The 9 best fitness apps

FitBudd works closely with the global fitness community, maintaining deep, ongoing involvement in the fitness industry. While many “freemium” apps lock their best content behind a paywall, the leaders in this category offer a truly “unlocked” experience. For anyone starting their journey, these workout apps provide the perfect blend of accessibility and professional coaching. We’ve included a variety of workout apps at differing price points above, with a majority of options coming in at under $100 monthly.

Best For Body Positivity: Obé Fitness

❌ Lacks social features, live classes, and interactive coaching, so you won’t get accountability partner support directly in the app. A fitness tracker may not always be comfortable to wear, especially if you’re attempting a high-energy workout or planning to sweat off the extra carbs in a sauna room. Personally, I like to keep aside all wearables while working out so nothing gets in the way or starts feeling itchy or constrictive. But no matter what, I am going to have my phone with me or nearby, so an app is a better option for me to track my fitness levels.

This formula is built for individuals looking to improve digestion, support a healthy microbiome, and maintain overall wellness as part of an active lifestyle. Gut health can influence nutrient fitness app recommendations absorption, digestive regularity, and overall daily comfort, making it an important part of a complete wellness routine. The Signature line also emphasizes quality ingredients and value-focused formulas for consistent support. Instead of tying workouts to specific days, focus on ranges or minimums, like one to three sessions per week or short workouts that still count. Systems that adapt to changing energy, time, and stress levels are far easier to stick with long term.

A good app should encourage you to improve your performance over time, whether that’s adding more weight to the bar, doing a few more reps, or running a little longer. Progressive overload is a key part of making progress, especially when it comes to strength training, according to Chris Mohr, PhD, RD. Workout plans that lacked a clear path to progression earned low 1-star scores from our team. For an app to earn higher, 4- or 5-star ratings, the workout program needed to clearly follow the principles of progressive overload. We recognize this scoring system isn’t perfect because personal training apps can cost much more to the tune of hundreds of dollars per month. This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting.

Fitbit Versa 4 alternative: Amazfit Bip 6

Caine, an Olympian who competed at the Tokyo Games, found the programming wasn’t useful for Olympic lifting. For anyone in the market for a Peloton app alternative, iFIT should scratch the itch. This platform, which ranges from $15 to $39 per month, offers a library of 10,000-plus workouts streamed right to your phone/tablet or integrated cardio machine. The massive workout selection is led by more than 180 trainers, helping you find the right fit for your training style.

The best workout app for yoga

Apple Fitness is an app designed by Apple that comes pre-installed on your iPhone and iPad. It’s where your fitness data is stored, and includes the steps tracked by your iPhone and works you completed in other apps. But as you need a subscription for most, you don’t want to join loads and spend hundreds of dollars each month. So I try the different training styles, exercise classes, and wellbeing sessions to see if you can get everything in a single app.

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The best part, though, is that it’s completely free—no monthly subscription or hassle to cancel should you decide it’s not for you. In terms of training with Juggernaut AI, you get a good mix of challenge and progress. The app tailors your prescribed weights, reps, and sets to your responses in your readiness prompt, so there are limited opportunities for overtraining or failing a lift. Unfortunately, though, this app is solely focused on strength training. Athletes wanting a cardio-based workout plan should opt for another service. There’s a group-oriented Pro version for $19 per month, and a Premium version starting at $200 monthly for individualized coaching.

This makes it ideal for anyone without gym access or those who prefer training outdoors. The programs intelligently scale difficulty, ensuring movements remain challenging yet achievable for your current level. This smart progression prevents frustration while consistently pushing your limits. We selected The Movement Athlete as best for calisthenics because it makes this challenging discipline approachable while maintaining the integrity of proper progression.

How We Tested and Chose the Best Workout Apps

These rarely interfere with actual workout logging, but they’re present. Offline functionality is non-negotiable if you train in gyms with poor cell service. A database with 1,400 exercises sounds impressive until you realize you only use 30 of them. Some provide genuine value, while others are essentially demos for premium subscriptions.

Mental Health

• Since you can use them anytime, anywhere, they’re also one of our favorite tools for staying consistent (and seeing real results).
• The app’s beautiful design and intuitive interface remove friction from tracking your nutrition, making it easy to maintain consistency.
• When consistency falls apart, it is easy to assume something is wrong with you.
• 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.
• Gain access to our gym equipment, classes, and members-only service discounts.
• Regular training places stress on joints, tendons, and ligaments, and collagen supplementation may help support these structures over time when paired with proper nutrition and recovery habits.

With so many options available, it’s important to consider your fitness level, goals, and personal preferences when selecting an app. Whether you’re searching for a free workout tracker, a strength training app, or a gym workout companion, there’s a solution out there tailored to your needs. By leveraging the best workout apps, you can stay consistent, track your progress, and remain motivated as you work toward your fitness goals. Start your journey today, discover the best workout app for you, and unlock a stronger, healthier, and more confident version of yourself. While AI is a powerful tool in 2026, 2026 research from the University of Michigan proves that human-led coaching results in 74% more weight loss and significantly higher adherence. The “Ultimate Consistency Hack” is not a better algorithm, but a real human being on the other side of the screen.

Best fitness app for those who like a little competition

The Mindset section also seems lacking, with no guided meditations at all, which at least some of the other apps include. Still, this is a fitness training app from a fitness-focused company, and that’s what Nike Training Club does best. The instructors are also consistent about offering modifications for advancing or decreasing the challenge of the workouts, too, so I could level up or down based on the kind of day I was having. Fitness Online is a comprehensive fitness training app with meal plans, analytics, and animated tutorials at your fingertips. Different fitness apps can vary in price, depending on the membership you choose and the amount of first-person coaching.

Other Workout Apps We Researched

You can customize your notifications to turn this feature off, but it seemed odd to me that this was the default. We do recommend paying close attention to the equipment requirements before hopping into a session, though. This information is sort of buried in the details, and you could be left scrambling for a dumbbell or resistance band mid-workout if you don’t do your homework prior. Below is a detailed comparison of the leading Apple Fitness+ alternatives available in 2025, based on extensive research, expert insights, and verified user feedback. It launched in late 2020, but with a catch; you had to own an Apple Watch to use the app.

FAQs About the Best Workout Apps

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. Every client gets a certified fitness professional who will prescribe training programs, follow up daily to assess progress, make program adjustments as needed, and offer accountability. Aaptiv offers audio‑guided workouts led by professional trainers, making it an engaging choice for those who prefer auditory coaching.

Try our workout quiz to find the right training style for your goals, or use the recovery calculator to see how recovery-based training works before committing to an app. You can follow friends, see their workouts, and give encouragement. The American Society of Training and Development found that having an accountability partner increases your likelihood of completing a goal by 65 percent. Hevy turns your phone into that accountability partner through social pressure and community. Beachbody is a multi-level marketing business, or MLM, which means its products and services are sold by person-to-person sales (you’ve maybe seen some acquaintances shilling it on Facebook).