12 Best Apps for Treadmill Running 2023

While outdoor running spoils people with perfect views and dynamic surroundings, finding the motivation to run when it is raining, hot, or snowing can be difficult. Adjusting the running routine to changing weather conditions can make people run inconsistently and progress slowly.

Treadmill running, for most of us, is a perfect alternative to outdoor running. With treadmill workouts, it is easy to build a lasting running routine that can help you attain fitness goals fast and maintain strong motivation. 

To assist you in your runs, we have tried out multiple treadmill apps that can become a game changer in your indoor running journey. 

Today, we will discuss the best treadmill running apps for 2023 so you can choose the perfect one for indoor workouts without trying them all out. 

The 12 Best Apps for Treadmill Running at a Glance

• Overall best treadmill app – Joggo
• Best for the community – Strava
• Best for the variety – Aaptiv
• Best for encouragement – Nike Run Club
• Best for motivation – Runtastic
• Best for detailed tracking – Runkeeper
• Best for live running classes – Peloton Digital
• Best for entertainment – Zwift
• Best for indoor trail running – Treadmill Trails
• Best for daily workouts – PulseTread: Treadmill Trainer
• Best for beginners – 10k Runner App
• Best for simple tracking – iSmoothRun

Choosing the Best Treadmill App for Running: Our Top Picks

A great treadmill app should provide you with the same features and metrics as a regular running app you would use outdoors. We looked at the key benefits and pros and cons of the best options available on the market today to help you make an informed decision.

#1 Joggo – Best treadmill app overall

Joggo is one of the best treadmill apps, widely praised for its personalization. Ideal for both beginners and casual runners, the app crafts an individual workout plan to meet your fitness goals. 

Joggo is built on 3 main pillars: Personalized Training, Education, and Motivation. Each pillar represents a set of features in the app that helps people achieve even the most ambitious goals: lose weight, improve physical and mental health, hit a specific pace, etc.

This app exceeded most of its competitors because of a few reasons. First, it customizes the running plan based on your activity level and shape, so you know when to run and for how long.

Then, it provides timely educational information, so you can deepen your overall fitness knowledge, avoid injuries, and recover faster.

Joggo allows you to choose from two modes – outdoor and treadmill run. Therefore, if you plan to head on a forest run from time to time, you do not need a separate app for that – simply select an outdoor running option. 

If any doubts arise during your treadmill workout, Joggo’s in-house team of healthcare specialists will answer all your questions. All in all, Joggo is probably the best running app that offers personalized professional coaching and support.

#2 Strava – Best for the community

Strava is one of the world’s leading players in the fitness market that seamlessly tracks various types of workouts with GPS. It is a perfect app for people who do multiple sports, want to see all the records in one place, and compare them with those of their running buddies.

While initially designed to focus on cycling, Strava has also become popular among runners mainly due to its social features, allowing users to share their workouts with their friends and claim spots in the leaderboard.

If you occasionally want to run on a treadmill, you can add workout data in the Strava app. Yet, since the Strava app does not have an accurate indoor workout tracking feature, you will have to add data from the treadmill manually by selecting “Workout.” 

For people who want to run on the treadmill occasionally in between other workouts, Strava is a good app. It allows you to keep all workout records in one place and see overall fitness progress. 

#3 Aaptiv – Best for the variety

This audio-only fitness app offers thousands of workouts, including outdoor running and treadmill classes, stretching, yoga, Pilates, and other workouts. 

The app offers audio-based instructions recorded by professional coaches, so you have support and encouragement throughout the whole treadmill workout session. Aaptiv also offers multiple music playlists that boost your motivation during low moments.

Aaptiv is a perfect choice for people looking for a sense of community. Members can join group challenges, encourage each other, post messages, and communicate with trainers. 

It is an app that can keep you motivated, interested, and never bored. Apptiv’s team releases new classes weekly, so you do not need to repeat the same ones a few times.

#4 Nike Run Club – Best for encouragement during treadmill workouts

Nike Run Club is a great app that supports outdoor and treadmill modes and helps you reach your running goals rapidly. 

The Nike Run Club app tracks your treadmill workout stats and provides a dashboard that displays your progress and lets you compete with friends or other runners. 

Nike Run Club comes with customized audio guidance. The great thing about the app – it integrates well with Spotify, so you can listen to the music that motivates you without overlapping with audio guidance. 

You can easily use the Nike Run Club app on your iOS device or an Apple watch to receive all notifications straight on your wrist. Generally, Nike Run Club is a great treadmill workout app for people looking for community-based workouts.

#5 Runtastic – Best for motivation

Runtastic, also known as the Adidas Running app, is a great treadmill running app created for fitness-minded people who work out indoors and outdoors. 

It is a highly community-centered app that allows professional trainers and advanced runners to share tips, knowledge, and pieces of advice. Such a community can serve as a source of motivation and support to reach your running goals.

The app comes in free and paid versions. The free version tracks your workouts, lets you join challenges, and provides basic running stats. 

However, you need to purchase the paid version to unlock targeted running plans or access more in-depth running stats (like your personal best runs).

#6 Runkeeper – Best for detailed tracking

Although Runkeeper is a great app known for its GPS-tracking functionality, it also satisfies treadmill runners’ demands. By offering a Stopwatch mode, the app makes it easy to track mileage, calories burned, and duration even while running indoors.

The paid version of the app offers additional features such as personalized training, motivating tips, and in-depth insights. If you do not want to receive audio stats during your run, you can disable them and enjoy favorite music or podcasts. 

Overall, this is a great treadmill workout app that allows you to turn on and off every aspect of the app that you like or dislike. 

#7 Peloton Digital – Best for live running classes

Peloton is a company known for its indoor cycling bikes that recently switched to digital home fitness products. Peloton Digital is a good app for people who want to work out at home or the gym using a treadmill. 

You do not need to own a Peloton bike or treadmill to use the app. The app contains many live or pre-recorded On Demand classes, from cardio on a treadmill to meditation. 

Live classes happen daily, so it is easy to join one whenever you feel like working out. The Peloton Digital app allows you to build a personal schedule for 2 weeks out, so you can arrange a time for exercising based on your lifestyle.

You can listen to the class while a professional trainer guides you, or you can view a video to receive more in-depth explanations. 

#8 Zwift – Best for entertainment

Zwift for years has been known only in the cycling community; however, recently, this popular app also opened its doors to runners. It is primarily meant to be used as an indoor running app as you need to connect it to your treadmill to enjoy the full benefits.

Zwift has been designed to bring fun to your treadmill workout, as runners can create their animated avatars and follow them through different running courses in futuristic places around the world. It’s also largely based on challenges and community, encouraging users to go on group runs and track their workouts at the same time.

In order to get all the vital performance metrics, runners need, however, a connected running sensor, foot pod, smart shoe, or smartwatch.

Overall, it’s a great app if you want to do your trail runs indoors or need some company for extra motivation.

Zwift is comparatively more expensive than some other apps on the market, and you would also need to invest in extra workout equipment, but if you’re mainly running indoors, still like to meet new people, and enjoy the fun aspect of it, this app may be just for you.

#9 Treadmill Trails – Best for indoor trail running

If you’re a true nature lover but can only do your runs indoors, the Treadmill Trails app may be just what you’re looking for. It’s designed to re-create the thrilling experience of running trails in the comfort of your home or gym.

The app offers 30-minute workouts that you can do on a treadmill, bike, elliptical, or step deck. Each of them can take you to a different exciting location, starting from big cities like New York to National Parks and beautiful islands.

The treadmill workouts are supplemented with simple audio cues to guide you through the runs. You can also play your own music in the background to make the workout seemingly pass by quicker.

The app is free to download, but you need to pay $0.99 for every workout, so if you’re a dedicated indoor runner, the usage of Treadmill Trails might end up being rather costly.

#10 PulseTread: Treadmill Trainer – Best for daily workouts

PulseTread is a specifically created app to serve as a treadmill trainer. This app focuses on 30-minute long daily treadmill workouts that make you work out intensely and progress fast. 

The app is created, and workouts are recorded by Mark Harari, a Hollywood celebrity trainer. Audio instructions guide you throughout your run, motivate you, and push you slightly further. 

The app is perfectly suitable for all levels of runners: from beginners to advanced runners training for a half-marathon, so you can progress at your own pace. 

#11 10K Runner App – Best for beginners

The 10K Runner App is a perfect app for people who want to start their running journey from scratch. Regardless of where you plan to achieve your fitness goals, the 10K Runner app is among the most suitable apps for training on the treadmill and running outside. 

The app promises you to reach 5K from the point where you currently are in just eight weeks. Easy-to-follow human audio coach tells you what to do and when. You can log a treadmill workout or do your runs outdoors. The 10K Runner app also leaves time for your body to recover, so you do not drain yourself. 

However, many users reported unrealistic pace suggestions and a lack of encouragement. Therefore, it is suggested to use the app for people with strong intrinsic motivation so that the “feeling behind” does not discourage them from continuing to reach their goals.

#12 iSmoothRun – Best for simple tracking

iSmoothRun is a running app specifically designed for iOS devices. The app supports indoor and outdoor running by using GPS or a pedometer. 

This treadmill app tracks duration, footsteps, heart rate, and calories burned. iSmoothRun provides audio feedback while you run. It predicts approximately a 10% error margin for treadmill mode tracking accuracy while using a pedometer.

This is a good treadmill app for people looking for a simple and effective workout tracker. If you are searching for a plain running tracker without instructions and motivational voice-overs, this app might be the best fit. 

Comparing the Best Treadmill Running Apps

How to Choose the Best App for Treadmill Running?

Choosing the best treadmill running app takes time to evaluate all possible aspects relevant to your fitness needs: the need for guidance, tracking, leaderboard, ability to share with friends, and playing your own music. 

We have tested and picked out the best treadmill running apps based on criteria relevant to indoor workouts.

Quality

When picking the best app for treadmill running, we have prioritized its quality. Is the content of the app, guidance, tracking, or pre-recorded workouts of good quality? Does the app release new updates often and fix the bugs?

We have chosen only those treadmill apps that maintain superior quality.

Price 

The price of the app should never exceed the gym membership price. That is why we have chosen only free apps or those with a relevant set of inexpensive features.

Brand reputation

We selected only the brands that display high-level expertise in sports. All treadmill apps in the list were created by well-known players in the fitness market.

Effectiveness 

After testing and picking out the best treadmill apps, we have also read users’ reviews to evaluate their effectiveness. It seemed crucial for us to pick only apps with a high satisfaction rate from their users. 

Conclusion

A treadmill running app should ideally replace outdoor runs and help you reach your fitness goals. It should track your progress, motivate you to work out, and encourage you to keep going in difficult moments.

Therefore, if possible, always choose the app that personalizes the program based on your physical shape and desired goals. 

Having tested multiple apps, our team has picked Joggo, Strava, and Aaptiv as the best treadmill apps on the market today. They offer a variety of features and even personalized training plans, so you can progress steadily by having a clear structure and careful guidance.

However, if indoor running is not a significant part of your workout routine, you may also benefit from other great running apps not directly designed to fit the treadmill mode.