Best fitness tracker 2026: Top picks from Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and more

Street Parking does provide alternate workouts based on equipment access. For example, each day’s programming has a barbell version and a dumbbell version. There’s also a “coaches’ notes” section that provides alternative ideas based on weather conditions and space limitations. It seems like the Street Parking programmers try to keep common limitations in mind and work hard to make the programming accessible to everyone. And just like their iconic cycling instructors, each one is taught by an instructor who won’t only get you the results you’re looking for but also make you want to do the work. Our content publisher started swearing by this online workout program when it got her to like tempo runs, which took her marathon training to a whole new level.

Free Workout Apps: Features Summary Table

If you’re looking for an app that can generate endless workouts for a variety of goals tailored to your preferences and equipment, Fitbod is a great choice. It focuses on strength training workouts, allowing users to build muscle and strength or train for specific activities, such as Olympic weightlifting or powerlifting. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for workout variety, and it’s affordably priced compared to other apps. We give the app 5 out of 5 stars for both ease of use and equipment demands.

Use the Macro Calculator to see what your ideal macro split should be before deciding if that limitation matters to you. MyFitnessPal has the largest food database of any calorie tracking app, with over 20 million entries. That number sounds impressive until you realize a significant portion is user-submitted, which means duplicate entries, wildly inaccurate macros, and entries that haven’t been verified since 2012.

Best Free Fitness Apps

The best option is the one you can use consistently and safely for months, not days. Many of the best workout apps include features like adaptive plans, calendar integration, and progress dashboards, so your training can be as data-driven and streamlined as the rest of your work life. If your goal is to manage stress, build strength, or simply close your activity ring, the best workout apps of the year are designed to remove friction, reduce decision fatigue, and help you stay consistent. While the workout library isn’t as dense as some other apps, the app is high quality and you can personalize your training programs when creating fitness goals.

Equipment Demands

At Live Science, we have spent countless hours testing wearable tracking and fitness devices, assessing their accuracy, features and durability. We have checked whether they work with third-party devices and, more importantly, tried to determine exactly who would benefit most from them. You can read more about our testing protocol in the How we test section below. Unsure what kind of fitness tracker to look for in the Christmas sales? All this data is sent to an app on your smartphone, where you can track changes over time.

Second-best workout tracker

gym workout apps comparison

Download it, and you’ll have access to hundreds of workouts at every skill level, targeting every muscle in your body, from top certified trainers. 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. You’ve probably heard of Centr because it’s a workout program created by actor Chris Hemsworth.

Goals

We also liked its easy-to-use, colorful display and comfortable, buttery-soft strap. Not to mention, it was one of the lightest and most compact smartwatches we have ever tested. During testing we extensively study the battery life of all these devices. Simply wearing them for a few days isn’t enough, so we always make sure to run them down completely to get a true feel for how long battery lasts in a given fitness tracker.

It’s also an incredibly friendly app platform, especially impressive given it’s for a debut product. Usually an afterthought of startups, the Leep Health app delivers with a strong emphasis on intuitive feedback and a clean interface. The Leep Ring is a strong debut for the UK-based startup, offering a sleep-first approach at a competitive $199 price point (with no subscription required).

User Interface and Experience

  • 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.
  • This app costs $25 a month ($135 a year) but lets you test it for free for seven days if you’re a new member.
  • During an episode of sleep apnea, the heart rate and oxygen saturation levels may drop, and then increase and recover after the episode is over.
  • Even before this move, the workouts were pretty good, but now the app is unbeatable as far as free programming goes.
  • The free tier on MFP has gotten progressively more restricted over the years.
  • This app is incredibly easy to navigate on iPhone and Android devices, earning a 5 out of 5 for user interface.

Once you record your activity, it’s shared to your feed, where friends and followers can comment mad muscles review and share their own races and workouts. Choose from cycling, running, rowing, boxing, hiking, HIIT classes, and more. Stream the workouts on your device of choice — including most smart TVs — and track metrics on your smartwatch (only available for Apple users).

The RPG Training System: Ascend

Studies show people with social accountability exercise 30% more consistently. Free workout apps have great value, providing basic instructions with libraries of exercises and workouts at no cost to you. Some of our favorite free workout apps include Caliber, Nike Training Club, and Map My Fitness. If those don’t do it for you, we have more free workout apps to choose from on our best free workout app roundup. If you’re looking for a simple workout tracker with an expansive community feed, look no further than Hevy, our pick for the best free app for community support.

Best Personal Training App for Strength: Shred

The lack of a coach-led workout might deter some people from using this app, Amanda suggests. Map My Fitness is a well-established and widely-used fitness tool that allows you to choose from a huge variety of workouts with some really notable features. Whether you’re working out in a gym or looking for a route to run, Map My Fitness has got you covered. It also contains workouts for people who want to do pilates, yoga, HIIT, functional training, and even meditation. “The instructors were motivating and talked throughout the class, but not so much that their voice got annoying while I was sweating and out of breath,” Anthony says.

gym workout apps comparison

The AI then personalizes these expert-designed templates based on your feedback and performance. The exercise library covers over 2,000 movements spanning strength training, bodyweight, calisthenics, cardio, and mobility, for both home and gym settings. For each exercise you can swap to alternatives based on what equipment you have available, which makes it genuinely flexible in practice. The interface is clean and intuitive, and the guided workout player walks you through each session with video demonstrations, muscle diagrams, and built-in rest timers. The best workout app depends on your goals, experience, and preferences—someone training for muscle gain might choose a strength‑focused app, while a beginner walker may prefer a simple, walking‑based program.

Now, we’re stepping in as your spotter to help you choose the perfect weightlifting app for maximum gains. You can also sync the app with your fitness tracker to automatically track your movement. In addition to tracking, the app calculates the calories burned by your movement, allowing you to adjust your caloric intake goals correspondingly within the app. If you aren’t able to find your type of exercise in the app, you can create a custom exercise to use again later.

Apple Fitness+

Popular stretching app with instructor-led classes and fun challenges to help you become more flexible. Research shows that just two strength sessions per week can boost brain function, improve metabolism, reduce aches, regulate stress hormones, and lower chronic inflammation. Strength Well makes achieving these benefits straightforward and measurable. Daily Burn and Peloton offer the largest libraries spanning the most workout types. 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.

That’s because the programming was created by the world’s most elite trainers, as well as our own certified team of fitness experts. These days the digital world is very much a part of our existence, and for all of the negatives that come with that, there are also potentially useful tools that are available to those in the pursuit of fitness. As the ways we approach exercise have shifted in the face of changing technology, having a digital training partner has become more commonplace. Whether you’re exercising at home, or on the road, the best workout apps have become one of the most versatile fitness tools out there. This roundup review highlights the sheer depth of quality when it comes to online fitness programs and apps that are available at the moment. Features and price vary quite dramatically, so you’ll need to think carefully about your personal preferences, budget and fitness goals.