Best fitness app 2025: Get fit with just a smartphone

The good news is that Strava offers a free 30-day trial to those who want to try out its upgraded features before committing. If you opt for the all-access membership, it costs $50 a month and can be used whether you own the bike, treadmill or rower. Peloton also recently updated its search function, so it’s easier than ever to find your favorite artist, class title and genre.

With most apps, you can get a monthly or annual subscription, and many offer a free trial. To help you pick the right meditation app for your needs, we’ve put together this list of the best meditation apps. The app is $15 per month after a 7-day free trial, which makes it one of the more affordable options here. It is worth noting that Pvolve has a range of proprietary resistance equipment that some programmes use, and these can be bought as part of a bundle with an app subscription to save money.

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You don’t need to follow a specific training program – the app simply assesses your current strength capabilities and highlights where you stand. This makes it perfect for anyone, regardless of their current training style. The app includes over 5,000 on-demand classes as well as daily live classes when your schedule allows. During each workout, Atkins is right there with you, providing helpful cues and modifications for all fitness levels.

What to Look for in an Online Workout Program

It might not be the most exciting part of your fitness journey, but protecting your personal info helps keep your experience safe and stress-free. While some apps may charge a steep monthly fee, you can also find options that are absolutely free. Regardless of which you choose, rest assured, a workout app is probably cheaper than working with a personal trainer. Our testers have praised the instructions featured in this Reverse Health app, rating the digital training tool at 4 out of 5 for the category. While I, personally, don’t fall within the intended older women audience, I do enjoy the level of personalization that comes from the app’s multiple questionnaires.

Weekend Project

I’d recommend if you’re new to weight lifting or took a long break from it, try out one of the beginner 12 week programs. This has helped me get into working out in addition to the running/ cardio I do outside of weight lifting. While testing various online workout programs I found myself returning to Kristen McGee on days when I wanted something more mellow and grounding.

The best fitness apps to use whenever you want, wherever you are

• Naturally, Juggernaut AI is going to require some equipment from the best cable machines and racks to free weights, benches, dumbbells, and more.
• Freeletics offers a “Coach” that adapts workouts based on your feedback, fitness level, goals, and preferences.
• Most of the best fitness apps are free of charge, with the availability for subscription upgrades or in-app purchases.
• Based on your equipment selection, the app will recommend a routine that you can follow.
• TSS meets you where you are and has curated programs for all life stages.
• As a final note, Juggernaut AI is primarily focused on resistance training, making it a less suitable platform for cardio athletes.

These tools help keep your data safe, especially if you lose your phone or use public Wi-Fi. Includes guided meditations, sleep visualizations, and stress-reduction techniques. Some syncing issues or bugs reported (device sync, wearable integration, missing data) by users. Some features (like cardio logging or certain advanced filters) are locked behind paid tiers. Workouts in certain categories (e.g. yoga, Pilates, more technical strength) may not be as in-depth or varied.

Can I use more than one of these apps at the same time?

Outside of push notifications, there’s basically no motivating factor to keep you dedicated to daily practice. Finally, the Strava app is technically free to download, although we recommend subscribing to the Premium services for $11.99 monthly. Per our tester, many of the best Strava features are hidden behind a paywall, so if you’re looking for the best cardio companion for your next run or cycling workout, you should just pay up. While Strava can support a range of activities from paddleboarding to trail running and (virtually) everything in-between, we do note that strength athletes may find the modules underwhelming.

MTNTOUGH is tailor-made for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to help them get the most from the days they spend in the backcountry. It features a variety of programs spread across seven exciting categories, including Backcountry Hunter Training, Military & LEO Application Training, and Minimal Equipment Training. Pliability isn’t just an app—you can also stream its content on your computer—but iPhone users can access all of the content natively on their device. It removes the intimidation of starting out by building workouts around your ability and available equipment, and it teaches proper form through clear video demonstrations.

Runna is also one of the pricier options on our list, so you’ll want to make use of the free trial to see whether it’s worth it for you. Thenx has several workouts that target certain muscle groups and your whole body. Perfect for doing at home, these workouts start at just 5 minutes in length — giving you no excuse to back out of trying.

How to Choose a Personal Training App

Aaptiv can be appealing to novice athletes thanks to its emphasis on clear instruction across multiple modalities like strength training, cardio, yoga, and more. The app’s setup earns a 5-out-of-5 rating thanks to its detailed initial assessment. You’re asked to provide general body measurements along with your goals, equipment access, and current training load, among other details. From there, the artificial intelligence works to craft a personalized training schedule filled with engaging exercises designed to help you get stronger.

Best Online Fitness Programs and Workout Apps in 2026 (Tried & Tested)

Look for features like leaderboards, which rank and display user stats. To bring you the best running apps, we scoured the internet for all options available and sifted through them to select ones with the best user reviews, brand reputations, and features that make running easier. Whether you’re on a work trip in a far-off city or just moved into a new neighborhood, MapMyRun ensures that being in unfamiliar territory isn’t an excuse to miss your workout. The app gives you access to a massive database of user-created routes around the world. You can also search for bike routes, hikes, swimming routes, commutes, and more. You’ll be hard-pressed to personalized fitness experience find a more robust running app than WorkOutDoors for Apple Watch.

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You don’t need the best squat rack or a bevy of kettlebells and free weights at your disposal, your coach can prescribe bodyweight exercises if you’re limited on training gear. As a whole, The Sculpt Society offers sculpt, dance cardio, and strength classes, as well as full-body classes (which blend all of the above). If your goal is sustained toning, improved strength without high impact, and movement that feels supportive, B The Method should be on your list.

Fitbod uses an exercise algorithm to adapt your workout plan based on your ability, past performance, and available equipment. For someone just starting their fitness journey, this seamless experience means you’ll never feel lost in the gym. Each workout feels perfectly created for exactly where you are right now. 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. A community created for women by women, Bodylura (formerly Fit Body) features 12 programs led by four expert trainers to help you reach your fitness goals.

It’s a great free app once you can already jog 15–20 minutes, but it skips the foundation-building most beginners need. C25K includes no strength or mobility, despite the fast progression — a key gap for beginners. A 2023 study found that only 27.3% of participants completed a 9-week version of the Couch to 5K program. Most people dropped out because the weekly jumps were too aggressive for beginners. Research strongly supports habit-building as the superior long-term strategy — especially for true beginners.

How runners should use it

The same can be said for personal training apps, so think about your current fitness level and look for a service that’s accommodating to your experience level. Finally, Shred does offer a free version of the platform, but we strongly recommend opting for a Premium membership costing $19.99 monthly or, for a discounted monthly fee, $119.99 yearly. This subscription will eliminate any potential paywalls that hide progress tracking tools or other features and gives you the best landscape the app has to offer. “When compared to other personal training apps like Caliber and Future, the price isn’t too unrealistic, either,” notes our tester, who scores the value at 4 out of 5. Alo Moves is the most widely used and highly recommended fitness app among NBC Select’s staff. It has an extensive library of on-demand classes, which you can filter by exercise type, length, skill level and required equipment.