and inexpensive physical activity to start and continue as part of an active lifestyle. It also doesn’t require special skills or equipment, has a low risk of injury, and can be done almost anywhere.
Can Walking Help Me Lose Weight?
Walking is an excellent form of exercise that can help with weight loss efforts, especially when combined with a healthy eating plan. The more you walk, the more calories you’ll burn, so aim for a brisk walk of at least 30 to 90 minutes every day if you’re trying to lose weight.
As with any form of exercise, consistency is key, so it’s helpful and more effective to follow a plan, such as this walking workout schedule for weight loss.
Methodology
To curate the list of best walking apps, we looked at six different apps from reputable companies that offer platforms for both iOS and Android. All of the apps listed work for walking workouts and tracking steps. Most of them feature additional tracking abilities like cycling, fitness activities, running, and calorie counting. All of the apps on this list are free to download and use. And all but one come with the ability to upgrade for premium features.
best walking apps
If you’ve got an iPhone or an Android-based smartphone and enjoy walking, downloading a relevant app could help you get the most from your outings. Each of our selection has a different feature to enhance your walks, from social functions that involve your friends to maps that encourage exploration.
We’ve listed eleven free walking apps to get you started.
- MapMyWalk GPS for iPhone, Android or Windows
MapMyWalk allows you to see the time spent walking, distance, pace, speed, elevation, and calories burned. When you finish, MapMyWalk allows you to upload and save your workout data and view it both on the app and on the MapMyWalk website. If you can persuade friends to get involved, MapMyWalk’s social feature lets you share routes and encouraging words. You can also load a saved route to use again, or select routes that other MapMyWalk users have done in your area. You can connect with other wearables and apps such as Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal, if you use them.
Download for iPhone
Download for Android
- Fitbit App Mobile Tracker (No Fitbit Required)
fitbit walking app image
fitbit walking app image
You don’t need to own a Fitbit to use the Fitbit app. The Fitbit app can be used to track your walking workouts with GPS as well as your daily steps using the motion sensor on your phone. After downloading the application, and being prompted to select which tracker you are setting up, choose “no Fitbit yet” and it will set up the Mobile Tracker. Following each workout, you can review your route, distance, time, pace, mile split times, calories burned, and steps. You can also challenge your friends with virtual adventure races, if you feel like a bit of friendly competition.
Download for iPhone
Download for Windows
Download for Android
- Walkmeter GPS, available for iPhone and Android
Walkmeter has plenty of fun features to try. You can view your walks on a calendar or by route. It links with Google Maps so you can see terrain maps, and it even automatically records the weather. Walkers can transfer maps into the app directly from an email or your web browser, while Race Compete mode lets you compare your own times and speeds along a frequently trodden route. The app includes maps, graphs, training plans, heart rate zones and interval splits, and can be paired with an Apple Watch for a more personalised workout.
Download for iPhone
Download for Android
- Footpath Route Planner for iPhone
footpath walking app image
Footpath allows you to easily map out routes. Simply trace a route with your finger, and Footpath will show all trails and roads that will allow you to complete your walk. It can measure the distance you’ll need to travel and the height you’ll be climbing. It allows you to save and share routes for a later walk, and can work offline too.
footpath walking app
Download for iPhone
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- Go Jauntly for iPhone and Android
jauntly walking app image
Go Jauntly is a walking app that helps people discover over 700 walking routes throughout the UK. They have teamed up Transport for London to encourage city-dwellers to get walking. Information such as walking times to the nearest Tube station, Overground stations and Santander Cycles docking stations is available as well as directions for local walks and station accessibility. But it’s not just London-based: there are walks around the UK. As well as discovering existing routes, users can create their own, add their own photos, and share their creations with others.
jauntly walking app image
Download for iPhone
Download for Android
- AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer, for Android
The Alpine Quest
Another navigation app that’s great for exploring off the beaten track, the free (lite) version comes with online maps. If you want to access online maps for offline use, there is also a premium paid-for version of the maps. A useful feature is that you can create multi-layered maps, for example with an aerial photo layered on top of the terrain map. It includes a compass and map orientation function.
Download for Android
- Nike Run Club for iPhone or Android
Display of Nike Plus
Don’t let the name deceive you: this app can be used for walking too. Alongside standard route, time and speed tracking, helpful feature Auto-Pause freezes data collection when you stop moving, so there’s no need to worry about having a sit-down if you need it.
Download for iPhone
Download for Android
- OutDoors GPS for iPhone or iPad
Display of outdoors Great Britain
Access the full range of Ordnance Survey maps (although be aware that most are priced individually), or use Open Street Map or Google Maps for free. All maps can be stored in your phone – perfect for internet-free rural rambles. You can use the Route Builder function to plan a suitable walk, or import routes for online.
Download for iPhone or iPad
- ViewRanger, for Android
Display of Viewranger app
Turn your phone or tablet into a GPS unit with this app. You can access free Open Street Maps, or you pay to download Ordnance Survey maps – either as individual maps, or for the whole of the UK. Maps for other countries are available, too.
Use it to record routes as you go, and save waypoints. It will display location, altitude, and grid reference. You can plan routes on its website beforehand using a computer (easier with a larger screen) and then access them on your phone. There’s also a BuddyBeacon function which allows you to share your position with others using the app, or see where they are. You can import and export routes too, if you want to share them with others. can
Download for Android
- World Walking, available for iPhone and AndroidDisplay of the World Walking app
Devised by cardiac rehabilitation instructor Duncan Galbraith the World Walking app is a constant pedometer, recording the number of steps you take each day. Users pick legendary global routes, such as Route 66 in the United States or Peru’s Machu Picchu Inca Trail, and try to take enough steps to complete it. The app encourages social interaction too and lets walkers form virtual clubs, working together to meet distance targets.
Download World Walking for iPhone
Download World Walking for Android
- Strava, for iPhone and Android
Strava app
Strava can be used to track more activities than you can shake a stick at, from cycling through to windsurfing, and of course, walking. With the help of GPS it can measure distance, time, elevation gain, calories and route. It’s even possible to track your heart rate if you sync the app up with your heart rate monitor.
Not only can you create and share your own walking routes with friends, you can look at heatmaps to see popular routes in your local area. The app also acts as a social network, allowing you to connect with friends and family to share details and photos of your activities.
Download Strava for iPhone
Download Strava for Android
best free time tracking app
Time tracking is essential. It helps reveal time-wasting activities and find ways to optimize workflows. It serves provides valuable data for productivity analysis and supports the development of a fact-backed approach to performance improvement.
Besides, time tracking can be free. Many vendors offer their time tracker apps with limited functionality and user capacity at no charge. So, if you a small team and/or don’t need advanced features, free options will work for you well.
Contents
actiTIME
RescueTime
Timetag
Timewerks
Todo.vu
Timetrack
Clockify
Harvest
Toggl Track
My Hours
actiTIME
RescueTime
Timetag
Timewerks
Todo.vu
Manual time tracking
Automatic time tracking
Task management
Integrations
Offline time tracking
Android app
iOS app
Try actiTIME
- actiTIME
This time tracker app offers rich timekeeping and work management functionality. It helps managers and business owners get a clear picture of their teams’ work progress and results, provides regular employees and self-employed individuals with valuable productivity data, and ensures accurate billing. actiTIME is based on manual time entry and also includes an automatic one-click timer.
The tool works in the web and on Android and iOS devices. Its free plan includes up to three users, unlimited customers, projects and tasks, and advanced work management functionality.
Decipher Works logo
actiTIME more than meets the needs of my company
It’s an amazing product, it is extremely well-polished and a good deal better than other apps which have higher license fees. At this point, actiTIME more than meets the needs of my company. Thanks for developing such a wonderful app!
Try actiTIME
- RescueTime
RescueTime is an automatic tool that counts time you spend on various applications, websites, and activities. It eliminates the need to enter time manually and works on both desktop computers and mobile devices. The app runs in the background in an unobtrusive way. It gives you detailed reports on how you spend your workdays and how productive you are.
RescueTime Lite is the free edition that includes basic time tracking and reporting functionality. In the paid advanced version, distraction blockers, goal tracking, and time spent away from the computer are also available.
- Timetag
This time tracking app works in tandem with any calendar application. It automatically searches your calendar for entries and adds them to your timesheet. Any entry you make in a calendar app is automatically pushed into Timetag. In it, you can run detailed reports on the projects you work on, and see how your time is distributed.
The free plan is offered for one user – it works for freelancers and solo entrepreneurs, and can be used for trying out the app’s functionality. More users are available in the paid plan.
Recommended
Time Tracking
actiTIME for Beginners: 5 Steps to Successful Time Tracking
Read more
- Timewerks
Timewerks is a mobile timekeeping and billing solution that can be used from iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. It works for self-employed individuals and professionals who need to track their time, have accurate data for billing at hand, and issue invoices based on actual time spent on work.
The basic version, Timewerk: Lite, is free. You can additionally purchase its advanced modules: PDF export, custom logo for invoices, data backup, and full data sync.
- Todo.vu
Todo.vu is an integrated solution for time tracking, billing, project management, and CRM. It allows you to manage all work in one place without switching between different applications. This tool supports task creation and assignment via email, integration with calendars, and the ability to set up recurring tasks.
The one-user package is free and includes CRM, task management, and time tracking functionality. Paid options also include billing and reporting.
Timetrack
Clockify
Harvest
Toggl Track
My Hours
Manual time tracking
Automatic time tracking
Task management
Integrations
Offline time tracking
Android app
iOS app
Try actiTIME
- Timetrack
This time tracking app works for those who prefer to keep track of all daily activities with time slots. Timetrack is best suitable for individual timekeeping that can be used for improving productivity at work, building healthy habits, fighting distractions, etc. It is available for iOS and Android devices and offers an easy way to record every activity and run reports to see how your activities are structured.
The app is free, but also offers a paid premium subscription that includes advanced statistics, Pomodoro timer, goal tracking, and other helpful features.
- Clockify
Clockify is a 100% free time tracker app for individuals and teams. It is available as a mobile app for iOS or Android, a desktop edition for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. In it, you can add hours manually or use a timer to count them, run weekly reports on time spent on work, and see your team’s time totals on a dashboard with informative charts. Summary reports for tracking project progress and budgets are also available. - Harvest
Harvest is a multifunctional hour tracker that you can use for task management, client billing, performance analysis and cost monitoring. It has a pleasant interface and supports integrations with many popular project management apps, such as Jira and Trello. It combines the manual time tracking feature with automatic timers. Besides, Harvest can be applied in the form of a browser extension, which makes it easy to always see how many hours are already tracked without entering your account.
The free version of this tool affords only one user and two projects. To implement Harvest for team collaboration on multiple projects, you will have to pay $12 per user a month.
- Toggl Track
This one is a simple-to-use time tracking solution that is largely based on automation. Its most prominent features are the Pomodoro timer, idle time detection, comprehensive performance reports and multiple app integrations. All of them contribute to higher workflow efficiency and let you manage projects with ease.
Toggl Track can be used as a mobile or desktop app. Freelancers and teams of up to five members can utilize the basic version of this tool at no cost at all.
- My Hours
My Hours is an excellent application for billable time and project cost tracking. Besides keeping a precise record of hours spent on tasks, you may attach receipts and other documents to specific time entries and, thus, keep essential work-related information in one place. Other significant My Hours features are streamlined invoicing and in-depth project reports. You can also integrate this tool with plenty of other apps through Zapier and use it on your smartphone.
The free version of My Hours has limited functionality but affords unlimited users and projects. To enjoy invoicing, workflow approval and some other advanced features, you will have to pay at least $6 per user a month.
Conclusion
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