Strava is moving some free features behind a subscription
The fitness app says it's 'not yet a profitable company.'
Strava, the social fitness network that tracks cycling and running, is putting some of its previously free features behind a subscription paywall. In a press release, the company said that it’s not yet a profitable company, and that its “commitment to longevity” means that some of its more complex and costly-to-maintain tools will become subscription features.
From today, activity recording, device support and Strava’s social network element will be free to all users. Everything else, such as route planning, segment leaderboards, the training dashboard, advanced metrics and training logs will be available as part of a subscription — previous subscription options, such as packs and Summit, have been wiped. Get a free trial for 60 days, and then pay $5/£4 a month when you’re billed annually. As the company says, that’s about as much as a couple of energy bars.
The company has reassured users that it will “always offer a version of Strava for free,” and while it intends to keep the free version high quality and useful, more of its new feature development will be for subscribers from now on. Indeed, in 2020 alone it’s released an impressive number of updates, including Apple Watch syncing, snowsports metrics, new maps and major route upgrades, plus the company has paid attention to user feedback, getting rid of sponsored integrations and feed order changes. It seems determined to keep focused on its community, and for those that use it regularly five bucks a month isn’t too high a price to pay.
