Best apps to improve running technique, not just measure it

Almost every running app can tell you something is wrong. Very few give you the drill that fixes it and then check in four weeks whether it worked, so this list is ranked on the fix and the follow-up rather than on the size of the report.

A Reddit commenter put the whole problem in one line: "the hard part about improving running form is not analysing it. It's giving cues, drills and exercises that actually make someone run better."

Quick comparison

App	Best for	How it works	Price note	Ratings
Caden	A drill plan tied to your worst metric	5 to 20 second iPhone clip, private upload	Free download, Pro subscription	New, no ratings yet
GaitLab Coach	A cheap plan tied to a specific pain	60 second side view, 1 to 10 score	$4.99 in the App Store listing	5.0 from 9 on iOS
RunDNA	Working with a real physio or coach	Gait analysis then a movement routine	Not listed	4.3 from 8 on iOS
Ochy	Many metrics, general exercises	Film, upload, results in under 60 seconds	$19.99 a month or $89.99 a year and up	4.5 from 286 on iOS, 4.6 from 428 on Android
Movaia	A cheap report with exercises and progress	Upload in a browser, wait minutes	Free tier, Pro billed yearly	No store listing, no ratings
Runna	Training plans, not technique	Builds a running plan for a race	Reviewers cite about $120 a year	4.9 from 33,963 on iOS, 4.5 from 32,700 on Android

Ratings and prices are from the Apple App Store, Google Play and vendor pages at the time of writing.

1. Caden

Best for: a runner who wants the worst metric turned into a plan.

Caden films you for 5 to 20 seconds from the side, scores your form out of 100 and shows six dials: where your foot lands, knee bend on landing, knee bend at push-off, upper body lean, arm bend and head position. The lowest dials feed a 4 or 8 week plan you start from the result, three sessions a week at the session length you chose. Sessions mix running drills such as A-march and quick-feet strides with strength work such as slow calf raises, glute bridges and split squats.

Pros:

• The plan comes from your own numbers, not from a generic library.
• Breakpoints show the frame behind each verdict, so you can agree with the fault before you train for it.
• Before and after in Stats compares your end-of-plan clip against the baseline, the follow-up step most apps skip.

Cons:

• The plan is set when you start it, 4 or 8 weeks. It does not adapt session by session.
• iPhone only, iOS 17 or later, and no public ratings yet.
• No human reads your clip and there is no chat.

Who it is for: a runner working alone who wants a cue, a drill and a re-check.

2. GaitLab Coach

Best for: a very cheap plan aimed at one niggle.

Record a 60 second side-view video, flag your injury, and get a 1 to 10 form score, the flaws linked to your pain and a 4 or 8 week plan.

Pros:

• The lowest price here. A 5 star US review: "For only $2 I got really good feedback on my running form. When I've worked with running coaches I would only get general advice."
• It explains the cost of each fault. A 5 star US review: "It not only confirmed my known bad running habits, but also identified other weaknesses".

Cons:

• Side view only, so no hip drop or arm crossover.
• Nine ratings. The one Google Play review we found: "says I heel strike when I clearly midfoot strike. garbage inaccurate app"

Who it is for: a runner with a niggle who wants a plan for the price of a coffee.

3. RunDNA

Best for: a runner who is already working with a clinic.

RunDNA is built by physios. It starts from a gait analysis and builds a personalised routine of movement, strength and cardio in one place.

Pros:

• The follow-up is a human. Reviewers praise plans "personalized to what I need" and that "my coach can give me regular feedback".
• Movement, strength and running live in one app, so drills are part of the week.

Cons:

• You cannot use it alone. A 3 star US review: "cant even use the app, i dont have an account and there is no option to create one."
• Eight ratings, and no self-serve pricing to quote.

Who it is for: someone whose physio or coach already uses it. On your own, it is a dead end.

4. Ochy

Best for: the most metrics, if you supply the discipline yourself.

Ochy gives the widest report here and attaches exercises to it. The exercises are where reviewers push back.

Pros:

• The widest metric set in a consumer app, covering pronation, pelvic tilt, overstride, cadence, knee position and flight time.
• It has changed real strides. A Reddit r/running commenter: "The app Ochy was enough for me to tweak my form."

Cons:

• Exercises are called general. A Reddit r/running commenter: "the exercises it gives based on the analysis are also too general".
• No nudge to repeat them. A 2 star GB review: "it should prompt me to do the exercises. Currently after you have done the exercises once, thats it." A 3 star Google Play review: "I'm missing notifications about exercises I'm supposed to do. I always forget about them and in the end do not use the app at all."

Who it is for: a runner who will build their own routine around the numbers.

5. Movaia

Best for: a cheap written report with exercises attached.

Movaia is a web app. You upload a clip and read a written report with target ranges. The vendor lists exercises and progress tracking in Pro, at US$2.50 a month billed yearly at US$29.94 at the time of writing.

Pros:

• The cheapest paid option here, with a free tier of 2 limited analyses a month per the vendor site.
• Progress tracking is built in, so re-checking is part of it.

Cons:

• Browser only, and the vendor says a normal-speed video takes around 5 minutes.
• No store listing, so no user reviews of the exercise side.

Who it is for: a runner on a budget who will do the drills without being reminded.

6. Runna

Best for: a race plan. Not for technique.

Runna is a training plan app with a large, positive user base and no video form analysis. It is here because runners search for it in this context, and because it shows what generic advice looks like at scale.

Pros:

• The plans and the convenience are what people pay for, and the ratings show it.
• It syncs with watches and takes weekly planning off your hands.

Cons:

• No form analysis. It never sees you run.
• The written feedback draws the complaints. A 1 star US review: "The ai information is never useful or relevant, just feels like copy and paste messages." A 2 star GB review: "AI feedback is very generic".
• A Reddit year-long review concluded: "Runna is a very expensive training plan and not a very cheap coach."

Who it is for: a runner training for a race who fixes technique elsewhere.

How we ranked

These criteria are weighted towards the fix, not the report.

1. Gives drills, not just a score, and ties each drill to a measured fault. This carries the most weight here.
2. Follows up. Does the app re-measure and show you whether anything changed.
3. Works from a normal phone video. RunDNA loses ground because you need a coach's invite.
4. Shows the frame where the fault happens, so you trust the fault before you train for it.
5. Honest about limits. A 2D video cannot see force, pronation or 3D rotation.
6. Price and billing clarity, then review sentiment weighted by volume. Caden has none yet.

One Reddit commenter described what a good outcome felt like: "Not just 'stretch more,' but actual drills, strength work, and how many miles I should back off for a couple weeks. That part was gold." That is the bar. See running form drills for the moves themselves.

How to do it in Caden

1. Tap Run a new analysis and set up a side-on shot. Film 10 to 20 seconds at easy pace.
2. Read the form score and find the lowest of the six dials.
3. Tap that dial and read the one cue attached to it. Practise that cue only.
4. Open the Exercises tab and start a 4 or 8 week plan. Three sessions a week, 15 to 20 minutes each.
5. Re-film in week 4 from the same view and the same spot.
6. Open Before and after in Stats and check whether the dial moved.

FAQ

How long does it take to change running technique?

Give a cue and a drill plan four weeks before you judge it. Cadence can move in days. Posture and knee angles take longer. See how long to change running form.

Does Runna analyse running form?

No. Runna builds training plans. It does not look at video of you running.

Can an app replace a running coach?

It replaces the part where someone names the fault and hands you drills. It does not replace a coach judging your training load, history or pain.

What should I fix first?

The lowest metric, and only that one. Changing two things at once means you will not know which one worked. See how to improve running form.

Competitor names belong to their owners.