If you're getting to work by bike, e-bike, scooter or on foot, it's worth logging your trips. Not for the leaderboards (though some people love those), but because the numbers are useful:
- Wear and replacement. Chains, tyres, brake pads and shoes all wear out by distance. If you know how far you've gone, you can replace them before they fail on the way to work.
- Savings. Kilometres you rode are kilometres you didn't drive. Multiply them by your car's cost per kilometre and the total is very motivating.
- Motivation. Seeing a month of commutes add up makes the wet mornings easier.
What to look for in a tracking app
- Easy to use. One tap to start as you leave, one tap to stop when you arrive. If it's fiddly, you'll stop using it.
- Accurate. Modern phones and GPS watches are good at distance; check the app's results against a known route.
- Light on battery. It shouldn't flatten your phone before the ride home.
- Commute tagging. Being able to mark trips as commutes keeps them separate from weekend rides and makes savings easy to total.
- Gear tracking. Many apps let you add your bike or shoes and warn you at a set distance.
- Exports and connections. Look for the ability to export your data, and to sync with your watch, bike computer or other apps, so you're not locked in.
- Privacy controls. Your commute starts and ends at your home and your workplace. Use the app's privacy zones to hide the start and end of every trip, and check who can see your activities.
- A readable screen, if you'll glance at it while moving. Better still, use audio cues and keep your eyes on the road.
- Price. Most apps are free with a paid tier. Check what the free version actually does before you rely on it.
The apps, then and now
When this article was first written in 2019, these were the popular free tracking apps. App names, owners and features have changed a lot since, so here's where each one stands in 2026. Check your app store for current features and prices.
Strava
The default choice for many cyclists and runners, with a big social network built in. You can mark any activity as a commute, and since 2023 Strava shows an estimate of the carbon you've saved by not driving on tagged commutes. Commute tagging is still manual in the app itself, though third-party tools can do it automatically. It also tracks distance on your bikes and shoes. Many of the most useful features need a paid subscription.
Garmin Connect
If you have a Garmin watch or bike computer, this is its companion app. It records walks, runs and rides, tracks health data, and syncs with Strava and other apps. The app is free; most features rely on Garmin hardware.
ASICS Runkeeper
A long-time favourite, now owned by ASICS. Despite the name, it tracks walking and cycling too, with goals, progress charts and audio feedback.
adidas Running (formerly Runtastic)
Runtastic was renamed adidas Running after adidas bought it. The app is still going in 2026, although adidas closed Runtastic's original offices in Austria in 2025 and now runs it from its own sites. It tracks many activity types, with a shoe-distance feature.
MapMyRun and MapMyRide
Part of the MapMyFitness family, previously owned by Under Armour and now published by Outside. Good for mapping and saving routes, with gear tracking for shoes.
Nike Run Club
Still free and still focused on running, with guided runs and training plans. Less useful if most of your commuting is on wheels.
Sports Tracker
One of the earliest social tracking apps, with route planning and the ability to save favourite routes for running, hiking or riding. Check your app store for its current version.
Zombies, Run!
A running game: every run is a mission in an audio drama, with zombie "chases" that make you speed up. Still available, with a free tier. It works at walking pace too, which might liven up a walk to the station.
RockMyRun
Music mixes that match your pace or cadence. We couldn't confirm the app is still actively offered in 2026, so check your app store.
Endomondo
No longer available. Under Armour shut Endomondo down at the end of 2020 and pointed its users to MapMyRun. If you still have an old export, Strava and most other apps can import the files.
Don't forget your bike's own app
If you ride an e-bike, its maker's app may do the tracking for you. Bosch's eBike Flow app, for example, records rides on Bosch Smart System bikes and can sync with Apple Health and Strava. Other drive-system makers have similar apps. That can be the simplest option: the bike records itself.
Your phone's built-in health app (Apple Health on iPhone, or your Android phone's health app) also records walks and runs automatically, with no setup at all.
Our take
For most commuters, the simplest setup is best:
- E-bike: start with your bike's own app.
- Bike or on foot, and you like data: Strava or Garmin Connect, with commute tagging and gear tracking set up.
- Just want a distance total: your phone's built-in health app.
Whatever you choose, set up privacy zones around your home and workplace on day one.
This article is a 2026 rewrite by Cole of Ian's 2019 original, with each app's current status checked.