Just Run: Zero to 5K vs Just5K: Two Apps, Similar Names, Different Plans

Key Takeaways

• Two apps, two makers. Just Run: Zero to 5K (+10K) comes from Jupli, a small app studio in London, and has been on the App Store since 2022. Just5K is ours. They aren't related.
• Just Run is a simple, free timer. A nine-week Zero to 5K plan with three 30-minute workouts a week, a six-week 5K to 10K plan, voice prompts, no ads and no account. Premium, $3.99 once, adds voices, themes and an Apple Watch preview.
• Just5K is a walk-run program with a run player. Eight weeks from one-minute jogs to 35 minutes, a four-week Gentle Start before it if you need one, GPS distance and a route map, and runs saved to Apple Health and Strava.
• Pick Just Run if you want the classic plan and a timer, nothing else, or you're on Android. Pick Just5K if you want a gentler start, to see your distance, or your runs in Apple Health.

Checked on the US App Store and jupli.com, October 2026.

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Why People Mix Them Up

Search for "just run" or "just 5k" and both apps come up. Both are for people starting from zero, both use walk-run intervals and a voice that tells you when to switch, and both have a 10K plan for after your first 5K. We know the names get confused because people looking for Just Run land on our site.

So here are both, side by side, with what each one does and doesn't do. One of them is ours, and we've tried to be fair to the other.

Just Run: Zero to 5K in Brief

Just Run is made by Jupli (Syncostyle Ltd), a small studio in London whose other apps range from countdowns to meditation. Its developer built it to get off the couch and running themselves, and it shows: the app does one job and stays out of the way.

• Zero to 5K: nine weeks, three 30-minute workouts a week.
• 5K to 10K: six weeks, for when you've finished the first plan or can already run 5K.
• Voice prompts tell you when to run and walk, with several trainer voices to choose from. Music and podcasts get quieter for each prompt, and it keeps going with the screen off.
• Target dates for each workout, worked out from your progress and your exercise days.
• No ads and no account. The App Store listing says the developer collects no data.
• Premium, $3.99 once ($5.49 with a tip): more trainer voices, themes, and an Apple Watch preview that shows the workout and lets you control it while the watch is near your iPhone.
• A timer, not a tracker. The listing doesn't mention GPS, distance or Apple Health. The workouts go by time.
• iPhone with iOS 18 or later, and Android. In the US App Store it's rated nearly 5 out of 5 from about 1,300 ratings.

Just5K in Brief

Full disclosure: this is our app.

• Gentle Start, if you need it: four weeks, two of brisk walks, then 30- and 45-second jogs between walks.
• First 5K: eight weeks, from one-minute jogs between walks to 35 minutes of running.
• 5K → 10K: eight weeks to your first 10 km, with walk breaks allowed.
• The plan waits for you. You move forward by finishing sessions, not by the calendar. Miss a week and it picks up where you left off, and you can pause it for an illness or a trip. More in how the program works.
• A run player: a big timer with the current interval, voice cues in your headphones, and it keeps going with the screen locked. The interval also shows on the lock screen. GPS gives you distance and a route map at the end.
• Apple Health and Strava, if you want them. Runs are saved to both, and runs you record in another app count toward the plan through Health.
• No account. Nothing about you or your runs goes to our server.
• iPhone only, iOS 26 or later. No watch app of its own; you can send a session to the Apple Watch's Workout app.

Just5K is in a free public beta on TestFlight now. After the App Store release, the whole road to your first 5K stays free: Gentle Start and all eight weeks of the 5K program. 5K → 10K after its first week needs Just5K Plus, a one-time $9.99, not a subscription.

Side by Side

Which One Should You Pick?

You want the classic nine-week plan and a timer, nothing more. Just Run. It's free, has no ads, and has been doing this since 2022.

You're on Android. Just Run. Just5K is iPhone only.

One-minute runs in week 1 sound like too much. Just5K's Gentle Start, two weeks of brisk walking before any jogging. More in Couch to 5K too hard?

You want to see how far you ran, or keep your runs in Apple Health or Strava. Just5K. Just Run's listing doesn't mention GPS or Health.

You want to leave the phone at home. Just Run's watch preview needs the iPhone nearby. Just5K can send a session to the Apple Watch's Workout app, which then runs it on the watch alone. Couch to 5K on Apple Watch compares the options.

Whichever you choose, the plan behind both is the same idea: short jogs, walk breaks, three times a week, a little more each week. The Couch to 5K plan lays it out week by week. For more apps, free and paid, see free couch to 5K apps and the best couch to 5K apps for 2026.

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FAQ

Is Just Run the same app as Just5K?

No. They're made by different people and have different plans; only the names are close. Just Run: Zero to 5K is from Jupli in London. Just5K is ours.

Is Just Run: Zero to 5K free?

Yes. Both plans are free, with no ads. Premium is an optional $3.99 one-time purchase for more trainer voices, themes and the Apple Watch preview.

Does Just Run work on Apple Watch?

With Premium, a preview lets you see and control the workout on the watch while it's near your iPhone. It doesn't run on the watch without the phone.

How long does Just Run's Zero to 5K take?

Nine weeks, with three 30-minute workouts a week. The 5K to 10K plan adds six more. There's more in how long Couch to 5K takes.

Is Just5K free?

It's free in the current beta on TestFlight. After the App Store release, Gentle Start and the whole 5K program stay free; 5K → 10K after its first week needs Just5K Plus, a one-time $9.99.

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Similar names, different first weeks. Just5K starts with one-minute jogs or two weeks of brisk walks, shows you how far you went, and waits when life gets busy.