Once you sign up for a paid subscription, you get access to personalized fitness plans to meet those goals. Paid plans are around $14.99 per month, but don’t be surprised if you get a discount as a first-time user. While we think this is the best overall workout app, it’s really meant for athletes who want to follow pre-made programs rather than those who simply want an app to track their existing workouts. It’s good, but it’s a little limiting for those who want to make their own training plan. Yes, with newer workout apps, such as Future, you can get connected to a personal trainer through an app. It will cost more compared with other apps but will be cheaper than a standard personal training session at the gym.
Overall Rating: 4.28/5
There are plenty of coaches on this app with numerous years of experience in their respective fields. Strava is one of the best running apps on the market, with a free and a paid subscription to allow runners, cyclists, and walkers to keep track of their progress. That said, despite its reputation as an app for runners and cyclists, you can track a total of 31 different sports. The only downside here is madmuscles review the cost — this isn’t the cheapest app on the market.
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SHRED scored well above average for most categories, though it only earned 3 out of 5 stars for interactive features and accountability. The Shred app is an AI-powered virtual trainer that can be used to customize workouts in your home or commercial gym. Workout apps make it easier to work out anywhere, with or without equipment, and they take out the guesswork for you. It also connects you to friends on the app who can cheer you on or comment on your posts that get uploaded to your Strava feed after your workout.
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
We selected The Movement Athlete as best for calisthenics because it makes this challenging discipline approachable while maintaining the integrity of proper progression. Pliability (formerly ROMWOD) sits firmly at the top of the mobility app category, offering a comprehensive library of mobility sessions backed by sports physiotherapy principles. We selected Mobility Manual as the best fitness app for improving athletic performance because addressing limited mobility and flexibility are two areas that can instantly unlock better movement.
Your Fitness Goals
A free training program may have the power to free your mind of any woes about designing an effective workout for yourself and worry about more pressing matters (like what you’re going to have for dinner). While Caliber’s main offering is online personal training, we appreciate that the free version of the Caliber app is ad-free and features the full exercise library of over 500 movements. Each exercise features a demonstration video, step-by-step written instructions, and the ability to log your weights and reps (and access your history at any point). We also considered categories like instruction quality, workout variety, and equipment needed, all of which helped shape our overall score. After carefully rating each app we tested, we narrowed down our list to the top 14 options. Nearly 6,000 people found their ideal workout app with our help in 2025, and we’re ready to help you with the picks below.
It learns from your daily journal entries and benchmark data, providing personalized support whenever you need it. If you love to ride your bike but don’t want to hit the road during the coldest days of winter, Zwift is your solution. The app gamifies your workouts, pitting you against yourself, your friends, and fellow Zwift users in races, group rides, and targeted workouts. If you want more than just workouts, the Alo Moves app has a plethora of mindfulness and wellness classes, from breathwork and meditation to Reiki and nutrition. 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.
- He also took my feedback into account when designing workouts going forward,” says Logan, who gave Future 5 out of 5 stars for progressive overload.
- Since having my son, I’ve religiously used Joe’s The Body Coach app to rebuild my core postpartum, and I’ve loved the flexibility and challenge of the Body Coach plan.
- Completely customized plan for extra support, as well as various programs and general membership.
- The Fitbod App is a high-tech AI-powered fitness platform that personalizes workouts and adapts them over time based on your progress.
- The quality of programming, guidance, and features in paid apps is significantly higher than free alternatives, and most cost far less than a single gym session per month.
- If you’re not into weights or the fast tempo of BodyPump and Body Attack, there’s plenty of other classes to choose from.
Can you do personal training through workout apps?
Even though BetterMe received above-average scores for categories like ease of use and equipment demands, it doesn’t have too many interactive features and only received average scores for pricing and value. If you want something with a greater focus on traditional strength training, you may want to consider something like Boostcamp instead. While the pricing varies, the highest tier of Caliber starts at $200 per month, which is significantly more expensive than the average app. However, it offsets this with affordable group coaching and a free forever plan.
This creates an experience remarkably similar to having a real trainer in the gym. AI-powered virtual trainer providing customized workouts with real-time adaptive coaching and comprehensive progress tracking. You don’t need to follow a specific training program – the app simply assesses your current strength capabilities and highlights where you stand. The app introduces the concept of “strengthspan” – your overall strength capability for long-term health and longevity. Using 9 carefully selected exercises, Strength Well provides personalized strength scores and targeted recommendations to build functional strength that matters for everyday life, not just the gym. For anyone new to strength training or returning after a long break, Fitbod provides the structure and guidance you need without requiring a personal trainer or extensive fitness knowledge.
An Old-School Live Service
“Once you get used to it, it’s easy enough; things are clearly labeled,” she adds. As a fitness coach and competitive athlete, I found it to be a very useful workout app. It’s flexible, but it also tells you what the priorities should be for each day. If you have an Apple Watch, the app makes it convenient to access it and view your metrics on the smartwatch during your workouts as well. If you own an iPhone, it’s a no-brainer to sign up for a workout app that is already built into your smartphone and allows you to work out anywhere.
The Best Workout Apps of 2026: For Any Fitness Goals
While our tester enjoyed the ease with which Muscle Booster crafts a workout plan for beginners, the app didn’t hit every bullseye. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas. Rather, we find it better suited for people who have been training for at least six months because it lacks some of the human coaching and motivational tools that gym novices may want.
Best Running App
StretchIt claimed top spot in our recent comparison guide to the best stretching apps… and for good reason. This app is well priced, easy to use and comes with a whole host of stretching programs and challenges designed to help you get more flexible. We selected Cronometer as the best calorie tracking app because of its commitment to accuracy and depth.
Best workout app for beginners
Some are free or offer limited free tiers, while others charge a monthly or annual subscription. Think about what you realistically will use—if you won’t tap into coaching or advanced features, you may not need the most expensive option. Paying for a plan is only worth it if it helps you stay more consistent than you would with free content.
Make sure you either have these items, or you have the budget to purchase them. However, the partnership didn’t last and the workouts were removed from Netflix in March 2024, according to What’s on Netflix. The Netflix and Nike deal was meant to see if Netflix could compete with Peloton for streaming workouts, but it seems the company didn’t want to progress any further. During a workout, if you’re wearing one of the best Apple Watches, you’ll be able to see stats from your watch on the screen. When it first launched, you had to have a Watch to use Fitness Plus, but Apple removed the restriction in 2022. Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.