The best free walking apps for 2026.

Quick answer: the best free walking apps

Free walking apps compared

All 12 apps at a glance. “What’s free” is what you get without paying. A paid tier is always optional for the features described here.

Best free walking app overall

For most people, the best free walking app is one that counts steps reliably, works on the phone they already have and gives them a reason to come back. Pacer does all three on both iPhone and Android, with no watch required.

Best free walking apps for iPhone

If you have an iPhone, you already have a free walking tracker. Apple Health counts your steps and walking distance in the background, and you can check them any time. If you want something simpler to look at, StepsApp is a clean step counter. For other kinds of walking on iPhone, see routes, challenges and walking games below.

Best free walking apps for Android

On Android, the best free choice depends on your phone. Samsung Galaxy owners already have Samsung Health. On other Android phones, Pacer is the easiest free step tracker to set up. Map My Walk, Strava, Pikmin Bloom, WeWard and Pokémon GO are all on Android too.

Best free walking app for weight loss

No app makes you lose weight on its own. What a walking app can do is help you walk more, more often, and walking regularly is good for your health. A few things help:

• Track steps and weight in one place. Apple Health and Samsung Health both let you log your weight next to your steps, for free.
• Follow a plan. Pacer has guided walking plans if you like being told what to do each day.
• Pick something you’ll keep doing. The app you still open in week six matters more than any feature list. For many people that’s a game rather than a counter.

Build up slowly rather than jumping to a big daily target. Our guide to whether 10,000 steps a day is right for you explains where that number comes from, and how to walk more without forcing it has simple ways to add steps to your day. If you have a health condition, check with a doctor before changing how much you exercise.

Best free apps to track walking distance and routes

Step counters tell you how much you walked. If you want to know where you walked and how far, you need GPS tracking. Both of these apps record the route on a map and show distance, pace and time, for free.

Best walking challenge apps to use with friends

Walking with other people, even at a distance, makes it easier to keep going. Pacer has free groups and challenges, Strava has clubs and monthly challenges, and Lore has weekly leagues ranked by steps where you can see how friends are doing on the case. For something gentler, Pikmin Bloom lets you walk “with” friends by sharing postcards and flowers.

Walking apps that reward you or pay you

Some apps give you points, coins or small payouts for walking. They do work, but be realistic about how little they pay. Most of the value comes from offers, ads and partner deals, and good rewards take a lot of steps. Use them as a small bonus on walks you’d take anyway, not as a reason to walk.

Best walking games

If you’ve tried step counters and stopped opening them, a walking game may suit you better. Instead of a number to hit, there’s a story to finish or something to find, and the walking happens along the way. For more of these, see our roundup of gamified fitness apps.

Lore is the game we make, so we’re biased. Here is how it works: every Monday a new case opens and runs for 7 nights, your steps each night unlock new clues, and on night 7 you name the killer. You can see this week’s case, read how Lore works, night by night, or check our tips for walking safely at night.

How we chose

We looked at each app against five simple questions:

• Is it actually free? The main walking features have to work without paying, not as a short trial.
• Does it work with just a phone? No smartwatch or fitness band required.
• Is it easy to start? You should be tracking a walk within a few minutes.
• Will you keep using it? Challenges, friends, stories and games all help here.
• Is it honest about money? Clear about what’s paid, and realistic about rewards.

We grouped the apps by what people want from them rather than ranking them on one scale, because the best walking app for counting steps isn’t the best one for mapping a route. Prices and paid features change often, so check the App Store or Google Play for the current details. Lore is our own app. We’ve included it in the walking games section, where it fits, and kept the rest of the list independent.

Frequently asked questions