Sports App Popularity - Alternatives: Endomondo? Garmin? Strava? Nike? Runtastic? Runkeeper? Komoot

[caption id="attachment_51627" align="aligncenter" width="1308"] Image|underarmour[/caption] The Top Sports Apps (Android as of 1 Nov 2020) Next year, I'm going to come back in more detail to this data and the iOS data that goes with it. Briefly, for now, I was prompted by Friday's demise of Endomondo to check which apps were growing in spite of CV-19. There are some significant growth numbers here, perversely also including Endomondo. Android App Name 01-Nov 20 Link Jan 20 adidas Running by Runtastic 1,044,630 Link 948,762 Nike Run Club 999,571 Link 911,752 Samsung Health 1,098,585 Link 870,580 UA Endomondo 765,271 Link 692,536 Fitbit (to Google?) 716,050 Link 582,656 Asics Runkeeper GPS Track Run Walk 563,003 Link 539,371 Strava Running & Cycling GPS 612,473 Link 518,920 Garmin connect 575,374 Link 450,817 Google Fit 398,963 Link 337,373 Under Armour Map my Run 278,965 Link 225,181 Sports Tracker (Suunto) 220,856 Link 214,605 UA Map my Walk 237,308 Link 186,989 Huawei Health 365,985 Link 149,828 Zepp (Amazfit) 190,458 Link 149,000 UA Map my Ride 157,173 Link 127,191 Komoot 166,617 Link 107,492 Polar Flow 121,208 Link 99,661 This data is the number of reviews made on Google PlayStore. Let's leave the merits and demerits of that measure to one side. Whatever you think of it, it IS indicative of changes to the user base in some way shape or form. Several of the apps, above, have added over 100,000 reviews in a little over 6 months. That must mean a larger multiple than that of new users has been created. The figures seem truly-impressive, perhaps aided by some of us turning to sports to stay healthy over lockdown. But there are other factors at play too, perhaps including a disproportionate rise in usage in the East - there's almost certainly a couple of China-focused apps I've entirely missed off the list. We can also see the continued rise of apps from the perspective of those that are linked to sports & smartphone hardware (Garmin, Fitbit, Amazfit, Huawei, Polar), apps that are linked to apparel (Nike/Apple, adidas Runtastic, UA Endomondo, Asics Runkeeper) and the independents (Strava, Komoot). And we can also see that Polar is growing albeit modestly yet as if we need further confirmation, these stats also show the inexorable rise of Garmin in the sports realm. An outsider looking at these market stats would be seriously impressed. Yet we know that quite a few of these companies have serious financial concerns. I'll just mention those that have been widely publically aired - Endomondo (closed!), Strava (needs new investors), Fitbit (about to be acquired by Google), Nike (have had a mixed bag of results that I've not covered) What is going on? Is it as simple as 1) the consolidation of 'Western/traditional' hardware suppliers 2) Rise of the East 3) Our aversion to pay for apps and content (I draw your attention once again to the supporter link for this site ;-) ) Or is it all the fault of CV-19? I suspect in 2 years time we will have a better understanding and that this list will look very different. We are in changing times. Alternatives to Endomondo So where should you put your data? What's the point in leaving one almost-sunk ship to jump onboard another which may or may not be sinking too? Where would I recommend Endonondo users to go to? Eesh. Tricky. If you have a Garmin device then Connect is still going to be there in a few years time. Maybe you choose a much smaller app that is nowhere near making the top20 on this list. Fine, there are some good ones out there but there are few guarantees of financial stability of the owners. Maybe you choose a sports data platform like Runalyze (free), or Training Peaks, Final Surge (sort of free) or Today's Plan. Your thoughts welcomed. There are lots of different angles to discuss.