Best Fitness Apps For Busy People at 2026

She adjusted this number up just a bit, since she’s active and currently breastfeeding (although this is an option in the app to select), but the app provided exactly what she downloaded it for. This involves timed notifications that remind you to drink up every hour (or whatever cadence you want). Overall, Amanda gave it a 5 out of 5 for value, and says this is an app she thinks is definitely worth paying for if you are trying to establish better sleep patterns and feel more rested upon wakeup. Amanda gave Headspace a near-perfect score (4.75 out of 5) for ease of use, stating that the app interface is very clean and it’s a pleasant user experience.

Sleepiest: Sleep Meditation

The videos are clear and well-produced—perfect for people new to strength training. As someone who’s tried almost every workout under the sun, I wanted to create a best-of list that you can actually trust. For this list, I evaluated over 25 different fitness apps, from running apps to weightlifting logbooks to all-around activity trackers. The app is user-friendly; it contains a live coaching feature as well as a large social community to help keep users motivated. In addition to tracking food, users can also log water and daily physical activity.

This online portal provides you with hundreds of training programs from top fitness professionals and experts—folks like Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Swole, or Jim Wendler, creator of the 5/3/1 workout. While BetterMe is more affordable than the average workout app, it doesn’t have quite as many strength-training plans. We also like that the app allows you to create three programs for free; some of which can last up to eight weeks.

Best Workout App for Running: Nike Run Club

“I felt that the app was really clear about what to do with your phone, where to put it, etc. in order to have the best experience. There’s also a tab in the app that houses some helpful lessons, such as tips for bedtime, how to optimize your lighting situation at home for more restful sleep, and sleeping with a bed partner,” she says. The one knock here is that there’s no filtering option, and Amanda thought being able to filter by length or overall health goal would have been helpful. The app asks a couple questions about why you’re changing and what you need, then will give you a few alternative therapists to choose from.

• However, if you prefer to communicate via text, the basic program could work for you.
• Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care.
• Turns out Peloton offers more than just their high-tech spin bikes and treads.
• Alo Wellness Club is a fitness and wellness app from parent company Alo Yoga — yes, the trendy brand responsible for getting us all hooked on the famous Alo Yoga Goddess Leggings.
• An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments.
• Hevy also worked nicely with my Apple Watch, which meant I didn’t have to hold—or keep checking—my phone the whole time.

This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for value, we feel that what you get for the price is fair, while high scores are given to apps that provide exceptional value for the cost. If you’re past the beginner stage and want a little more progressive overload in your strength training, we recommend a workout app such as Boostcamp. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else. It’s a simple, streamlined app that’s very beginner-friendly, but it’s not the best choice if you prefer to have access to more advanced features. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time.

What Is the Difference Between a Fitness App and a Health App?

The app can track distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate, power, and cadence. Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour) and the app delivers the moves to fit your sweat sesh. You can check out all the progressive overload apps workout programs and customize them according to your schedules and other preferences. You can also develop your own meal plans after taking inspiration from over 200 of Casey’s recipes for the 28-Day Reset. It has step counters, provides calorie-burn calculations, heart rate monitoring, and more.

Best tried-and-true fitness app

It is not the right tool for experienced lifters who want granular weight tracking, but for anyone who wants a structured, adaptable plan and the accountability to follow it, it delivers. To cut through the noise, we tested over 40 of the most popular fitness apps and programs over several months, evaluating each one on price, ease of use, workout quality, and enjoyment. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.

The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news.

We’ve tested the best workout apps to help you train at home

The in-app chat feature allows users to communicate with trainers on the fly. Shred offers impressive variety, from guided strength training to HIIT, cardio, yoga, and sport-specific programs. You can filter workouts by body part, equipment type, duration, and difficulty level. If you’re curious about personal training, the Future app is the next best option to working with an in-person instructor.

Best meal-tracking fitness app

In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows. Our tester had no issues navigating through the available sessions, giving this yoga app’s user interface a 5 out of 5. We appreciated the clear labels that explained the duration of each flow, along with the intended intensity level. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.

The Best Nutrition-Tracking Apps

The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Considering the sheer variety of well-designed workouts, our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5. Interested in Pilates as a go-to fitness discipline for your home workouts? Centr is the best workout app for most people thanks to its impressive library of strength training, HIIT, and cardio sessions. But if you’re worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth, known for his muscular stature in the Marvel superhero films, would be all about bulking up, that’s not the case. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI.

What our tester says

Whether you are new to meditation, intermediate or advanced, Headspace is your magic wand to putting you in a calmer, happier place. GH testers can’t rave enough about these easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are hundreds of mindfulness and breathing exercises to choose from, including ones geared toward improving anxiety to helping with focus and concentration with the soothing sounds of musician John Legend. Start with 3-minute meditations and build up to some of the longer practices if that’s your goal. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist, you need one place to keep track of your most recent runs and rides.

Plus & Peak Subscription

Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands. The user interface, in general, is incredibly easy to use, earning iFIT a 5 out of 5 in this category. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. We’ve tried these apps ourselves to see if they’re easy to use, fun, and worth the money you need to pay in subscription fees.

You can follow your own route or explore Strava’s massive network of roads and trails, built by millions of athletes worldwide. “The mapping tool makes it easier than ever to plan runs and workouts in advance, especially when following a training plan with specific distances and paces,” one runner noted. When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps. For example, you can automatically store your Runkeeper activity in Google Sheets, use AI to spot patterns or summarize progress, and update your goals in your habit tracker or another spreadsheet. Based on which you choose, the app will put together a running program for you.

Workouts

Basically, it will break down your overall water goal into smaller, incremental goals that can help you develop a lasting behavior change. We talk about physical health a lot, but mental health is just as important. Talkspace gives you easy access to crowdreviews mad muscles therapists via text and video, and it’s pretty reasonably priced. While the company has evolved over the years, it’s been around for decades and the program, which is based on a point system, has a high success rate. Instead of turning to Google when you have a strange ache or pain, pose your question to a database of real doctors using HealthTap.

Coaching and Community Access

On the app, you’ll have access to customized strength plans based on how often you want to work out per week, nutrition guidance, and “A++ quality” videos, says Woerner. Find exactly what you’re looking for in the catalog of over 100 workouts, including bodyweight routines, strength training with weights, HIIT, yoga, meditation, dance cardio, and barre. For example, while Strava can track your gym workouts through Apple’s Fitness app, it’ll struggle to give you useful information, as it won’t record any data points beyond heart rate and calories burned. On the other hand, it’s brilliant for running and cycling tracking, even in its free version. From more advanced sleep tracking to workouts and mindfulness exercises, Fitbit Premium offers a little of everything.

The best fitness app is the one that works for you

The AI then personalizes these expert-designed templates based on your feedback and performance. Yes, there are fully free apps and platforms, and many paid apps have free tiers with limited features. You’ll usually trade off personalization, coaching, or advanced tracking at the free level, but free options can still work well. Reverse Health is our pick as the best workout app for weight loss, and is often featured on our list of the best weight loss programs. That’s because it tackles the specific, often overlooked challenges of losing weight after age 40 instead of offering one‑size‑fits‑all diet advice.

If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways. The first, and more well-known aspect of ClassPass, is that you can search for and participate in local fitness classes—HIIT, boot camp, kettlebell classes, plus salon appointments. This requires a paid subscription plan, where you get a monthly amount of credits to use towards dropping into a class. You get  28 free credits for your first month of ClassPass for anyone looking for deals.

Best fitness app for strength training beginners

• When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps.
• Get a personalized training program that adjusts the more you use it to maximize your results.
• There’s also a Body Scan tool that can calculate your lean mass and body fat, data it uses to personalize your fitness plan.
• Every athlete can have a different experience when it comes to workout apps.
• You can read all of our thoughts on this app in our Strava fitness app review.
• This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive.

“It creates running workouts with interval variations based on the time I want to exercise—great for mixing up my routine.” Peloton also offers Strength+, a strength-focused app for home or gym equipment. It delivers programs tailored to the equipment you have, from barbells and kettlebells to cable machines and medicine balls. Strength+ costs $10 per month, but it is free for anyone with an existing App+ or All-Access membership.

How to Choose the Best Workout App

Still, the amount of workouts you get with this app may still be worth it. Like many free workout apps, there are limited interactive features and accountability—none, to be exact, earning a 1 out of 5 in both of these aspects. Still, if you’re looking for a fun way to get a quick workout in, SmartWOD provides countless workouts that can be catered to your skillset and equipment available. If you feel as though pre-recorded workouts and group chats aren’t enough to help you stay motivated, Future may be a good option for you. That’s because it connects you with a real personal training coach, which includes virtual calls and a custom fitness plan. For each workout, the app presents you with an exercise overview, complete with instructional videos for how to perform each move.

What is the best at home workout program for women?

There are meditations, some led by Hemsworth himself, designed to connect you mind and body, and that can improve your focus and form during the strength training sessions to get the most from your workouts. The app also has a ton of built-in training programs to tailor your workouts to what you hope to achieve when you actually take your bike out on the road or mountain. There are gravel-specific plans, plans for crushing a 100-mile mountain bike race, or keeping up with your crew at the local criterium. We love this app for beginner strength training workouts—there are a ton of options, the movements are approachable, and you can easily do them at home if you’re not ready to hit the weight room at your local Y. Sorry to brag, but our own All / Out Studio app just happens to be one of the best streaming fitness apps available. That’s because the programming was created by the world’s most elite trainers, as well as our own certified team of fitness experts.

When testing the best fitness apps, our reviewers use them over a period of multiple weeks, and we try the most common features the average user is likely to get to grips with. PUSH will help you tailor a plan to your needs based on the equipment you have available (you will need some equipment). Then, it’ll use AI to track your progress and suggest new weights as you improve your strength. PUSH is an AI-powered muscle and strength app designed to do just one thing, help you build muscle as quickly as possible. It features a gorgeous layout and interface, intuitive plan building, and great workout tracking.

Every exercise includes clear instructions, targeted muscle groups, and difficulty ratings. This educational approach helps beginners build confidence while learning correct technique from day one. Testers paid close attention to how easy or difficult it was to download and set up each app, from account creation to any onboarding quizzes. Clear navigation, intuitive layouts, and obvious “do this today” guidance were prioritized so users could get moving quickly without feeling overwhelmed.

Couch to 5K® – Run training

Consider the workouts you enjoy or want to check out, whether that’s yoga, strength training, cardio, or HIIT. Some apps focus on specific activities, while others provide a variety to keep your routine exciting. Matching the app’s offerings to your preferences can make sticking to your fitness routine easier, which is really the whole point with finding a training resource.

Best Free Workout App: Nike Training Club

If you are considering getting this app just so you can work out with Chris Hemsworth every day, you may be disappointed. Though Hemsworth appears in some videos, most of the routines are led by (excellent) coaches. If you use a fitness tracker, be sure the app you choose seamlessly integrates with your device. The free version does have one major limitation if you’re trying to get off the beaten path, though. The app only works in areas with cell service; to be able to download a trail route for offline use, you’ll need the pro version of AllTrails. “This is helpful (and critical, I’d argue) if you’re in the backcountry with questionable cell service, especially if you don’t have any other navigational tools or are unfamiliar with the area,” Amanda argues.

Also tested

You can also create customized yoga classes that suit your fitness needs. The makers of this app have products that suit every lifestyle and age (yes, there’s a Fitbit for kids too). Also there is something that will suit your needs if you love taking advantage of the great outdoors in order to stay fit or use the gym. This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive. It has features that keep you motivated, improves your self-esteem, and minimize and help you cope with stress. It helps you monitor how long it took you to sleep, the duration of different sleep levels, as well as your waking time.

While the free version is extensive, if you’re going on some deep country trails, it may be worth it to upgrade. At only $35.99 per year, the monthly price works out to only $2.99, so even the paid plan earns a 5 out of 5 for value. When you log a workout, the app will give you neat little celebrations; for example, I was told my total tonnage after a squat workout was like lifting a car. It’s the little things, but that sort of interaction can help people through tough days.

Plus, each chosen module has its own questionnaire, which can become annoying when trying to sign up for multiple sessions at once. Compared to some of the other apps on this list, this app is also pretty affordable. You can sign up for a free trial to see whether it’s for you, and after that, there are two different membership options to choose from. The Les Mills+ base membership gives you a stripped-back version of the app and starts from $4.99 per month. The full membership, Les Mills+ premium, gives you access to all classes and starts at $9.99 per month. All of the workouts can be done from home, and for most of them, you’ll only need one set of dumbbells.

Can you do personal training through workout apps?

These will all factor into what you’ll see the most success with as you start. Remember you can always increase your frequency, time spent per workout, adjust based on your progress or if you feel you’ve started too heavy and add new equipment as possible. All workout apps in this article cost between $10 and $20 per month — that’s likely cheaper than most fitness classes in a studio. You also get unlimited access to your workouts in the apps, so you can take as many classes or workouts as you want. Since the focus is on building strength, SBTD has a section where you can input your weights and reps neatly.

• In 2025, there are so many fitness apps out there that knowing where to start can be really daunting.
• The app’s creators believe that connection is the best way to stick to your goals.
• If you don’t yet know your favorite type of workout, this is a great opportunity to shop around, try a little bit of everything, and narrow down your strengths.
• It allows you to sync with your favorite wearable tech such as Android Wear, Apple Watch, and Garmin.
• Throughout her career, she’s covered various topics including financial services, technology, travel and wellness.
• We like that Aaptive is more affordable than the average app while still offering plenty of value, especially for beginners.

Are there any workout apps that don’t require a subscription?

If you need a good assortment of instructor-led workouts and don’t mind taking your sessions in a “choose your own adventure” aesthetic, this can be an excellent pick. Fitness apps can also be great for creating a studio-like training experience right in your own home. In our opinion, iFIT’s library of over 17,000 on-demand fitness classes is prime for these needs. The service is compatible with a variety of the best cardio machines from NordicTrack, ProForm, Freemotion, and Matrix, so there’s ample opportunity to get your daily fix. As far as user experience is concerned, we experienced no bugs or lagging when navigating the app features.

Best fitness app for community

This safety feature gives peace of mind for those running/walking alone, although we always recommend staying acutely aware of your surroundings anyway. If you’re in need of a simple app to help you track your hydration, Water Reminder could be a good solution. This free app allows you to log everything you drink in a day via a simple interface, and sends you push notifications as reminders to drink.

SHRED: Gym & Home Workouts

“I wish the app integrated with Garmin or other fitness apps with clear pricing fitness trackers instead of only Apple Watch. I have to manually input my walks and  runs into the app after I’ve already logged them on my watch.” The rest of the app works well enough, so Amanda rated the ease of use a 4 out of 5. Each exercise has an extensive overview of the movement, including a video, complete step-by-step instructions, a muscle map displaying the body parts most involved, and even key points and takeaways on form.

Data safety

When you open the app, if there is currently a live class, it’ll already be playing on the screen, so all you have to do to join it is expand the window. When you do, the instructor will greet you by your name, because classes—at least all the ones I took—actually are live. The MWH Method aims to help you sculpt long, lean lines by practicing controlled, low-impact movements.

Strava GPS Cycling and Running App

Each workout you log will add to a heat map, showing muscle groups used more frequently than others. This can be a good indicator of which muscles you should focus on next, and which muscles might be a little tired from previous workouts. GGR Senior Editor Nicole Davis tried Water Reminder and gave it a 4 out of 5 for ease of use. After putting in her info it suggested she try and drink 84 ounces of water per day.

Track progress

You can create a custom plan or follow structured programs ranging from 4-12 weeks. The in-app messaging allows you to communicate with your coach anytime, receiving responses typically within a few hours. This accessibility provides accountability while offering flexibility better than scheduled in-person sessions. The process begins with a comprehensive consultation where you discuss goals, experience, lifestyle, and available equipment. Your coach then creates a completely personalized program, not a template modified slightly for you. We selected Caliber as best for personal coaching because it successfully replicates the personalized training experience at a fraction of in-person training costs ($200/month versus $100+ per session).

Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log

TR[Ai]NER earned mostly 4s and 5s across the board, only falling short in categories like accountability and interactive features. I was surprised that I got a lot of notifications every time I finished a workout—all from random names with a message telling me they were proud of me for working out. You can customize your notifications to turn this feature off, but it seemed odd to me that this was the default.

Your Expert Guide to Making Budget-Friendly DIY Ankle Weights

Users can easily share food logs with their health care provider or coach by using the Track Pro Coach portal. There’s a reason MyFitnessPal continues to dominate the health and fitness app landscape after 13 long years on the market. The app’s database contains more than 6 million foods, so you can log just about everything you put in your body, from fast food to homemade vegan lasagna, thanks to a nifty recipe calculator.

Plus, each chosen module has its own questionnaire, which can become annoying when trying to sign up for multiple sessions at once. Compared to some of the other apps on this list, this app is also pretty affordable. You can sign up for a free trial to see whether it’s for you, and after that, there are two different membership options to choose from. The Les Mills+ base membership gives you a stripped-back version of the app and starts from $4.99 per month. The full membership, Les Mills+ premium, gives you access to all classes and starts at $9.99 per month. All of the workouts can be done from home, and for most of them, you’ll only need one set of dumbbells.

Can you do personal training through workout apps?

These will all factor into what you’ll see the most success with as you start. Remember you can always increase your frequency, time spent per workout, adjust based on your progress or if you feel you’ve started too heavy and add new equipment as possible. All workout apps in this article cost between $10 and $20 per month — that’s likely cheaper than most fitness classes in a studio. You also get unlimited access to your workouts in the apps, so you can take as many classes or workouts as you want. Since the focus is on building strength, SBTD has a section where you can input your weights and reps neatly.

• In 2025, there are so many fitness apps out there that knowing where to start can be really daunting.
• The app’s creators believe that connection is the best way to stick to your goals.
• If you don’t yet know your favorite type of workout, this is a great opportunity to shop around, try a little bit of everything, and narrow down your strengths.
• It allows you to sync with your favorite wearable tech such as Android Wear, Apple Watch, and Garmin.
• Throughout her career, she’s covered various topics including financial services, technology, travel and wellness.
• We like that Aaptive is more affordable than the average app while still offering plenty of value, especially for beginners.

Are there any workout apps that don’t require a subscription?

If you need a good assortment of instructor-led workouts and don’t mind taking your sessions in a “choose your own adventure” aesthetic, this can be an excellent pick. Fitness apps can also be great for creating a studio-like training experience right in your own home. In our opinion, iFIT’s library of over 17,000 on-demand fitness classes is prime for these needs. The service is compatible with a variety of the best cardio machines from NordicTrack, ProForm, Freemotion, and Matrix, so there’s ample opportunity to get your daily fix. As far as user experience is concerned, we experienced no bugs or lagging when navigating the app features.

Best fitness app for community

This safety feature gives peace of mind for those running/walking alone, although we always recommend staying acutely aware of your surroundings anyway. If you’re in need of a simple app to help you track your hydration, Water Reminder could be a good solution. This free app allows you to log everything you drink in a day via a simple interface, and sends you push notifications as reminders to drink.

SHRED: Gym & Home Workouts

“I wish the app integrated with Garmin or other fitness apps with clear pricing fitness trackers instead of only Apple Watch. I have to manually input my walks and  runs into the app after I’ve already logged them on my watch.” The rest of the app works well enough, so Amanda rated the ease of use a 4 out of 5. Each exercise has an extensive overview of the movement, including a video, complete step-by-step instructions, a muscle map displaying the body parts most involved, and even key points and takeaways on form.

Data safety

When you open the app, if there is currently a live class, it’ll already be playing on the screen, so all you have to do to join it is expand the window. When you do, the instructor will greet you by your name, because classes—at least all the ones I took—actually are live. The MWH Method aims to help you sculpt long, lean lines by practicing controlled, low-impact movements.

Strava GPS Cycling and Running App

Each workout you log will add to a heat map, showing muscle groups used more frequently than others. This can be a good indicator of which muscles you should focus on next, and which muscles might be a little tired from previous workouts. GGR Senior Editor Nicole Davis tried Water Reminder and gave it a 4 out of 5 for ease of use. After putting in her info it suggested she try and drink 84 ounces of water per day.

Track progress

You can create a custom plan or follow structured programs ranging from 4-12 weeks. The in-app messaging allows you to communicate with your coach anytime, receiving responses typically within a few hours. This accessibility provides accountability while offering flexibility better than scheduled in-person sessions. The process begins with a comprehensive consultation where you discuss goals, experience, lifestyle, and available equipment. Your coach then creates a completely personalized program, not a template modified slightly for you. We selected Caliber as best for personal coaching because it successfully replicates the personalized training experience at a fraction of in-person training costs ($200/month versus $100+ per session).

Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log

TR[Ai]NER earned mostly 4s and 5s across the board, only falling short in categories like accountability and interactive features. I was surprised that I got a lot of notifications every time I finished a workout—all from random names with a message telling me they were proud of me for working out. You can customize your notifications to turn this feature off, but it seemed odd to me that this was the default.

Your Expert Guide to Making Budget-Friendly DIY Ankle Weights

Users can easily share food logs with their health care provider or coach by using the Track Pro Coach portal. There’s a reason MyFitnessPal continues to dominate the health and fitness app landscape after 13 long years on the market. The app’s database contains more than 6 million foods, so you can log just about everything you put in your body, from fast food to homemade vegan lasagna, thanks to a nifty recipe calculator.

She adjusted this number up just a bit, since she’s active and currently breastfeeding (although this is an option in the app to select), but the app provided exactly what she downloaded it for. This involves timed notifications that remind you to drink up every hour (or whatever cadence you want). Overall, Amanda gave it a 5 out of 5 for value, and says this is an app she thinks is definitely worth paying for if you are trying to establish better sleep patterns and feel more rested upon wakeup. Amanda gave Headspace a near-perfect score (4.75 out of 5) for ease of use, stating that the app interface is very clean and it’s a pleasant user experience.

Sleepiest: Sleep Meditation

The videos are clear and well-produced—perfect for people new to strength training. As someone who’s tried almost every workout under the sun, I wanted to create a best-of list that you can actually trust. For this list, I evaluated over 25 different fitness apps, from running apps to weightlifting logbooks to all-around activity trackers. The app is user-friendly; it contains a live coaching feature as well as a large social community to help keep users motivated. In addition to tracking food, users can also log water and daily physical activity.

This online portal provides you with hundreds of training programs from top fitness professionals and experts—folks like Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Swole, or Jim Wendler, creator of the 5/3/1 workout. While BetterMe is more affordable than the average workout app, it doesn’t have quite as many strength-training plans. We also like that the app allows you to create three programs for free; some of which can last up to eight weeks.

Best Workout App for Running: Nike Run Club

“I felt that the app was really clear about what to do with your phone, where to put it, etc. in order to have the best experience. There’s also a tab in the app that houses some helpful lessons, such as tips for bedtime, how to optimize your lighting situation at home for more restful sleep, and sleeping with a bed partner,” she says. The one knock here is that there’s no filtering option, and Amanda thought being able to filter by length or overall health goal would have been helpful. The app asks a couple questions about why you’re changing and what you need, then will give you a few alternative therapists to choose from.

• However, if you prefer to communicate via text, the basic program could work for you.
• Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care.
• Turns out Peloton offers more than just their high-tech spin bikes and treads.
• Alo Wellness Club is a fitness and wellness app from parent company Alo Yoga — yes, the trendy brand responsible for getting us all hooked on the famous Alo Yoga Goddess Leggings.
• An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments.
• Hevy also worked nicely with my Apple Watch, which meant I didn’t have to hold—or keep checking—my phone the whole time.

This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for value, we feel that what you get for the price is fair, while high scores are given to apps that provide exceptional value for the cost. If you’re past the beginner stage and want a little more progressive overload in your strength training, we recommend a workout app such as Boostcamp. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else. It’s a simple, streamlined app that’s very beginner-friendly, but it’s not the best choice if you prefer to have access to more advanced features. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time.

What Is the Difference Between a Fitness App and a Health App?

The app can track distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate, power, and cadence. Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour) and the app delivers the moves to fit your sweat sesh. You can check out all the progressive overload apps workout programs and customize them according to your schedules and other preferences. You can also develop your own meal plans after taking inspiration from over 200 of Casey’s recipes for the 28-Day Reset. It has step counters, provides calorie-burn calculations, heart rate monitoring, and more.

Best tried-and-true fitness app

It is not the right tool for experienced lifters who want granular weight tracking, but for anyone who wants a structured, adaptable plan and the accountability to follow it, it delivers. To cut through the noise, we tested over 40 of the most popular fitness apps and programs over several months, evaluating each one on price, ease of use, workout quality, and enjoyment. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.

The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news.

We’ve tested the best workout apps to help you train at home

The in-app chat feature allows users to communicate with trainers on the fly. Shred offers impressive variety, from guided strength training to HIIT, cardio, yoga, and sport-specific programs. You can filter workouts by body part, equipment type, duration, and difficulty level. If you’re curious about personal training, the Future app is the next best option to working with an in-person instructor.

Best meal-tracking fitness app

In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows. Our tester had no issues navigating through the available sessions, giving this yoga app’s user interface a 5 out of 5. We appreciated the clear labels that explained the duration of each flow, along with the intended intensity level. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.

The Best Nutrition-Tracking Apps

The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Considering the sheer variety of well-designed workouts, our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5. Interested in Pilates as a go-to fitness discipline for your home workouts? Centr is the best workout app for most people thanks to its impressive library of strength training, HIIT, and cardio sessions. But if you’re worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth, known for his muscular stature in the Marvel superhero films, would be all about bulking up, that’s not the case. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI.

What our tester says

Whether you are new to meditation, intermediate or advanced, Headspace is your magic wand to putting you in a calmer, happier place. GH testers can’t rave enough about these easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are hundreds of mindfulness and breathing exercises to choose from, including ones geared toward improving anxiety to helping with focus and concentration with the soothing sounds of musician John Legend. Start with 3-minute meditations and build up to some of the longer practices if that’s your goal. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist, you need one place to keep track of your most recent runs and rides.

Plus & Peak Subscription

Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands. The user interface, in general, is incredibly easy to use, earning iFIT a 5 out of 5 in this category. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. We’ve tried these apps ourselves to see if they’re easy to use, fun, and worth the money you need to pay in subscription fees.

She adjusted this number up just a bit, since she’s active and currently breastfeeding (although this is an option in the app to select), but the app provided exactly what she downloaded it for. This involves timed notifications that remind you to drink up every hour (or whatever cadence you want). Overall, Amanda gave it a 5 out of 5 for value, and says this is an app she thinks is definitely worth paying for if you are trying to establish better sleep patterns and feel more rested upon wakeup. Amanda gave Headspace a near-perfect score (4.75 out of 5) for ease of use, stating that the app interface is very clean and it’s a pleasant user experience.

Sleepiest: Sleep Meditation

The videos are clear and well-produced—perfect for people new to strength training. As someone who’s tried almost every workout under the sun, I wanted to create a best-of list that you can actually trust. For this list, I evaluated over 25 different fitness apps, from running apps to weightlifting logbooks to all-around activity trackers. The app is user-friendly; it contains a live coaching feature as well as a large social community to help keep users motivated. In addition to tracking food, users can also log water and daily physical activity.

This online portal provides you with hundreds of training programs from top fitness professionals and experts—folks like Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Swole, or Jim Wendler, creator of the 5/3/1 workout. While BetterMe is more affordable than the average workout app, it doesn’t have quite as many strength-training plans. We also like that the app allows you to create three programs for free; some of which can last up to eight weeks.

Best Workout App for Running: Nike Run Club

“I felt that the app was really clear about what to do with your phone, where to put it, etc. in order to have the best experience. There’s also a tab in the app that houses some helpful lessons, such as tips for bedtime, how to optimize your lighting situation at home for more restful sleep, and sleeping with a bed partner,” she says. The one knock here is that there’s no filtering option, and Amanda thought being able to filter by length or overall health goal would have been helpful. The app asks a couple questions about why you’re changing and what you need, then will give you a few alternative therapists to choose from.

• However, if you prefer to communicate via text, the basic program could work for you.
• Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care.
• Turns out Peloton offers more than just their high-tech spin bikes and treads.
• Alo Wellness Club is a fitness and wellness app from parent company Alo Yoga — yes, the trendy brand responsible for getting us all hooked on the famous Alo Yoga Goddess Leggings.
• An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments.
• Hevy also worked nicely with my Apple Watch, which meant I didn’t have to hold—or keep checking—my phone the whole time.

This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for value, we feel that what you get for the price is fair, while high scores are given to apps that provide exceptional value for the cost. If you’re past the beginner stage and want a little more progressive overload in your strength training, we recommend a workout app such as Boostcamp. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else. It’s a simple, streamlined app that’s very beginner-friendly, but it’s not the best choice if you prefer to have access to more advanced features. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time.

What Is the Difference Between a Fitness App and a Health App?

The app can track distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate, power, and cadence. Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour) and the app delivers the moves to fit your sweat sesh. You can check out all the progressive overload apps workout programs and customize them according to your schedules and other preferences. You can also develop your own meal plans after taking inspiration from over 200 of Casey’s recipes for the 28-Day Reset. It has step counters, provides calorie-burn calculations, heart rate monitoring, and more.

Best tried-and-true fitness app

It is not the right tool for experienced lifters who want granular weight tracking, but for anyone who wants a structured, adaptable plan and the accountability to follow it, it delivers. To cut through the noise, we tested over 40 of the most popular fitness apps and programs over several months, evaluating each one on price, ease of use, workout quality, and enjoyment. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.

The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news.

We’ve tested the best workout apps to help you train at home

The in-app chat feature allows users to communicate with trainers on the fly. Shred offers impressive variety, from guided strength training to HIIT, cardio, yoga, and sport-specific programs. You can filter workouts by body part, equipment type, duration, and difficulty level. If you’re curious about personal training, the Future app is the next best option to working with an in-person instructor.

Best meal-tracking fitness app

In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows. Our tester had no issues navigating through the available sessions, giving this yoga app’s user interface a 5 out of 5. We appreciated the clear labels that explained the duration of each flow, along with the intended intensity level. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.

The Best Nutrition-Tracking Apps

The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Considering the sheer variety of well-designed workouts, our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5. Interested in Pilates as a go-to fitness discipline for your home workouts? Centr is the best workout app for most people thanks to its impressive library of strength training, HIIT, and cardio sessions. But if you’re worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth, known for his muscular stature in the Marvel superhero films, would be all about bulking up, that’s not the case. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI.

What our tester says

Whether you are new to meditation, intermediate or advanced, Headspace is your magic wand to putting you in a calmer, happier place. GH testers can’t rave enough about these easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are hundreds of mindfulness and breathing exercises to choose from, including ones geared toward improving anxiety to helping with focus and concentration with the soothing sounds of musician John Legend. Start with 3-minute meditations and build up to some of the longer practices if that’s your goal. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist, you need one place to keep track of your most recent runs and rides.

Plus & Peak Subscription

Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands. The user interface, in general, is incredibly easy to use, earning iFIT a 5 out of 5 in this category. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. We’ve tried these apps ourselves to see if they’re easy to use, fun, and worth the money you need to pay in subscription fees.

You can follow your own route or explore Strava’s massive network of roads and trails, built by millions of athletes worldwide. “The mapping tool makes it easier than ever to plan runs and workouts in advance, especially when following a training plan with specific distances and paces,” one runner noted. When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps. For example, you can automatically store your Runkeeper activity in Google Sheets, use AI to spot patterns or summarize progress, and update your goals in your habit tracker or another spreadsheet. Based on which you choose, the app will put together a running program for you.

Workouts

Basically, it will break down your overall water goal into smaller, incremental goals that can help you develop a lasting behavior change. We talk about physical health a lot, but mental health is just as important. Talkspace gives you easy access to crowdreviews mad muscles therapists via text and video, and it’s pretty reasonably priced. While the company has evolved over the years, it’s been around for decades and the program, which is based on a point system, has a high success rate. Instead of turning to Google when you have a strange ache or pain, pose your question to a database of real doctors using HealthTap.

Coaching and Community Access

On the app, you’ll have access to customized strength plans based on how often you want to work out per week, nutrition guidance, and “A++ quality” videos, says Woerner. Find exactly what you’re looking for in the catalog of over 100 workouts, including bodyweight routines, strength training with weights, HIIT, yoga, meditation, dance cardio, and barre. For example, while Strava can track your gym workouts through Apple’s Fitness app, it’ll struggle to give you useful information, as it won’t record any data points beyond heart rate and calories burned. On the other hand, it’s brilliant for running and cycling tracking, even in its free version. From more advanced sleep tracking to workouts and mindfulness exercises, Fitbit Premium offers a little of everything.

The best fitness app is the one that works for you

The AI then personalizes these expert-designed templates based on your feedback and performance. Yes, there are fully free apps and platforms, and many paid apps have free tiers with limited features. You’ll usually trade off personalization, coaching, or advanced tracking at the free level, but free options can still work well. Reverse Health is our pick as the best workout app for weight loss, and is often featured on our list of the best weight loss programs. That’s because it tackles the specific, often overlooked challenges of losing weight after age 40 instead of offering one‑size‑fits‑all diet advice.

If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways. The first, and more well-known aspect of ClassPass, is that you can search for and participate in local fitness classes—HIIT, boot camp, kettlebell classes, plus salon appointments. This requires a paid subscription plan, where you get a monthly amount of credits to use towards dropping into a class. You get  28 free credits for your first month of ClassPass for anyone looking for deals.

Best fitness app for strength training beginners

• When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps.
• Get a personalized training program that adjusts the more you use it to maximize your results.
• There’s also a Body Scan tool that can calculate your lean mass and body fat, data it uses to personalize your fitness plan.
• Every athlete can have a different experience when it comes to workout apps.
• You can read all of our thoughts on this app in our Strava fitness app review.
• This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive.

“It creates running workouts with interval variations based on the time I want to exercise—great for mixing up my routine.” Peloton also offers Strength+, a strength-focused app for home or gym equipment. It delivers programs tailored to the equipment you have, from barbells and kettlebells to cable machines and medicine balls. Strength+ costs $10 per month, but it is free for anyone with an existing App+ or All-Access membership.

How to Choose the Best Workout App

Still, the amount of workouts you get with this app may still be worth it. Like many free workout apps, there are limited interactive features and accountability—none, to be exact, earning a 1 out of 5 in both of these aspects. Still, if you’re looking for a fun way to get a quick workout in, SmartWOD provides countless workouts that can be catered to your skillset and equipment available. If you feel as though pre-recorded workouts and group chats aren’t enough to help you stay motivated, Future may be a good option for you. That’s because it connects you with a real personal training coach, which includes virtual calls and a custom fitness plan. For each workout, the app presents you with an exercise overview, complete with instructional videos for how to perform each move.

What is the best at home workout program for women?

There are meditations, some led by Hemsworth himself, designed to connect you mind and body, and that can improve your focus and form during the strength training sessions to get the most from your workouts. The app also has a ton of built-in training programs to tailor your workouts to what you hope to achieve when you actually take your bike out on the road or mountain. There are gravel-specific plans, plans for crushing a 100-mile mountain bike race, or keeping up with your crew at the local criterium. We love this app for beginner strength training workouts—there are a ton of options, the movements are approachable, and you can easily do them at home if you’re not ready to hit the weight room at your local Y. Sorry to brag, but our own All / Out Studio app just happens to be one of the best streaming fitness apps available. That’s because the programming was created by the world’s most elite trainers, as well as our own certified team of fitness experts.

When testing the best fitness apps, our reviewers use them over a period of multiple weeks, and we try the most common features the average user is likely to get to grips with. PUSH will help you tailor a plan to your needs based on the equipment you have available (you will need some equipment). Then, it’ll use AI to track your progress and suggest new weights as you improve your strength. PUSH is an AI-powered muscle and strength app designed to do just one thing, help you build muscle as quickly as possible. It features a gorgeous layout and interface, intuitive plan building, and great workout tracking.

Every exercise includes clear instructions, targeted muscle groups, and difficulty ratings. This educational approach helps beginners build confidence while learning correct technique from day one. Testers paid close attention to how easy or difficult it was to download and set up each app, from account creation to any onboarding quizzes. Clear navigation, intuitive layouts, and obvious “do this today” guidance were prioritized so users could get moving quickly without feeling overwhelmed.

Couch to 5K® – Run training

Consider the workouts you enjoy or want to check out, whether that’s yoga, strength training, cardio, or HIIT. Some apps focus on specific activities, while others provide a variety to keep your routine exciting. Matching the app’s offerings to your preferences can make sticking to your fitness routine easier, which is really the whole point with finding a training resource.

Best Free Workout App: Nike Training Club

If you are considering getting this app just so you can work out with Chris Hemsworth every day, you may be disappointed. Though Hemsworth appears in some videos, most of the routines are led by (excellent) coaches. If you use a fitness tracker, be sure the app you choose seamlessly integrates with your device. The free version does have one major limitation if you’re trying to get off the beaten path, though. The app only works in areas with cell service; to be able to download a trail route for offline use, you’ll need the pro version of AllTrails. “This is helpful (and critical, I’d argue) if you’re in the backcountry with questionable cell service, especially if you don’t have any other navigational tools or are unfamiliar with the area,” Amanda argues.

Also tested

You can also create customized yoga classes that suit your fitness needs. The makers of this app have products that suit every lifestyle and age (yes, there’s a Fitbit for kids too). Also there is something that will suit your needs if you love taking advantage of the great outdoors in order to stay fit or use the gym. This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive. It has features that keep you motivated, improves your self-esteem, and minimize and help you cope with stress. It helps you monitor how long it took you to sleep, the duration of different sleep levels, as well as your waking time.

While the free version is extensive, if you’re going on some deep country trails, it may be worth it to upgrade. At only $35.99 per year, the monthly price works out to only $2.99, so even the paid plan earns a 5 out of 5 for value. When you log a workout, the app will give you neat little celebrations; for example, I was told my total tonnage after a squat workout was like lifting a car. It’s the little things, but that sort of interaction can help people through tough days.

You can follow your own route or explore Strava’s massive network of roads and trails, built by millions of athletes worldwide. “The mapping tool makes it easier than ever to plan runs and workouts in advance, especially when following a training plan with specific distances and paces,” one runner noted. When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps. For example, you can automatically store your Runkeeper activity in Google Sheets, use AI to spot patterns or summarize progress, and update your goals in your habit tracker or another spreadsheet. Based on which you choose, the app will put together a running program for you.

Workouts

Basically, it will break down your overall water goal into smaller, incremental goals that can help you develop a lasting behavior change. We talk about physical health a lot, but mental health is just as important. Talkspace gives you easy access to crowdreviews mad muscles therapists via text and video, and it’s pretty reasonably priced. While the company has evolved over the years, it’s been around for decades and the program, which is based on a point system, has a high success rate. Instead of turning to Google when you have a strange ache or pain, pose your question to a database of real doctors using HealthTap.

Coaching and Community Access

On the app, you’ll have access to customized strength plans based on how often you want to work out per week, nutrition guidance, and “A++ quality” videos, says Woerner. Find exactly what you’re looking for in the catalog of over 100 workouts, including bodyweight routines, strength training with weights, HIIT, yoga, meditation, dance cardio, and barre. For example, while Strava can track your gym workouts through Apple’s Fitness app, it’ll struggle to give you useful information, as it won’t record any data points beyond heart rate and calories burned. On the other hand, it’s brilliant for running and cycling tracking, even in its free version. From more advanced sleep tracking to workouts and mindfulness exercises, Fitbit Premium offers a little of everything.

The best fitness app is the one that works for you

The AI then personalizes these expert-designed templates based on your feedback and performance. Yes, there are fully free apps and platforms, and many paid apps have free tiers with limited features. You’ll usually trade off personalization, coaching, or advanced tracking at the free level, but free options can still work well. Reverse Health is our pick as the best workout app for weight loss, and is often featured on our list of the best weight loss programs. That’s because it tackles the specific, often overlooked challenges of losing weight after age 40 instead of offering one‑size‑fits‑all diet advice.

If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways. The first, and more well-known aspect of ClassPass, is that you can search for and participate in local fitness classes—HIIT, boot camp, kettlebell classes, plus salon appointments. This requires a paid subscription plan, where you get a monthly amount of credits to use towards dropping into a class. You get  28 free credits for your first month of ClassPass for anyone looking for deals.

Best fitness app for strength training beginners

• When you connect Runkeeper with Zapier, you can orchestrate multi-step workflows that turn your workouts into insights and actions across your apps.
• Get a personalized training program that adjusts the more you use it to maximize your results.
• There’s also a Body Scan tool that can calculate your lean mass and body fat, data it uses to personalize your fitness plan.
• Every athlete can have a different experience when it comes to workout apps.
• You can read all of our thoughts on this app in our Strava fitness app review.
• This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive.

“It creates running workouts with interval variations based on the time I want to exercise—great for mixing up my routine.” Peloton also offers Strength+, a strength-focused app for home or gym equipment. It delivers programs tailored to the equipment you have, from barbells and kettlebells to cable machines and medicine balls. Strength+ costs $10 per month, but it is free for anyone with an existing App+ or All-Access membership.

How to Choose the Best Workout App

Still, the amount of workouts you get with this app may still be worth it. Like many free workout apps, there are limited interactive features and accountability—none, to be exact, earning a 1 out of 5 in both of these aspects. Still, if you’re looking for a fun way to get a quick workout in, SmartWOD provides countless workouts that can be catered to your skillset and equipment available. If you feel as though pre-recorded workouts and group chats aren’t enough to help you stay motivated, Future may be a good option for you. That’s because it connects you with a real personal training coach, which includes virtual calls and a custom fitness plan. For each workout, the app presents you with an exercise overview, complete with instructional videos for how to perform each move.

What is the best at home workout program for women?

There are meditations, some led by Hemsworth himself, designed to connect you mind and body, and that can improve your focus and form during the strength training sessions to get the most from your workouts. The app also has a ton of built-in training programs to tailor your workouts to what you hope to achieve when you actually take your bike out on the road or mountain. There are gravel-specific plans, plans for crushing a 100-mile mountain bike race, or keeping up with your crew at the local criterium. We love this app for beginner strength training workouts—there are a ton of options, the movements are approachable, and you can easily do them at home if you’re not ready to hit the weight room at your local Y. Sorry to brag, but our own All / Out Studio app just happens to be one of the best streaming fitness apps available. That’s because the programming was created by the world’s most elite trainers, as well as our own certified team of fitness experts.

When testing the best fitness apps, our reviewers use them over a period of multiple weeks, and we try the most common features the average user is likely to get to grips with. PUSH will help you tailor a plan to your needs based on the equipment you have available (you will need some equipment). Then, it’ll use AI to track your progress and suggest new weights as you improve your strength. PUSH is an AI-powered muscle and strength app designed to do just one thing, help you build muscle as quickly as possible. It features a gorgeous layout and interface, intuitive plan building, and great workout tracking.

Every exercise includes clear instructions, targeted muscle groups, and difficulty ratings. This educational approach helps beginners build confidence while learning correct technique from day one. Testers paid close attention to how easy or difficult it was to download and set up each app, from account creation to any onboarding quizzes. Clear navigation, intuitive layouts, and obvious “do this today” guidance were prioritized so users could get moving quickly without feeling overwhelmed.

Couch to 5K® – Run training

Consider the workouts you enjoy or want to check out, whether that’s yoga, strength training, cardio, or HIIT. Some apps focus on specific activities, while others provide a variety to keep your routine exciting. Matching the app’s offerings to your preferences can make sticking to your fitness routine easier, which is really the whole point with finding a training resource.

Best Free Workout App: Nike Training Club

If you are considering getting this app just so you can work out with Chris Hemsworth every day, you may be disappointed. Though Hemsworth appears in some videos, most of the routines are led by (excellent) coaches. If you use a fitness tracker, be sure the app you choose seamlessly integrates with your device. The free version does have one major limitation if you’re trying to get off the beaten path, though. The app only works in areas with cell service; to be able to download a trail route for offline use, you’ll need the pro version of AllTrails. “This is helpful (and critical, I’d argue) if you’re in the backcountry with questionable cell service, especially if you don’t have any other navigational tools or are unfamiliar with the area,” Amanda argues.

Also tested

You can also create customized yoga classes that suit your fitness needs. The makers of this app have products that suit every lifestyle and age (yes, there’s a Fitbit for kids too). Also there is something that will suit your needs if you love taking advantage of the great outdoors in order to stay fit or use the gym. This app helps you monitor the state of your emotional well-being and take necessary measures to stay positive. It has features that keep you motivated, improves your self-esteem, and minimize and help you cope with stress. It helps you monitor how long it took you to sleep, the duration of different sleep levels, as well as your waking time.

While the free version is extensive, if you’re going on some deep country trails, it may be worth it to upgrade. At only $35.99 per year, the monthly price works out to only $2.99, so even the paid plan earns a 5 out of 5 for value. When you log a workout, the app will give you neat little celebrations; for example, I was told my total tonnage after a squat workout was like lifting a car. It’s the little things, but that sort of interaction can help people through tough days.

Plus, each chosen module has its own questionnaire, which can become annoying when trying to sign up for multiple sessions at once. Compared to some of the other apps on this list, this app is also pretty affordable. You can sign up for a free trial to see whether it’s for you, and after that, there are two different membership options to choose from. The Les Mills+ base membership gives you a stripped-back version of the app and starts from $4.99 per month. The full membership, Les Mills+ premium, gives you access to all classes and starts at $9.99 per month. All of the workouts can be done from home, and for most of them, you’ll only need one set of dumbbells.

Can you do personal training through workout apps?

These will all factor into what you’ll see the most success with as you start. Remember you can always increase your frequency, time spent per workout, adjust based on your progress or if you feel you’ve started too heavy and add new equipment as possible. All workout apps in this article cost between $10 and $20 per month — that’s likely cheaper than most fitness classes in a studio. You also get unlimited access to your workouts in the apps, so you can take as many classes or workouts as you want. Since the focus is on building strength, SBTD has a section where you can input your weights and reps neatly.

• In 2025, there are so many fitness apps out there that knowing where to start can be really daunting.
• The app’s creators believe that connection is the best way to stick to your goals.
• If you don’t yet know your favorite type of workout, this is a great opportunity to shop around, try a little bit of everything, and narrow down your strengths.
• It allows you to sync with your favorite wearable tech such as Android Wear, Apple Watch, and Garmin.
• Throughout her career, she’s covered various topics including financial services, technology, travel and wellness.
• We like that Aaptive is more affordable than the average app while still offering plenty of value, especially for beginners.

Are there any workout apps that don’t require a subscription?

If you need a good assortment of instructor-led workouts and don’t mind taking your sessions in a “choose your own adventure” aesthetic, this can be an excellent pick. Fitness apps can also be great for creating a studio-like training experience right in your own home. In our opinion, iFIT’s library of over 17,000 on-demand fitness classes is prime for these needs. The service is compatible with a variety of the best cardio machines from NordicTrack, ProForm, Freemotion, and Matrix, so there’s ample opportunity to get your daily fix. As far as user experience is concerned, we experienced no bugs or lagging when navigating the app features.

Best fitness app for community

This safety feature gives peace of mind for those running/walking alone, although we always recommend staying acutely aware of your surroundings anyway. If you’re in need of a simple app to help you track your hydration, Water Reminder could be a good solution. This free app allows you to log everything you drink in a day via a simple interface, and sends you push notifications as reminders to drink.

SHRED: Gym & Home Workouts

“I wish the app integrated with Garmin or other fitness apps with clear pricing fitness trackers instead of only Apple Watch. I have to manually input my walks and  runs into the app after I’ve already logged them on my watch.” The rest of the app works well enough, so Amanda rated the ease of use a 4 out of 5. Each exercise has an extensive overview of the movement, including a video, complete step-by-step instructions, a muscle map displaying the body parts most involved, and even key points and takeaways on form.

Data safety

When you open the app, if there is currently a live class, it’ll already be playing on the screen, so all you have to do to join it is expand the window. When you do, the instructor will greet you by your name, because classes—at least all the ones I took—actually are live. The MWH Method aims to help you sculpt long, lean lines by practicing controlled, low-impact movements.

Strava GPS Cycling and Running App

Each workout you log will add to a heat map, showing muscle groups used more frequently than others. This can be a good indicator of which muscles you should focus on next, and which muscles might be a little tired from previous workouts. GGR Senior Editor Nicole Davis tried Water Reminder and gave it a 4 out of 5 for ease of use. After putting in her info it suggested she try and drink 84 ounces of water per day.

Track progress

You can create a custom plan or follow structured programs ranging from 4-12 weeks. The in-app messaging allows you to communicate with your coach anytime, receiving responses typically within a few hours. This accessibility provides accountability while offering flexibility better than scheduled in-person sessions. The process begins with a comprehensive consultation where you discuss goals, experience, lifestyle, and available equipment. Your coach then creates a completely personalized program, not a template modified slightly for you. We selected Caliber as best for personal coaching because it successfully replicates the personalized training experience at a fraction of in-person training costs ($200/month versus $100+ per session).

Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log

TR[Ai]NER earned mostly 4s and 5s across the board, only falling short in categories like accountability and interactive features. I was surprised that I got a lot of notifications every time I finished a workout—all from random names with a message telling me they were proud of me for working out. You can customize your notifications to turn this feature off, but it seemed odd to me that this was the default.

Your Expert Guide to Making Budget-Friendly DIY Ankle Weights

Users can easily share food logs with their health care provider or coach by using the Track Pro Coach portal. There’s a reason MyFitnessPal continues to dominate the health and fitness app landscape after 13 long years on the market. The app’s database contains more than 6 million foods, so you can log just about everything you put in your body, from fast food to homemade vegan lasagna, thanks to a nifty recipe calculator.

She adjusted this number up just a bit, since she’s active and currently breastfeeding (although this is an option in the app to select), but the app provided exactly what she downloaded it for. This involves timed notifications that remind you to drink up every hour (or whatever cadence you want). Overall, Amanda gave it a 5 out of 5 for value, and says this is an app she thinks is definitely worth paying for if you are trying to establish better sleep patterns and feel more rested upon wakeup. Amanda gave Headspace a near-perfect score (4.75 out of 5) for ease of use, stating that the app interface is very clean and it’s a pleasant user experience.

Sleepiest: Sleep Meditation

The videos are clear and well-produced—perfect for people new to strength training. As someone who’s tried almost every workout under the sun, I wanted to create a best-of list that you can actually trust. For this list, I evaluated over 25 different fitness apps, from running apps to weightlifting logbooks to all-around activity trackers. The app is user-friendly; it contains a live coaching feature as well as a large social community to help keep users motivated. In addition to tracking food, users can also log water and daily physical activity.

This online portal provides you with hundreds of training programs from top fitness professionals and experts—folks like Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Swole, or Jim Wendler, creator of the 5/3/1 workout. While BetterMe is more affordable than the average workout app, it doesn’t have quite as many strength-training plans. We also like that the app allows you to create three programs for free; some of which can last up to eight weeks.

Best Workout App for Running: Nike Run Club

“I felt that the app was really clear about what to do with your phone, where to put it, etc. in order to have the best experience. There’s also a tab in the app that houses some helpful lessons, such as tips for bedtime, how to optimize your lighting situation at home for more restful sleep, and sleeping with a bed partner,” she says. The one knock here is that there’s no filtering option, and Amanda thought being able to filter by length or overall health goal would have been helpful. The app asks a couple questions about why you’re changing and what you need, then will give you a few alternative therapists to choose from.

• However, if you prefer to communicate via text, the basic program could work for you.
• Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care.
• Turns out Peloton offers more than just their high-tech spin bikes and treads.
• Alo Wellness Club is a fitness and wellness app from parent company Alo Yoga — yes, the trendy brand responsible for getting us all hooked on the famous Alo Yoga Goddess Leggings.
• An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments.
• Hevy also worked nicely with my Apple Watch, which meant I didn’t have to hold—or keep checking—my phone the whole time.

This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for value, we feel that what you get for the price is fair, while high scores are given to apps that provide exceptional value for the cost. If you’re past the beginner stage and want a little more progressive overload in your strength training, we recommend a workout app such as Boostcamp. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else. It’s a simple, streamlined app that’s very beginner-friendly, but it’s not the best choice if you prefer to have access to more advanced features. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time.

What Is the Difference Between a Fitness App and a Health App?

The app can track distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate, power, and cadence. Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour) and the app delivers the moves to fit your sweat sesh. You can check out all the progressive overload apps workout programs and customize them according to your schedules and other preferences. You can also develop your own meal plans after taking inspiration from over 200 of Casey’s recipes for the 28-Day Reset. It has step counters, provides calorie-burn calculations, heart rate monitoring, and more.

Best tried-and-true fitness app

It is not the right tool for experienced lifters who want granular weight tracking, but for anyone who wants a structured, adaptable plan and the accountability to follow it, it delivers. To cut through the noise, we tested over 40 of the most popular fitness apps and programs over several months, evaluating each one on price, ease of use, workout quality, and enjoyment. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.

The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news.

We’ve tested the best workout apps to help you train at home

The in-app chat feature allows users to communicate with trainers on the fly. Shred offers impressive variety, from guided strength training to HIIT, cardio, yoga, and sport-specific programs. You can filter workouts by body part, equipment type, duration, and difficulty level. If you’re curious about personal training, the Future app is the next best option to working with an in-person instructor.

Best meal-tracking fitness app

In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows. Our tester had no issues navigating through the available sessions, giving this yoga app’s user interface a 5 out of 5. We appreciated the clear labels that explained the duration of each flow, along with the intended intensity level. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.

The Best Nutrition-Tracking Apps

The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Considering the sheer variety of well-designed workouts, our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5. Interested in Pilates as a go-to fitness discipline for your home workouts? Centr is the best workout app for most people thanks to its impressive library of strength training, HIIT, and cardio sessions. But if you’re worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth, known for his muscular stature in the Marvel superhero films, would be all about bulking up, that’s not the case. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI.

What our tester says

Whether you are new to meditation, intermediate or advanced, Headspace is your magic wand to putting you in a calmer, happier place. GH testers can’t rave enough about these easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are hundreds of mindfulness and breathing exercises to choose from, including ones geared toward improving anxiety to helping with focus and concentration with the soothing sounds of musician John Legend. Start with 3-minute meditations and build up to some of the longer practices if that’s your goal. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist, you need one place to keep track of your most recent runs and rides.

Plus & Peak Subscription

Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands. The user interface, in general, is incredibly easy to use, earning iFIT a 5 out of 5 in this category. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. We’ve tried these apps ourselves to see if they’re easy to use, fun, and worth the money you need to pay in subscription fees.