Comparison
If you're here looking for a Strava alternative, it's almost always for one of two reasons: you want something more private, or you want to genuinely compete with four specific people instead of showing up on a list with half the planet. This page explains how PaceRivals is different — and also when you shouldn't switch.
Strava is a huge sports social network, with years of history, segments, maps and a global community. It's excellent at what it does, and for plenty of runners it's exactly what they need.
But a global community has a side effect: on a list of millions of people, your position means nothing. Nobody runs more on a Tuesday because they're 148,000th in the world. You run more when you know your mate from the group chat went out this morning and just passed you.
PaceRivals is built entirely around that idea: small groups, a weekly leaderboard that resets every Monday, and head-to-head rivalries. It isn't trying to be a social network; it's trying to get you out the door.
You compete with the people you choose, in groups with a member cap. A leaderboard of ten is one you can win; a leaderboard of millions is a statistic.
There's no ever-growing history that leaves you out of the running. Whoever's last on Sunday starts level on Monday, and that's what keeps people in.
You challenge one specific person for a week. Two people, one winner. It's the mechanic that works best for getting out on a day you don't feel like running.
The group adds up kilometres together to complete a real route and watches the progress on the map. The group competes against the route, not against each other.
You get a notification when someone in your group overtakes you. It isn't a feed you scroll: it's a nudge that gets you out of the house.
Lots of people use both: one to record and analyse, the other to compete with their group. You don't have to choose.
No. PaceRivals reads the workouts already saved in Apple Health (iOS) or Health Connect (Android). Since most watches and running apps write there, your runs show up on their own after training, whatever you're using. You don't have to change your watch or your routine.
That's the obvious catch with a small-group app, and it's why "Find a group" exists: you see open groups with free spots, sorted by your level, and join in one tap with no code needed. There are also official leagues for every level, from Casual to Titan, with a member cap so the leaderboard stays something you can win.
Try PaceRivals for freeNo. Workouts come in from Apple Health on iOS and Health Connect on Android. Since almost every watch and running app writes to those two sources, your runs still show up without you logging them by hand.
Yes, and that's the most common setup. One to record and analyse your training, PaceRivals to compete with your group. Because we read from Apple Health and Health Connect, you don't have to do anything twice.
Downloading it, joining groups and competing is free, with no limit on people. Premium (€4.99/month or €29.99/year, with a 7-day trial) unlocks unlimited groups and challenges plus the Legend and Mythic routes.
Only the members of your groups, and your groups are private by default. If you join an open group or a league, its members see your kilometres for the week and nothing else.
Yes, it's available on Google Play and the App Store.
Run with a club? Take a look at running challenges for your club.