Complete Comparison: 5 Best Ways to Connect Strava to Google Sheets
Each method has different strengths depending on your technical skills, budget, and automation needs. Here's a comprehensive comparison to help you choose:
| Method | Cost | Setup Time | Technical Skills | Automatic Sync | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StrideSync | Free plan + paid options | 2-3 minutes | None required | Beginners, athletes, coaches | |
| Zapier | $19.99/month | 10-15 minutes | Basic automation knowledge | Power users with many integrations | |
| API Connector | $99 one-time | 20-30 minutes | Basic API knowledge | Manual refresh | Data analysts, researchers |
| Apps Script | Free | 2-4 hours | JavaScript coding | Can be automated | Developers, custom solutions |
| Manual Export | Free | 15-30 minutes | Basic spreadsheet skills | ❌ Manual only | One-time analysis, tight budgets |
Method 1: StrideSync - The Easiest Way (Recommended)
Why StrideSync is the Best Option for Most People
StrideSync was built specifically for connecting Strava to Google Sheets. It offers the fastest setup, most reliable sync, and best customer support for fitness data integration.
✅ StrideSync Pros:
- • 2-minute setup: Fastest connection method available
- • Free plan: Full historical data access without any payment
- • Auto sync available: Real-time updates with paid plans
- • Clean data format: Perfectly organized spreadsheet columns
- • No technical skills: Simple click-through setup process
- • Reliable uptime: 99.9% service availability
- • Customer support: Dedicated fitness data experts
❌ StrideSync Cons:
- • Auto sync requires paid plan (manual refresh free)
- • Less customizable than coding solutions
- • Focused specifically on Strava (not a general-purpose tool)
Step-by-Step Setup Process:
- 1. Visit StrideSync.co and create your free account
- 2. Click "Connect Strava" and authorize the integration
- 3. Click "Connect Google Sheets" and choose your spreadsheet location
- 4. Your data starts syncing automatically - that's it!
What Data Does StrideSync Sync?
Activity Details:
- • Date, time, and duration
- • Distance and pace/speed
- • Activity type (running, cycling, etc.)
Performance Metrics:
- • Heart rate and power data
- • Elevation gain and loss
- • Calories burned
Method 2: Zapier - Popular Automation Platform
Zapier is a general automation platform that can connect Strava to Google Sheets along with thousands of other apps. It's powerful but requires a paid subscription for meaningful Strava data sync.
✅ Zapier Pros:
- • Extensive integrations: Connect to 8,000+ apps beyond just Strava and Sheets
- • Conditional logic: Advanced filtering and data manipulation
- • Multi-step workflows: Chain multiple actions together
- • Established platform: Reliable service with good documentation
- • Templates available: Pre-built Strava to Sheets workflows
❌ Zapier Cons:
- • Expensive: $19.99/month minimum for Strava integration
- • Complex setup: Requires understanding of automation logic
- • Limited free plan: Only 5 workflows, insufficient for meaningful use
- • General purpose: Not optimized specifically for fitness data
- • Data limits: Monthly task limits can be restrictive
Zapier Setup Overview:
- 1. Sign up for Zapier paid plan ($19.99/month minimum)
- 2. Create new "Zap" with Strava as trigger app
- 3. Set trigger event to "New Activity"
- 4. Connect your Strava account and test trigger
- 5. Add Google Sheets as action app
- 6. Configure "Create Spreadsheet Row" action
- 7. Map Strava data fields to spreadsheet columns
- 8. Test and activate your Zap
Cost Warning: Zapier's free plan only includes 100 tasks per month and 5 Zaps. For meaningful Strava data sync, you'll need their $19.99/month "Starter" plan or higher.
Method 3: API Connector - Google Sheets Add-on
API Connector is a Google Sheets add-on that lets you pull data directly from the Strava API into your spreadsheet. It requires a one-time purchase and some API knowledge.
✅ API Connector Pros:
- • One-time cost: $99 purchase, no monthly fees
- • Direct API access: Pull any available Strava data
- • Google Sheets native: Built-in add-on, no external dependencies
- • Flexible queries: Custom API endpoints and parameters
- • Multiple APIs: Can connect to other services beyond Strava
❌ API Connector Cons:
- • High upfront cost: $99 for the add-on license
- • Manual refresh: Data doesn't update automatically
- • Technical knowledge required: Need to understand API concepts
- • Strava API limits: Subject to rate limiting and quotas
- • Complex authentication: OAuth setup can be challenging
API Connector Setup Process:
- 1. Install API Connector add-on from Google Workspace Marketplace ($99)
- 2. Create Strava API application at developers.strava.com
- 3. Configure OAuth credentials in API Connector
- 4. Set up API request to Strava activities endpoint
- 5. Configure data parsing and column mapping
- 6. Schedule automatic refresh (if desired)
Best For: Data analysts, researchers, or businesses that need custom API integrations and have the budget for the upfront cost. Not recommended for casual fitness tracking.
Method 4: Google Apps Script - Free Custom Solution
Google Apps Script allows you to write custom JavaScript code to connect Strava's API to Google Sheets. This is completely free but requires programming knowledge.
✅ Apps Script Pros:
- • Completely free: No ongoing costs or subscription fees
- • Fully customizable: Control every aspect of data processing
- • Can be automated: Set up triggers for automatic execution
- • Google ecosystem: Native integration with Google services
- • No external dependencies: Runs entirely on Google's infrastructure
❌ Apps Script Cons:
- • Requires coding skills: Must write and maintain JavaScript code
- • Time-intensive setup: 2-4 hours for initial development
- • Ongoing maintenance: Need to fix breaks and API changes
- • API complexity: Must handle OAuth, rate limiting, error handling
- • No customer support: You're on your own for troubleshooting
Apps Script Implementation Overview:
- 1. Create new Google Apps Script project
- 2. Set up Strava API credentials and OAuth flow
- 3. Write function to fetch activities from Strava API
- 4. Parse JSON response and extract relevant data
- 5. Write data to Google Sheets with proper formatting
- 6. Add error handling and rate limiting
- 7. Set up time-driven triggers for automation
- 8. Test and debug the complete workflow
Recommended For: Developers, software engineers, or technical users who enjoy coding and want maximum control over their data integration. Not suitable for non-technical users.
Method 5: Manual Export - Completely Free Option
Strava allows you to export all your data manually. This is completely free but requires manual work every time you want updated information.
✅ Manual Export Pros:
- • Completely free: No costs or subscriptions required
- • Official Strava method: Reliable and always available
- • Complete data access: Includes all historical activities
- • No external services: Direct from Strava to your computer
- • Data ownership: Full control over your exported files
❌ Manual Export Cons:
- • No automation: Must manually repeat for new activities
- • Time-consuming: 24-48 hours to receive export from Strava
- • Data formatting required: CSV needs cleaning and organizing
- • One-time snapshot: Doesn't include future activities
- • Manual import to Sheets: Additional work to get data into spreadsheet
Manual Export Step-by-Step:
- 1. Log into Strava.com on your web browser
- 2. Go to Settings → Privacy Controls
- 3. Click "Download or Delete Your Account"
- 4. Select "Request Your Archive" and confirm
- 5. Wait 24-48 hours for email with download link
- 6. Download and extract the ZIP file
- 7. Open "activities.csv" file
- 8. Import CSV into Google Sheets and clean data
Best For: One-time analysis projects, users with very tight budgets, or situations where data must remain completely offline. Not practical for ongoing fitness tracking.
Which Method Should You Choose?
The best method depends on your technical skills, budget, and specific needs. Here are our recommendations for different user types:
For Beginners & Most Athletes
Recommended: StrideSync
- • Fastest setup (2 minutes)
- • No technical knowledge required
- • Free plan available
- • Automatic real-time sync
- • Excellent customer support
For Power Users with Many Integrations
Recommended: Zapier
- • Connect to 8,000+ other apps
- • Advanced conditional logic
- • Multi-step workflows
- • Worth the cost if using other integrations
For Data Analysts & Researchers
Recommended: API Connector
- • Direct API access
- • Custom data queries
- • One-time purchase
- • Professional data analysis needs
For Developers & Technical Users
Recommended: Google Apps Script
- • Completely free solution
- • Full customization control
- • Learning opportunity
- • Can be automated
Ready to Connect Strava to Google Sheets?
For most people, StrideSync offers the perfect balance of ease, features, and cost. Get started with our free plan in under 3 minutes.
Start Your Free Strava Sync