How does the app know your speed?
This question decides what equipment you need. With a connected treadmill or sensor, the app follows your real pace, provided your model is compatible. In manual mode, it works with a treadmill that isn’t connected, but you adjust speed and incline yourself during the session. There are three options, sometimes combined in one app:
- The treadmill sends its speed over Bluetooth, often using the FTMS protocol. On compatible models, some apps also set the incline for you.
- A sensor bridges the gap: a foot pod on your shoe, a smartwatch or the device’s camera detecting your movement.
- You set the treadmill yourself: the app shows speed and incline targets and you copy them onto the console.
Further reading: Bluetooth SIG — Fitness Machine Service ↗
Six treadmill apps compared
The table uses the information each publisher provides. Prices are the in-app purchase prices shown on the US App Store on September 24, 2026; for Runkyz, the price on this site. They can change and may differ on each publisher’s website.
| App | On screen | How speed is read | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runkyz | Three 3D routes; your GPX tracks with the license | Manual: you copy the targets onto the console | Free up to 10 km on Desert and Wild Ring; €9.99 one-time license | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Zwift | 3D worlds and online events | Foot pod, smartwatch or smart shoes, or a compatible treadmill | Subscription: $19.99 a month, or an annual plan | PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV |
| Kinomap | Filmed video: over 40,000 routes advertised | Connected treadmill, Bluetooth or ANT+ sensor, or the phone’s optical sensor | Subscription: $11.99 a month or $89.99 a year | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Apple TV |
| BitGym | Filmed destinations: over 340 advertised | Bluetooth, the device’s camera or a sensor | Subscription: $13.99 a month or $99.99 a year; limited free selection | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Apple TV, Google TV, Fire TV |
| iFIT | Over 10,000 coach-led video workouts filmed outdoors | Compatible Bluetooth machines, with speed and incline adjusted automatically | Subscription: $14.99 to $39.99 a month depending on the plan | iPhone, iPad, compatible machines |
| PowerTread | GPX tracks and interval workouts | FTMS treadmill or Bluetooth sensor | Free; Pro version $24.99 one-time | iPhone, iPad |
Sources: Zwift — Running on Zwift ↗ · App Store — Zwift ↗ · App Store — Kinomap ↗ · BitGym — Treadmill routes ↗ · App Store — BitGym ↗ · App Store — iFIT ↗ · App Store — PowerTread ↗
What sets each app apart
Here’s what each publisher emphasizes, and what to check before you pay.
- Zwift: 3D worlds shared with other runners, events and training plans. You need a sensor or a compatible treadmill; Zwift sells its own foot pod, the RunPod.
- Kinomap: videos filmed and shared by its community, with new routes every day. On compatible equipment, the app adjusts incline to the route; the list of models is on its website.
- BitGym: filmed tours you run at your own pace. Without a connected treadmill, the device’s camera can detect your movement.
- iFIT: a library of coach-led workouts designed for compatible machines, such as NordicTrack and ProForm treadmills, whose speed and incline it controls.
- PowerTread: an iPhone and iPad app focused on training, with GPX import, interval workouts and power tracking, for FTMS treadmills.
- Runkyz: a computer game with no sensor and no subscription, with a pacer and GPX import. It doesn’t read treadmill speed yet, shows its speed targets in km/h and offers no filmed video, coaching or online racing.
Subscription or one-time purchase: the cost over a year
Compare subscriptions over time. At the prices above, a year costs $89.99 with Kinomap and $99.99 with BitGym on their annual plans. Twelve monthly Zwift payments add up to $239.88; Zwift also offers an annual plan. iFIT ranges from $14.99 to $39.99 a month depending on the plan.
One-time purchases work differently: the Runkyz license costs €9.99 and PowerTread Pro $24.99, with no renewal. Their content is also narrower: Runkyz currently offers three routes, plus your GPX imports.
Before paying, use the trial or free version to check that the app works with your treadmill: Zwift offers a free trial, BitGym a free selection of routes, and Runkyz is free on Desert and Wild Ring up to 10 km.
Who is Runkyz for?
Runkyz suits you if your treadmill isn’t connected, if you’d rather buy once than subscribe, or if you want to run one of your own GPX tracks again in a 3D setting. The game takes into account the speed and incline limits you enter for your machine.
If you’re after filmed real-world places, coach-led sessions or races against other runners online, the apps above are a better fit today.
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