It’s an interesting time. Many companies are struggling to survive, and individuals are doing what they can to make ends meet, including getting rid of what they consider non-essential expenses. For some, this might mean things like gym memberships, auto-ship items, and subscriptions, but Strava is trying to build off of the support of its subscribers to keep the company growing into the future.
Don’t worry, the free version of Strava is not going anywhere, but some of the features you’ve grown accustomed to are moving to the paid version as of today. Some might not be happy, but Strava says they are looking to support those that have supported them while continuing to support the athletic community. The goal is to find the sustainability to keep Strava online for years to come.
One of the things that differentiated Strava from others out there is Segments. Others have tried, but when you think of Strava, you think of segments. Unfortunately, to fully use them going forward, you need to be a subscriber. Free users will still be able to create segments, and you’ll still get notifications when you hit a PR or K/QOM, but if you are outside of the top 10, you’ll need a subscription to dive in further. Training dashboard and log, and route designer with heat map and segment features are also moving to the paid side. To use these features going forward, you’ll need to pay $5 a month for a subscription. Honestly, that’s not much, considering that is only a cup or two of coffee per month for most people.
In a letter to Strava users, Strava founders Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath explain the reasoning behind the changes. After touting the 51 updates and improvements they have made so far this year, and the fact that advertising has not been a part of the platform, the letter explains why some of the changes were necessary. Updates will not be strictly focused on the subscription platform though, as there have been many improvements that have been made on the free side as well, like Apple Watch integration.
“Dedicating Strava to the community is also a commitment to longevity. We are not yet a profitable company and need to become one in order to serve you better. And we have to go about it the right way – honest, transparent, and respectful to our athletes.”
While Strava has over 55 million athletes, the company has 180 employees supporting the business. Moving the features to the subscription side has a lot to do with the costs of supporting those features, and allowing the company to not need to rely on other forms of income, like selling user information and advertising.
One of the positives in all of this is that navigating the subscription side is a lot smoother. Instead of the tiered Summit scheme that was previously in place, allowing for different levels of features at different prices, the new subscription is just $5 a month, or $59.99 a year. Depending on your needs, Summit could cost anywhere from $3-9 a month, or $24-72 a year. Now, you get everything for $5, or you go with the free platform.
Here is the full letter, with a link to the changes at the bottom. If you rely on many of the features in Strava for your training, or just enjoy seeing how you stack up against others, $5 a month seems worth it. I personally have an account, and will probably swap over to the monthly plan since there is no befenit as of now to stay annual, but I’m looking forward to seeing how they continue to improve the platform and create new and improved features for the users.
If you are unsure about subscribing, Strava is offering a free 60-day trial to allow you to test it out for yourself.
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Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
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