Picking the right iPhone or Android app to run with can be a little daunting these days – a search in the iPhone’s App Store for something as simple as “running apps” produces dozens upon dozens of results, way more than anyone can evaluate on their own.

So, I didn’t exactly try them all out – I’d be doing nothing but running for days or weeks if I tried to do that – but I did test out five of the most popular apps that I and my friends have found to be among the best.

Here’s what I liked, what I didn’t, and which one(s) are probably right for you:

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,Garmin Connect,MapMyRun,Nike+ Running,RunKeeper,Strava

Basic App,Free,Free,Free,Free,Free

Premium App,N/A,$5.99/month or $29.99/year,N/A,$9.99/month or $39.99/year,$5.99/month or $59.99/year

Basic Features,Dashboard for activities; LiveTrack for Facebook or Twitter; can manually add activities,GPS tracking; lifetime stats; goal tracking; mapped routes,GPS tracking; PowerSongs; real-time cheers via Facebook; challenges; training programs,GPS tracking; 5K-marathon training plans; challenges; adjustable audio cues,GPS tracking; challenges; compare similar workouts; gear tracker

Premium Features,N/A,Live Tracking; interval training; audio coaching; ad-free; heart rate analysis,N/A,Customizable plans; compare similar workouts; premium 5K-marathon training plans,Live; segments; quantifiable heart rate data; pacing analysis; race analysis

Best For,Garmin GPS watch users who don’t want to carry their phone (unless LiveTracking),Newbies & experts alike – those who want to track everything,Basic tracking and stat-keeping,Simplicity seekers,Numbers junkies; runners & cyclists

Cons,Must own a Garmin GPS watch,Is there such a thing as too many features?,For runners and running only,Must use third-party apps to sync GPS watch data,App doesn’t include many of the desktop features

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