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For most Apple Watch users, the built-in Workout app is the best place to start: you can choose and reorder workout views, tailor supported metrics, and build structured sessions without installing another app. Choose a third-party workout app when its current documentation confirms a specific feature or workflow you need that Apple’s app does not provide.
What the built-in Workout app lets you customize
Apple’s workout views vary by activity. You can include and reorder views, and edit the metrics in the first two Metrics sets. Ultra models can add a fifth metric to those sets. Apple notes that “Cardio-focused workouts have more workout views by default, but you can edit some of them to suit your workout style.” (Apple Support: Customize workout views on Apple Watch.)
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For a run, the available information can include heart rate, average pace, running power, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and stride length. Apple also documents views focused on heart-rate zones, elevation, power, and Activity rings. The exact choices depend on the workout type, so a metric or view available for running should not be assumed to appear in every activity. (Apple Support: Run with Apple Watch.)
When Apple’s running tools are enough
The built-in app offers more than a customizable metrics screen. Apple documents Pacer for setting a pace, Race Route for competing against a previous route, Track Detection, running metrics, and training-load review. If those tools match the way you run, a third-party app is not automatically an upgrade.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
You can also create a Custom Workout with a warmup, repeating work and recovery intervals, a cooldown, goals, and alerts. Apple says Custom Workouts are available for all workout types except Multisport and Open Water Swim. Check that exception if you rely on one of those activities. (Apple Support: Create a Custom Workout on Apple Watch.)
How to decide whether you need a third-party app
| Your need | Best place to start | What to verify before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Choose which metrics appear or change their order | Apple Workout: it supports selecting and reordering views, with editable metrics in the first two Metrics sets. | Confirm that the other app offers a particular view or metric you cannot get from Apple for your workout type. |
| Build a workout with intervals, warmup, cooldown, goals, or alerts | Apple Workout: these are documented Custom Workout capabilities for eligible workout types. | Look for a concrete planning feature that improves your session workflow, not merely the label “custom workout.” |
| Follow a running pace or race a route | Apple Workout: Apple documents Pacer and Race Route, as well as Track Detection. | Identify the specific missing running function an alternative supplies. |
| Analyze training after a workout or use data in another service | It depends on the app and your data workflow. | Check the app’s current documentation for the analysis, data access, and export or integration behavior you need. |
Do not assume every third-party app provides the same metrics, planning tools, analysis, or data handling. Athlytic, for example, is listed by Apple’s App Store as a fitness and recovery app, but that listing alone does not establish that it is better than Workout or that it offers a particular advantage for your watch workouts. (Apple App Store: Athlytic: Fitness & Recovery App.) Evaluate an app against its own current feature and compatibility information.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Check your watchOS version before following directions
Apple announced in June 2025 that watchOS 26 redesigned the Workout app and made Workout Views, Custom Workout, Pacer, Race Route, and other features easier to access. That means menu locations and the way you reach a feature may differ by software version. Check your installed watchOS before relying on instructions written for a particular layout. The announcement describes the redesign; it does not establish that every feature is available for every workout type or on every setup. (Apple Newsroom: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected.)
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A practical choice
- Stay with Apple Workout if its available views, metrics, and structured-session controls cover what you want to do.
- Consider a third-party app if you can name a specific feature or workflow you need and confirm it in that app’s current documentation.
- Compare the details before moving your routine: workout compatibility, watchOS requirements, post-workout analysis, and how the app handles or shares workout data are app-specific.
There is no established universal winner for accuracy, battery use, analytics quality, or data handling in this comparison. Those claims require evidence about the particular apps and conditions involved.
Quick Recap
Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Rank #3
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
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