Most people looking for a walking app to use with friends already have something that counts their steps. That isn't the missing piece. What's missing is somewhere for everyone's miles to land together, so a walk on Tuesday actually counts toward something the group can see.
That's the whole job Miles With Friends does. Here's what it is, what it costs, and where it fits.
What Miles With Friends is
Miles With Friends is a free web app for running distance challenges with a group. One person creates a challenge with a start date, an end date and a miles goal, then shares a join link. Everyone who joins logs their own miles, and the whole group watches one shared leaderboard fill up.
It runs in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There's nothing to install and no app store involved, so nobody's left out for having the wrong kind of phone.
Is it free?
Yes. Creating a challenge is free, joining one is free, and logging your miles is free. Organizers don't pay and participants don't pay, there's no trial clock running, and nothing about the group features is held back behind an upgrade prompt.
How it works, start to finish
Setup takes about two minutes. The step that decides whether the challenge works is the second one, and it's the one people skip.
What counts toward your miles
Walking, running, cycling and swimming all log as miles against the same goal. A long list of other activities convert into mile equivalents based on the time you spend on them, so a group with different habits can still chase one number together. If someone lifts, rows or takes a class while everyone else walks, they're not left out of the standings.
There are three ways to get your miles in. Enter a distance by hand, enter your daily step count and let the app convert it (it uses the common estimate of 2,000 steps to a mile), or connect a Fitbit and let the day's activity sync in on its own.
Using it as a walking competition app with friends
This is the most common setup. Pick a distance that's a stretch but not a fantasy, set two to four weeks, and let the leaderboard do the work. The competition here is mostly social. People check where they sit, notice someone passed them, and go out again. You don't need a prize, though "last one to fifty buys the coffee" is remarkably effective.
Using it as a running app with friends
Runners and walkers can share a challenge without it being lopsided, because you decide what the goal is. Set a total the group chases together and everybody's miles count the same, or set a per-person target so the faster runners aren't simply winning by default. Mixed-pace groups usually do better with a shared total.
Using it as a workout tracker with friends
If your group tracks effort rather than distance, use the activity conversions. Time spent on non-distance activities becomes mile equivalents, so the leaderboard reflects everyone's work instead of only the people who run. It's a group tracker first and a distance tracker second.
For a club, a team, or a workplace
Larger groups work well, and the setup doesn't change. One organizer creates the challenge each month, shares one join link with everybody, and each person logs their own miles against a shared leaderboard.
One piece of advice for wide-ranging groups: set the goal lower than feels right. A challenge where most people finish produces far more repeat participation than one where a handful of athletes lap everybody. If half your group quietly decides in week one that they can't hit the number, they stop logging, and the challenge is over even though the leaderboard still moves.
What it doesn't do
Worth being straight about the fit, because it won't be right for everyone.
- It doesn't map your route or track your pace. There's no GPS trace, no splits, no segments. If you want to analyze your running, use a dedicated running app. Plenty of people run one alongside this.
- It isn't a social network. No feed, no follower count, no photos of your shoes. It's a leaderboard for a group that already knows each other.
- It won't count your steps for you. You can log a step count and the app will convert it, but something else has to do the counting, whether that's your phone, a watch or a Fitbit.
What's left is deliberately small: a shared goal, a shared leaderboard, and a link you can send to people.
How it compares to what most groups try first
A group chat and everyone's honor system
This is what most groups actually do, and it works for about nine days. Somebody has to keep asking, the totals live in one person's head, and there's no scoreboard to look at when motivation dips. A leaderboard takes the nagging out of it.
A shared spreadsheet
Better than a chat, and free, but somebody owns it forever. Editing one on a phone is miserable, and a single broken formula takes the whole thing down. There's no join link either, so adding a new person is a small chore every time.
A full-featured fitness platform
If your group is already on one and everybody's happy, stay there. The gap this fills is the group with people on different apps, different devices and different activities, who just want one number they all count toward.
The part that actually decides whether it works
The tool isn't the hard bit. Getting the first few people in is.
On our platform, roughly 7 in 10 people who join someone else's challenge go on to log miles. That's a good number, and what it tells you is that joining is the barrier, not logging. People who arrive on their own and never end up in anyone's challenge almost never get going, and it isn't because the app is hard. There's just nobody on the other side of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app to do a walking challenge with friends?
Yes. Miles With Friends is free for organizers and participants alike. You create a challenge, share the join link, and everyone logs miles against a shared leaderboard. Joining costs nothing.
What is the best app to compete with friends on workouts?
It depends what you want to compare. If you're after route maps, pace and splits, use a dedicated training app. If you want everyone's effort landing on one leaderboard no matter what activity they did or what device they own, that's what this is built for.
Do we all need the same phone or fitness tracker?
No. It runs in a browser, so any phone, tablet or computer works. You can type in a distance or a step count by hand, so a tracker is optional. If you have a Fitbit, you can connect it and let your activity sync in.
Can I log steps instead of miles?
Yes. Choose the step-count option when you log, enter your steps for the day, and the app converts them to an approximate distance at 2,000 steps to a mile. One thing to watch: if a wearable is already logging your walks, don't add those steps again on top, or you'll double count.
Can you use it as a fitness challenge app for a club or workplace?
Yes, and it's one of the more common uses. One organizer sets up the challenge each month and shares a single join link with the whole group. For groups with a wide range of fitness levels, set the goal lower than you think.
Does running or cycling count, or is it walking only?
Walking, running, cycling and swimming all count as miles, and many other activities convert into mile equivalents based on the time you spend. A mixed group can chase the same goal.
How many people do you need for a challenge?
Four or five who'll genuinely take part beat a list of forty maybes. Small groups hold together better once it's running, and you can always grow it next time.
Do I have to download anything?
No. It runs in your browser. You can add it to your home screen if you want it to feel like an app, but there's nothing to install and no app store account needed.