Foam rolling vs massage — which recovery method works better?

Both land in the same tier of evidence: real but modest effects, and a 2025 umbrella review comparing physical therapies for muscle soreness explicitly situates massage among several modestly effective options — not a uniquely superior one — which puts it roughly alongside foam rolling rather than clearly above it. Foam rolling's own evidence (multiple meta-analyses) shows consistent short-term gains in range of motion and mild recovery benefits, without the temporary flexibility loss sometimes seen with static stretching. Practically, the honest read is that neither has strong evidence of being meaningfully better than the other for reducing soreness — foam rolling is the free, self-administered option with essentially the same modest payoff as paying for a massage.