I ditched Strava Premium for Garmin Connect Plus, but I’m switching back

I love my Garmin watch, but Strava's head start might be insurmountable.

Apr 19, 2025 - 16:19

I ditched Strava Premium for Garmin Connect Plus, but I’m switching back

I’ve been a Strava user for as long as I can remember — or at least since I started taking fitness seriously again at the tail end of college. Shortly after, I upgraded to Strava Premium, hoping it would give me a better training plan than I was getting from Nike Run Club. Since then, I’ve watched Strava evolve, picking up new mapping features and adding social elements like messaging, and I’m impressed by what it’s become.

However, I also find myself using fewer and fewer of the platform’s latest features, either because I’m not traveling to as many new places or because I don’t need Strava DMs to keep in touch with my friends. So, I let my membership lapse and decided to try Garmin’s new Connect Plus service. Here’s how it’s going so far.