A recap on the saga so far as price changes for some users begin this month
(Image credit: Strava)
It's been something of a tumultuous few months for Strava after an unannounced, and by now widely-reported, price hike late last year was met with anger and frustration from users worldwide.
Economic headwinds are making themselves felt across a range of sectors currently and the cycling industry is no different, with a number of company layoffs taking place over the last few months. There have also been reports of staff redundancies of up to 15% at Strava itself.
There have been several updates and press releases on this topic, but since the start of this month marks the time when certain subscription prices will increase for users, we have pulled together an overview and timeline of the story from start up until this point.
Millions of users interact on the Strava platform each month (Image credit: Strava)
What happened and when?
It's worth mentioning before we go down the rabbit hole that free Strava subscriptions exist, where for no charge, you can access a portion of the features that paying premium-membership subscribers get. The issues however concern Strava's paying customers.
At the back end of last year, it became apparent that Strava planned to increase membership charges across the globe for the first time in around a decade. As reported by BikeRadar, monthly membership fees would increase by 28% from £6.99 to £8.99 in the UK, totalling £107.88 for the year when paying monthly. For customers paying for a yearly membership plan, the cost would rise by a smaller amount, 14%, from £47.99 to £54.99. This also highlighted the fact that it's significantly cheaper to purchase a yearly membership and it would seem Strava would much prefer users to do this.
It quickly became clear, though, that the new pricing structure varied dramatically in different regions of the world and for different customers. Frustration followed when it became apparent it was difficult for users to find out exactly how much they would be paying, and when.
Users reacted with anger at the proposed price change with many levelling claims that Strava had quietly and deliberately rolled out the changes with minimal communication to end users.
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When the company did finally provide something of an apology, it was on the Strava Cycling club in-app group, an overview of which can be read in full in a detailed piece from DC Rainmaker.
Illegality claims
Strava has since released a statement on its website where it claims it is moving toward pricing consistently by country, and more importantly, apologized for not providing enough information to users. It also highlights the fact it's the brand's first price hike in 10 years.
However, DC Rainmaker subsequently brought to light the claim that what Strava had done was actually in violation of EU Law, with the issue being that Strava's Premium pricing varied across different countries within the European Union. This so-called price discrimination - put simply, charging differing amounts for the same product across various countries - is not allowed under EU legislation.
Cycling Weekly then went on to share a follow-up statement from Strava, which insisted their pricing structure is compliant with "all relevant laws and regulations," adding that "prior to rolling out any new pricing structure, our legal team ensures that we comply with all relevant laws and regulations related to pricing."
Strava allows users, many of whom are pro riders, to track and monitor training progress in a clear-cut, user-friendly package (Image credit: Strava)
The latest, and how much will Strava cost now?
This is a developing story, so there will no doubt be more to come, but for now, if you're wondering what Strava Premium is set to cost you, you can head to the Strava subscription page. This page outlines how to check your own renewal details and pricing for Android, iOS and web users.
For UK-based users, as mentioned a Strava premium will cost £8.99 a month or £54.99 per year. For the USA, the monthly charge will be $11.99 or $79.99 per year. For a host of other countries' pricing, DC Rainmaker has put together a detailed table of pricing. While many of us are trying to save money and in light of the price increases, a switch to a yearly subscription plan stands to save you a sizeable chunk of cash in all territories.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
