Run vs None to Run: two gentle beginner running apps compared

We make Run, so read this with that in mind.

Pick None to Run if you want a very gentle, fixed plan with a walking program before it, built-in strength routines, and an Android version, and you’re happy to choose when to repeat a week. Pick Run if you’re on iPhone and want a plan that changes by itself after every run, getting lighter when a run felt too hard and moving you up when it felt easy. Both are made for real beginners, both use walk-run intervals, and both take you to 25 minutes of non-stop running for 5K.

How do Run and None to Run compare?

These two apps are closer than most: both are for complete beginners and both go slowly. The main difference is how each plan reacts when a run goes badly.

Checked October 2026, on None to Run’s website and its App Store page.

	Run	None to Run
What it is	Beginner running app with an adaptive plan and full run tracking	Beginner walk-run app with fixed plans and strength routines
Devices	iPhone (iOS 15+) and Apple Watch	iPhone (iOS 17.5+), Android and Apple Watch
Plan for beginners	19-level ladder: 25 min non-stop (5K) at level 12, 60 min (10K) at level 19	12-week plan to 25 min non-stop, plus walking, 5K, 10K and half marathon plans
Adapts to how you feel	Yes: rate each run 1–10 and the next runs change	You can repeat weeks yourself; miss a week or more and it drops you back one week
Price model	Free tracking and first plan workout; rest of the plan is part of optional Run Premium	Subscription (monthly or yearly) after a 7-day free trial
Apple Watch	Yes (watchOS 8+), with interval guidance and live heart rate	Yes (watchOS 10+), with cues and tracking
Android	No	Yes

What is None to Run?

None to Run is a running app for complete beginners, designed to be gentler than Couch to 5K. Its main plan takes 12 weeks to go from no running to 25 minutes of continuous running. You do three sessions a week, each 25 to 35 minutes including a warm-up and cool-down, and a voice tells you when to run and when to walk.

Around that main plan there are others: Stroll and Stride (a walking plan), Run Ready (very short running bits for people not ready for the main plan), Run to Race 5K and Run to Race 10K (8 weeks each), and a 12-week half marathon plan. Short strength and mobility routines are built into every plan. You can repeat weeks, switch plans, and if you miss a week or more the app drops you back a week.

Its website lists $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year after a 7-day free trial, with prices varying by country. It also offers free printable PDF plans.

What does None to Run do better?

None to Run starts even gentler, with a full walking plan before any running. If walking for 30 minutes is hard right now, that’s a real advantage: Run’s level 1 assumes you can already walk for 30 minutes.

It also builds in strength and mobility routines with video demos, which Run doesn’t have. It’s on Android, which Run isn’t. And it goes further on the plan side, with a half marathon plan; Run’s coaching stops at 10K. Its website names the people it’s made for, including those who are overweight, older, returning from injury, or who quit Couch to 5K. If that’s you, read our guide on running when you’re overweight too.

What does Run do better?

Run reacts to you after every single run, not just when you decide to repeat a week. After each run you rate how tiring it was from 1 to 10, and at the end of the week you rate any pain. Then:

• A very tiring run (8 or more) makes the next run lighter right away.
• Pain of 6 or more makes next week easier.
• A tough week on average means you repeat the level.
• A good week moves you up a level; a very easy week moves you up two.

That means you never have to judge whether you’re “ready”. Run also places you at the right starting point: running 1 to 5 minutes puts you at level 3, running 10 minutes at level 6. A past injury or being 50 or older starts you one level lower. After a 2 to 8 week break it eases you back in at a lower level. You can see it all on how it works.

On tracking, Run records a lot: GPS map, pace, splits, elevation, cadence, heart rate with a watch, calories and weather, plus streaks, badges, shoe tracking, widgets and the Dynamic Island.

How do the plans compare week to week?

Both apps run on the same idea: short runs with walking breaks that slowly change shape. That’s the run-walk method, and it’s how most beginners succeed.

None to Run uses a calendar: 12 weeks, three sessions a week, the same for everyone who picks that plan. Run uses levels: you might stay on one level for two weeks and skip another entirely, depending on how your runs felt. You run two or three times a week, with an Easy Run, a Challenge Run and, if you go three times, a Recovery Run. Most people reach the 5K goal in 8 to 16 weeks; our 5K plan shows every level, and the 10K plan shows what comes after.

Which should you choose?

Both are good, honest choices for nervous beginners. Pick by what fits your life:

1. Walking for 30 minutes is still hard. None to Run, starting with its walking plan.
2. You’re on Android. None to Run. Run isn’t available for you.
3. You want strength routines in the same app. None to Run.
4. You’d rather the plan decided when to ease off or move up. Run.
5. You want detailed tracking and Apple Watch interval cues. Run.
6. You want to try before paying. Both let you: Run’s tracking and first plan workout are free, and None to Run has a 7-day free trial.

If you’re still comparing, our list of the best Couch to 5K apps puts both side by side with the free NHS app and others.