Running route apps compared.
Which one fits how you run?

Running route apps come in three kinds. Generators build a loop for you from the distance you ask for. Planners let you draw the route yourself, street by street. Discovery apps show you where other runners already go. Which one suits you depends on a single question: do you want to decide the route, or have it decided for you?

Checked October 2026. Made by the people behind RunRoutes, which is one of the apps below, so we kept the other apps' entries to what their own websites and App Store listings say.

The short answer

• You want a loop of a set distance from your door, and a voice in your ear while you run it.RunRoutes on iPhone, Apple Watch and Android. Pick 5 km, tap once, and run it with spoken directions at every turn.
• You want a free loop generator and will follow the route on something else.Roovr or Runplanner. Both generate round trips for free and export the route for your watch.
• You run with a Garmin watch.Garmin Connect can create a round trip course of a chosen distance and send it straight to the watch.
• You want to choose every street yourself.Footpath. Trace the route with your finger and it snaps to real paths.
• You want routes other runners already like.Strava and Komoot, which build on what their large communities record. RunGo adds curated routes with voice guidance.

Feature comparison

The table answers the questions runners ask most: can the app make the loop for you, will it talk you through it, and does it work on your wrist. On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Checked against each app's own website and App Store listing, October 2026. Apps change. If something here is out of date, email us and we will correct it.

Generators, planners and discovery apps

Generators: you give a distance, it gives you a loop

A generator starts from where you are standing and builds a route that comes back to the same spot, sized to the distance you ask for. This is the quickest way out of the door when you do not know the area, are bored of your usual streets, or are staying somewhere new. RunRoutes, Roovr, Runplanner and Garmin Connect all do this. Where they differ is what happens next: RunRoutes guides the run itself, by voice and on Apple Watch, while the others mostly hand the route to another app or device.

Planners: you draw, it measures

A planner gives you a map and a drawing tool. You tap points or trace a line, the route snaps to real paths, and the app adds up the distance as you go. It takes a few minutes, but nothing beats it when you know exactly which streets you want, for example to avoid a busy junction or to finish past a water fountain. Footpath is the best known, and RunRoutes, Runplanner, RunGo, Komoot and Strava all include a drawing tool too.

Discovery: you follow what others run

Discovery apps lean on the runs their community has already recorded. Strava's heatmaps and suggested routes and Komoot's route suggestions show which paths people actually use, which is a good signal of what is pleasant and runnable. The trade off is that you get popular routes, not necessarily a loop from your own door at your exact distance.

App by app

RunRoutes

RunRoutes is a running route generator for iPhone, Apple Watch and Android. Pick a distance and it builds a loop that starts and ends at your door, along real streets, with the real length shown before you start. During the run a voice calls out every turn in your headphones and warns you when you leave the route, and Apple Watch adds a tap on the wrist. Every route can be exported as a GPX file for free. It also includes run walk intervals and a 9 week Couch to 5K program. Your first two routes are free without an account, then RunRoutes Pro removes the limit. On Android the phone guides the run on its own, as there is no Wear OS app.

Roovr

Roovr generates loops from your location with a choice of terrain and elevation, and is completely free. It does not guide the run itself: you export the route and follow it on your watch or another app. A good pick if you already have a navigation setup you like.

Runplanner

Runplanner combines a round trip generator with a drawing tool, on the web and in apps for iPhone and Android, for free. Its app gives turn by turn directions with street names. There is no Apple Watch app, so the route goes to your watch as a file.

Garmin Connect

If you own a Garmin watch, Garmin Connect can create a round trip course from a distance and suggest a few loops to choose from, then send it to the watch. It is free, and it is the natural choice inside the Garmin world. It does not guide routes on an Apple Watch.

Footpath

Footpath is a drawing tool first: trace a route with your finger and it snaps to roads and paths. It does not generate a loop from a distance, though it can close a route you drew back to the start. Spoken turn by turn directions and Apple Watch guidance come with Footpath Elite.

RunGo

RunGo is known for voice guided runs and a library of ready made routes. You can build your own route in the app or on the web and follow it with spoken directions, also on Apple Watch. It does not generate a loop from a distance.

Komoot

Komoot shines on trails and quiet paths, with surface and elevation details and route suggestions near you. Voice navigation and its Apple Watch app work once you have unlocked a region or subscribed to Premium. It suits planned weekend runs more than a quick loop from the door.

Strava

Strava's routes build on the runs its community records. With a subscription it suggests routes of a chosen distance from your location and lets you draw your own in the app. When you follow a route you get a map and off route alerts rather than spoken directions.

Questions

What is the best app to generate a running route from my location?

If you want to type a distance and get a loop back to your door without drawing anything, use a generator: RunRoutes on iPhone or Android if you also want spoken directions during the run, with Apple Watch guidance on iPhone, Roovr or Runplanner if you want a free generator and will follow the route on another device, or Garmin Connect if you run with a Garmin watch. If you would rather choose every street yourself, Footpath is the strongest drawing tool.

Is there a free app that makes a running loop of a set distance?

Yes. Roovr, Runplanner and Garmin Connect generate round trips for free. RunRoutes makes your first two routes for free without an account, then asks for RunRoutes Pro for more. Strava can suggest routes of a chosen distance too, but only with a paid subscription.

Which running route app talks you through every turn?

RunRoutes, RunGo, Footpath (with Elite) and Komoot all speak directions during the run. RunRoutes is the only one in this list that also generates the loop for you from a distance, so you can go from "I want to run 5 km" to running with a voice in your ear in a few taps.

How do I make a 5 km loop that starts and ends at my house?

Open a loop generator, stand at your front door or set it as the start, ask for 5 km and pick the loop you like. In RunRoutes that is three taps, and the real length is shown before you set off. In a drawing app such as Footpath you trace roughly 5 km on the map and close the loop, which takes longer but lets you choose every street.

Can I use a generated route with my Garmin or Coros watch?

Usually, yes. RunRoutes, Roovr and Runplanner export routes as GPX files, the format Garmin, Coros, Suunto and most other watches import. In RunRoutes the export is free for every route, so you can make the loop here and run it with the watch you already wear.