Best running video analysis apps: coach tools vs AI verdicts
Running video analysis splits into two kinds of app: manual coach tools you draw on, and AI tools that hand you a verdict. Here is which one fits you.
Running video analysis apps come in two kinds, and picking the wrong one is why people give up. Manual coach tools such as Onform and Kinovea give slow motion and a pen but no answer. AI tools such as Caden and Ochy give an answer but no pen.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | How it works | Price note | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onform | A coach drawing on an athlete's clip | Record at up to 240 fps, draw, share | $4.99 to $59.99 a month in the listing | 4.8 from 8,616 on iOS, 3.0 from 308 on Android |
| myDartfish Express | Clinics and classes on Dartfish | Import, slow down, draw, tag | About $100 a year, per reviewers | 2.8 from 29 on iOS, 1.6 from 167 on Android |
| CoachView | Cheap slow motion playback | Load a clip, scrub, compare | Paid, reviewers ask for a trial | 4.6 from 611 on iOS, 4.3 from 1,440 on Android |
| VisualEyes | Coaching with voice notes | Record, mark up, send to an athlete | Subscription | 4.8 from 395 on iOS |
| Kinovea | Precise manual angles, free | Free Windows desktop software | Free, open source | No store listing, no ratings |
| Caden | A runner who wants the verdict and the fix | 5 to 20 second iPhone clip, private upload | Free download, Pro subscription | New, no ratings yet |
| Ochy | The most automatic metrics | 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 | The cheapest automatic report | Upload in a browser, wait minutes | Free tier, Pro billed yearly | No store listing, no ratings |
| RunForm AI | Ten numbers from a side or back clip | Upload a video | $0.99 to $14.99 in-app purchases | 3.4 from 5 on iOS |
Ratings and prices are from the Apple App Store, Google Play and vendor pages at the time of writing.
Manual coach tools
These record, slow down and let a human draw. Nothing is graded for you.
Onform
Onform absorbed Hudl Technique and has the most reviews here.
Pros:
- Frame-by-frame at high frame rate. A 5 star US review: "It allows me to analyze videos frame by frame."
- Named human support in the praise. A 5 star US review: "Spoke to Steve Hancock extremely patient Guy."
Cons:
- Built around a coach. A Google Play review: "Not for self analysis. Requires a coach"
- Export complaints. A 3 star US review: "I would like to be able to save the videos I analyze into my camera roll but this does not allow it.."
- Android rates 3.0 against 4.8 on iOS. A 1 star Google Play review: "Can only do 30 fps, not 240 is the main issue."
Who it is for: a coach with athletes. Solo runners, see the Onform alternative for runners.
myDartfish Express
Pros:
- Trusted in clinics. A 5 star US review calls it "an easy and efficient way to perform video gait analysis".
- Tagging and comparison tools for teaching.
Cons:
- The trial takes a card. A 1 star Google Play review: "This is NOT a trial version."
- Android export. A 1 star Google Play review: "All videos and photos are trapped in this app permanently for Android users."
Who it is for: an institution, not a runner.
CoachView
Pros:
- The largest rating base of the cheap players, 4.6 from 611 on iOS.
- Frame seeking with a dial, which is what a foot strike check needs.
Cons:
- Scrubbing complaints. A 1 star Google Play review: "FREEZES THE VIDEO WHILE SCRUBBING THROUGH FRAMES!"
- Export failures. A 1 star US review: "The app says you can export video, but when I try, it says iCloud has a problem."
Who it is for: watching a clip slowly.
VisualEyes
Pros:
- Well rated on iOS, 4.8 from 395.
- Built for sending marked-up feedback to an athlete.
Cons:
- Stability. A 1 star GB review: "I pay for this app but honestly it just freezes and crashes all the time".
- Missing the Coach's Eye feature people ask for. A 1 star US review wants to "screen record while drawing and doing a voice over at the same time."
Who it is for: a coach who already has a workflow and wants a newer tool.
Kinovea
Pros:
- Free and open source, with real angle and distance tools.
- No account, no upload, no subscription.
Cons:
- Windows desktop only. A third-party guide notes: "There is no mobile port of Kinovea, and none is planned."
- Its forum carries stability reports: "Crash of Kinovea every 2 or 3 actions".
Who it is for: a coach with a laptop and time. See the Kinovea alternative for iPhone.
Automatic AI tools
These read the video for you and return numbers or a score.
Caden
Film 5 to 20 seconds on an iPhone, side view. The audio is removed and the clip uploads to private storage under your account, where Caden's servers run the pose estimation. You get a form score out of 100, six dials, cadence and Breakpoints, which are freeze frames at foot strike, midstance and toe-off.
Pros:
- The annotated frame sits next to the verdict, which most AI tools skip.
- The clip is stored privately and deleted with the analysis.
- A 4 or 8 week plan built from your lowest scores, three sessions a week.
Cons:
- No drawing tools, no voice over and no messaging. If you need those, use Onform.
- iPhone only, iOS 17 or later. No public ratings yet.
- 2D only. It cannot measure force, pronation or 3D rotation.
Who it is for: a runner working alone.
Ochy
Pros:
- Widest metric set here, including pronation, pelvic tilt, overstride and flight time.
- Results in under 60 seconds when the upload works.
Cons:
- Accuracy disputes from people who watched the footage. A 2 star GB review: "the feedback is just wrong."
- Upload stalls. A 3 star AU review: "I've waited 10min and it is still on 0%."
Who it is for: a coach who will check the numbers against the video.
Movaia
Pros:
- Free tier of 2 limited analyses a month, per the vendor site.
- Pro at US$2.50 a month billed yearly at US$29.94 at the time of writing, per the vendor site.
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 will wait.
RunForm AI
Pros:
- Detailed output. A 5 star US review: "you don't need any expensive equipment, and the results are pretty detailed."
- Handles a back angle as well as the side.
Cons:
- Paywall first. A 1 star US review: "Unreasonable paywall. App takes login info and asks questions just to be met with paywall."
- Five ratings at 3.4. A review of the sister listing says the metrics "were obviously wrong and sometimes didn't even load."
Who it is for: the curious. It is a gamble at this review count.
Two complaints that decide this category
Frame rate. A tool that records at 30 frames per second cannot show a foot strike cleanly. A 3 star US review of Yogger: "there's no way to adjust the recording frame rate beyond 30 fps, even though yogger advertises the product's ability to record at 120 and 240 fps."
Saving and exporting. Your clip should be yours. A 2 star GB review of Yogger: "when I want to save the video I have to screen record it through the app". A 1 star GB review of Onform says it is "set up to be as difficult as possible to export videos out of the app."
The Coach's Eye problem
Coach's Eye was retired in September 2022 and its users are still angry in other apps' reviews. A 1 star US review of Onform: "Deleted after 5 minutes. Slow, choppy, glitchy. I miss Coaches Eye…" A 1 star GB review: "Hudl was simple and quick to use. On Form is the opposite."
They want a simple, fast, cheap check that will still exist next year. No app has replaced it. See the Coach's Eye alternative.
How we ranked
- Works from a normal phone video at a frame rate that shows foot strike.
- Shows the frame where the fault happens. Manual tools do this by design. Of the AI tools, Caden puts the frame next to the verdict.
- Gives drills, not just a score or a drawing.
- Honest about limits. A 2D clip cannot see force or 3D rotation.
- Price and billing clarity.
- Review sentiment, weighted by volume. Caden has none yet.
How to do it in Caden
- Tap Run a new analysis and set up a side-on shot.
- Film 10 to 20 seconds at easy pace with the phone at hip height. See how to film yourself running.
- Read the form score and the six dials. Tap the lowest dial for the cue.
- Open Breakpoints and step through Foot strike, midstance and toe-off.
- Start a 4 or 8 week plan on the Exercises tab.
- Re-film in week 4 and open Before and after in Stats.
FAQ
What frame rate do I need for running video analysis?
Use your phone's slow motion mode, usually 120 or 240 frames per second. At 30 frames per second the foot can land and leave between two frames.
Can a coach app tell me what is wrong with my form?
No. Onform, Dartfish, CoachView, VisualEyes and Kinovea show the video. The judgement is yours or your coach's.
Which app is closest to Coach's Eye?
None is a direct replacement. For drawing and voice over, Onform and VisualEyes. For free on a desktop, Kinovea.
Competitor names belong to their owners.