Four apps, and what each is actually for. If one of the others fits you better, use it.
| Molorun | Runna | NHS Couch to 5K | Nike Run Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | People who don't run yet, and people who've quit before | Runners with a race in mind | Beginners on a fixed nine-week schedule | People who already run |
| What a session costs you | First run is one minute. Level 1 sessions under 25 min | 30–60 min | Fixed 20–30 min | A full workout |
| What it measures | Minutes only | Pace, distance, GPS | Time, on a dated plan | Pace, distance, GPS |
| If you miss two weeks | Nothing happens. You're on the same level | You've missed training | You're behind on Week 4 Day 2 | Your streak is gone |
| If a session was too hard | Say so, and the plan steps back with you | – | Repeat the week yourself, off-plan | – |
| Keeps timing with the screen off | Yes, persistent notification, phone in pocket | – | – | – |
| Streaks | Yes, on the Progress screen. Nothing is built around them | Plan adherence | No | Yes, and monthly challenges |
| What's free | Free Walk always. Level 1 and the start of Level 2 | One week of a twelve-week plan | Everything | Everything |
| Can you see the whole plan before paying? | Yes, every level, session by session | No | Yes | No |
You've started Couch to 5K before and gone back to Week 1 more than once. That's the whole thing. Nothing here expires, nothing is dated, and there's no schedule to be behind on. You come back after two weeks and you're on the same level you left.
You've stopped and started so many times you've lost count. Every plan works until the week you miss. This one adapts instead of resetting: tell it a session was too hard and the next one steps back with you.
You've never run in your life and the idea makes you tired. Your first session is five one-minute runs with a walk between each. Nobody is too unfit for one minute.
Molorun isn't for everyone. If you already run 5K, if you want a map and your pace, or if you're training for a race with a date on it, this isn't built for that. The table above shows what each app is for.
It depends on where you're starting. Nike Run Club is excellent for people who already run and want structured training. Molorun is built for people who don't run yet or are returning after a long break, and it removes pace and distance from the main screen entirely.
Look for one that lets walking count, doesn't display pace prominently, and lets you repeat a session instead of falling behind when it was too hard. Those three features matter far more for a beginner than training plans do.
It shares the gentle, walk-run philosophy, but the plan moves backwards as well as forwards: say a session hurt, and you repeat the level instead of falling behind on a dated schedule. Your first run is one minute long, not a fixed nine-week programme you either keep up with or don't.
Only if you're not training for a race yet. Runna builds a real plan around a date, and its beginner options still ask more than one minute of running. Molorun is for the stage before that: deciding whether running is something you can stick with at all.