Best apps to measure and improve running cadence

Measuring cadence is easy and almost free, so pick the tool by what it does next. A watch shows the number while you run, a video app shows the number plus the stride that produced it, and a metronome is the only one of the three that actually changes it.

Cadence is your steps per minute, counting both feet. It is the one form metric you can change this week, which is why it gets so much attention.

Quick comparison

Option	Best for	How it works	Price note	Ratings
Caden	Cadence plus the reason it is low	Counts steps in a 10 to 20 second iPhone clip	Free download, Pro subscription	New, no ratings yet
A GPS watch or watch app	Cadence on every run, for free	The watch counts wrist or foot movement	Included with the watch	Varies by brand
A metronome app	Changing cadence, not measuring it	Set beats per minute, run to the beat	Many are free	Varies, see the warning below
Ochy	Cadence inside a full metric report	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 written report with target ranges	Upload in a browser, wait minutes	Free tier, Pro billed yearly	No store listing, no ratings
Counting it yourself	A number in 30 seconds, no app	Count one foot for 30 seconds, times four	Free	Not an app

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

1. Caden

Best for: knowing your cadence and what to do about it.

Caden counts cadence from a 10 to 20 second iPhone clip. Cadence sits next to six dials, including Where your foot lands, which measures how far ahead of your hip the foot lands as a fraction of your leg length.

That pairing is the point. A low cadence on its own is not a fault. A low cadence with a long landing reach usually is, because the foot lands well in front of you and brakes. Raising cadence shortens the reach.

Pros:

• Cadence and landing reach from the same clip, so you can see whether cadence is the real problem.
• Breakpoints show the foot strike frame, so you can check the count against the video.
• The plan includes quick-feet strides and A-skips, which are the drills that raise cadence.

Cons:

• One clip is a sample, not a whole run. A watch tracks cadence for every kilometre.
• iPhone only, iOS 17 or later. No public ratings yet.
• It cannot tell you your cadence at mile 20 of a marathon when your form is tired.

Who it is for: a runner who wants the number and the cause.

2. A GPS watch or a watch running app

Best for: cadence on every run at no extra cost.

Most running watches report cadence, and phone apps read it from a paired watch. This is the cheapest way to see cadence across a whole run.

Pros:

• Continuous data. You see cadence drop as you tire, which a single clip cannot show.
• No extra app and no extra cost if you already own the watch.

Cons:

• A number with no picture. The watch cannot tell you whether your foot is landing ahead of your hip.
• Cadence support is not guaranteed and can be removed. In the reviews we pulled, one Strava review was titled "No Cadence data for iwatch runners", and a Runkeeper reviewer said the "cadence counter was removed".
• One Nike Run Club reviewer in the same pull lost cadence data in a crash.

Who it is for: anyone who already wears a watch.

3. A metronome app

Best for: actually changing your cadence.

Set a metronome to a beat per step, put one earbud in and run to it. It changes behaviour instead of reporting it, which no dashboard does.

We are not naming specific metronome apps. There are many and we have not checked them against reviews the way we checked the analysis tools. Pick one that runs in the background, works offline and needs no account.

Pros:

• Free or close to it, and it works on every phone.
• Feedback in your ear during the run, not a report afterwards.

Cons:

• It measures nothing. You still need a baseline from a watch or a video.
• Running to a beat feels awkward for the first two or three sessions.
• Set the beat too high and you will bounce more, not less.

How to use it: take your current cadence, add about 5 percent, and run to that beat in one minute blocks on an easy run. Build the blocks up over four weeks. See how to increase running cadence without a watch.

Who it is for: anyone who has already measured and wants to change the number.

4. Ochy

Best for: cadence inside the widest metric report.

Ochy is the most reviewed AI running analysis app on both stores. It reports cadence alongside pronation, pelvic tilt, overstride, knee position and flight time, then suggests exercises.

Pros:

• Cadence comes with a long list of other metrics from one clip.
• It works for some runners. A Reddit r/running commenter: "I also had a slight heel strike so I worked on picking up my feet quickly".

Cons:

• Accuracy is disputed for other metrics. A 2 star GB review: "It suggests I'm leaning back too much which myself and the physio both agreed is wrong based on the footage."
• The exercise side is the weak half. A 2 star GB review: "it should prompt me to do the exercises. Currently after you have done the exercises once, thats it."
• Uploads can stall. A 3 star AU review: "I've waited 10min and it is still on 0%."

Who it is for: a coach who wants many numbers and will check them.

5. Movaia

Best for: a cheap written report you can read on a laptop.

Movaia is a web app with no store listing. You upload a clip and wait. The vendor describes a written report with target ranges, a free tier of 2 limited analyses a month, and Pro at US$2.50 a month billed yearly at US$29.94 at the time of writing.

Pros:

• The cheapest paid analysis in this category.
• A written report with target ranges is easier to act on than a raw number.

Cons:

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

Who it is for: a runner on a budget who does not mind waiting.

6. Counting it yourself

Best for: a free number in the next 30 seconds.

Count how many times your right foot lands in 30 seconds, then multiply by four. That is your cadence in steps per minute.

Pros:

• Free, instant and accurate enough to act on.
• It works on a treadmill, on a trail and in a race.

Cons:

• You have to remember, and counting while running is a distraction.
• It tells you nothing about why the number is what it is.

See how do I count my running cadence.

How we ranked

1. Works from a normal phone video or a device you already own. Nothing here needs a lab.
2. Shows the frame where the fault happens. Only the video tools do this, which is why a watch alone ranks below Caden for form work.
3. Gives drills, not just a score. A metronome is the exception. It gives no score and is still the most useful tool for changing cadence.
4. Honest about limits. Cadence is one number. It does not prove your form is good or bad on its own.
5. Price and billing clarity. A watch you already own wins on price.
6. Review sentiment, weighted by volume. Caden has none yet.

Before you chase a target, read the 180 cadence myth. The right cadence depends on your height, your speed and your legs.

How to do it in Caden

1. Tap Run a new analysis and set up a side-on shot.
2. Film 10 to 20 seconds at your normal easy pace, not a pace you think looks good.
3. Read the cadence figure on the results screen and note it down.
4. Tap the Where your foot lands dial. If landing reach is high as well, cadence is worth raising.
5. Start a 4 or 8 week plan on the Exercises tab and do the quick-feet strides and A-skips.
6. Re-film in week 4 and check Before and after in Stats to see whether cadence moved and landing reach fell.

FAQ

What is a good running cadence?

There is no single right number. It rises with speed and falls with height and leg length. See what is a good running cadence.

Can an app measure cadence without a watch?

Yes. A video app counts steps in the clip, and you can count one foot for 30 seconds and multiply by four. Neither needs a watch.

Does raising cadence fix overstriding?

It often shortens the landing reach, because a quicker step gives the foot less time to travel forward. It is not guaranteed, and a video is the only way to check the reach changed.

Why did my running app stop showing cadence?

Apps drop features. In the reviews we pulled, Runkeeper users said the "cadence counter was removed" and Apple Watch users complained about missing cadence in Strava.

Competitor names belong to their owners.