The 11 Best Free Workout Apps Tested by Experts 2026
Advanced health, fitness, and longevity insights to help you perform at your peak, longer. Seeing your previous sets makes progressive overload straightforward—you know exactly what to beat. MyFitnessPal syncs with many wearables to import workout data automatically. Strava integrates with virtually every fitness wearable—Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, Wahoo, and more. Gym WiFi is terrible, and cellular data is spotty in basement weight rooms.
- The key is making this information visible during your workout, not buried in analytics you check later.
- If you already have a favorite watch that you don’t want to stop wearing, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a good alternative and is so light and compact you’ll forget you’re even wearing it.
- Metrics such as active heart rate, calories, steps, and distance are tracked, too, and demo videos are also available on the watch, though trainer audio is not.
- Some of our favorite free workout apps include Caliber, Nike Training Club, and Map My Fitness.
- If you’re a professional athlete or a data-obsessed biohacker, that cost is worth the elite-level insights, but for a casual walker, it might feel like overkill.
- We love a workout app because there’s very little downside to giving one a try.
MyFitnessPal – Best for Combining Nutrition and Exercise
Use forms, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated, AI-powered systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization’s technology stack. You can engage with other Ladder users to help spur you on to greater PRs and loftier goals without trying to make awkward small talk at your gym. 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. VR fitness (supernatural boxing, cycling through virtual worlds) and AR running companions will make solo workouts more engaging. Nike Training Club offers free guided workout videos from professional trainers. Tracking helps you implement progressive overload and spot plateaus.
Can fitness trackers measure blood pressure?
With an app, you can complete your workouts any time of day—first thing in the morning or on your lunch break—it’s totally up to you. Some apps even have coaching check-ins or community boards for additional accountability. 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). His works have been previously featured by DICK’S Sporting Goods as well as Gear Patrol.
Garmin Connect – Best for Serious Athletes and Multisport
Even though the app doesn’t offer any standout features, it includes solid basics at a decent price point. Plus, it captures more than just workouts—making it an affordable all-around tracker. 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. If you want analytics, device sync, or AI-driven programming, expect a subscription in the $3–$15/month range.

After living with these devices and putting them through everything from restless nights to intense gym sessions, I can honestly say that the perfect fitness mad muscles review tracker depends entirely on what you value most. If you’re like me and want a device that basically acts as a tiny health coach, the Fitbit Charge 6 is the clear winner for its accuracy and Google-powered smarts. I’ve worn trackers that were so bulky they caught on my jacket sleeves. If you have smaller wrists, the Vivosmart 5 or the Fitbit Charge 6 will look much better than the wider Samsung Fit 3. I personally like silicone because it’s best for sweating, but some trackers allow you to swap in leather or metal for a nicer look. The best free workout app depends on what you’re going to be using it for.
Plus & Peak Subscription
Sleep tracking is available on this wearable, but the pure size and weight of this watch may not be comfortable for some, for them to wear it to bed. But, saying that, it is highly durable, which is what you want from an adventure watch. The Garmin Forerunner 965 is an excellent choice for runners thanks to its user-friendly design, excellent navigation, and a wealth of features designed to boost your exercise performance. While it is still relatively pricey (around $500 – $600, depending on the retailer), it is still more affordable than some of the more premium Garmin models. We gave it a strong 4.5 stars in our Garmin Forerunner 965 review and thoroughly recommend it to anyone passionate about running. For those who run, hike or walk and want to keep track of metrics like distance and pace without their phone, choose a fitness tracker that has built-in GPS.
Maybe you get push notifications, or there’s a feature where you can integrate the workout app with your online calendar, but no human support or interaction. Because the programs we tested are 100% online, it’s important that the platform is easy to use and doesn’t take away from the workout experience. For an app to earn a 1-star rating, the interface is confusing, there are no filters for specific needs, and it generally feels chaotic. Basically, we wanted evidence that the programs weren’t just random kitchen-sink workouts, which throw a random assortment of exercises at you each day, with no overarching plan or system in place. Workout plans that lacked a clear path to progression earned low 1-star scores from our team.
Battery Life
As of this writing, the monthly plan ($29.99) is too expensive; therefore, I would not recommend signing up for it. The annual rate ($134.99) is more reasonable, though still on the high side. 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.
Alo Wellness Club
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is a very aggressively-priced fitness tracker with a big screen, lots of battery and generally good fitness tracking features. It’s a good buy if you’re looking for a fitness tracking solution on a budget for gyms, fitness classes and light running. The hardware is exceptional, with a bright, responsive AMOLED screen that rivals an Apple Watch. Its fitness tracking is also surprisingly powerful, featuring accurate dual-frequency GPS and offline mapping—features previously unheard of at this price. It also offers reliable heart rate and sleep tracking, presented well in the Huawei Health app (no subscription required). Founded by the actor Chris Hemsworth, Centr offers specialized training programs and more than 1,400 HIIT, strength, Pilates, and yoga workouts — many of which you can do at home.
Evaluate whether the app unlocks features you’ll actually use — a powerful AI program is only useful if you follow it. The best workout app for you will vary depending on your fitness goals, budget, preferred training method, and the level of coaching you desire. Some of our recommended apps include Shred, Future, Caliber, and iFIT. Once you’re past the beginner stage, you’ll probably need to repeat workouts many times, focusing on progressive overload, to continue to make progress. However, that doesn’t mean workouts should be boring, so we use this category to assess how much variety there is for users, both in terms of training styles (strength, cardio, etc…) and actual workouts.

Apple Watch or wearable integration is valuable if you use those devices. Apps requiring multiple screens or confusing navigation waste time and break workout flow. Look for one-tap logging, smart suggestions based on previous sets, and minimal required inputs.
Fitness Tracker Integration
Mind you, this model currently has the 8.8GB Europe Topo maps pack installed, but you can freely install others if you like. Not to mention, it is cheaper by at least $400 and feels less chunky and intimidating than its pricier counterpart. This sleek wearable not only looks good, feels good and works well, but it is also suitable for a wide range of people, from fitness beginners to budding athletes. That said, its fitness-tracking performance would still satisfy most serious exercisers, as we discovered during our full Amazfit Balance review. We have tried and tested dozens of fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart rings — these are the top 12 wearables that should land in your cart this February. You can connect your Suunto watch to various third-party apps, including Strava, Apple Health and Map My Run.
Will these apps work with my Apple Watch or Fitbit?
We appreciate that you can access the workouts without needing to create an account, which is beneficial for your privacy. Blogilates features video workouts led by the ever-peppy Cassey Ho, who sweats and suffers alongside you through her challenging routines. The workouts lean toward Pilates moves and calisthenics, although you can also find exercises that incorporate weights and some cardio.
Best workout app for runners
Workouts adapt to your equipment availability—bodyweight only, dumbbells, or full gym access. With over 1.2 million downloads and a 4.9 rating, Strong has earned its reputation as the go-to strength training app. The interface feels intuitive from day one—you can start logging workouts within minutes of downloading. The AI workout generator creates personalized training plans based on your goals, schedule, and available equipment. It’s particularly useful for beginners who need direction or experienced lifters wanting to try a new split. When you can see that you benched 185 pounds for 8 reps last week, you know exactly what to aim for today.
Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. But that’s not to say Netflix will never offer free workouts again. That’s why we put each app to the test before including it in our guide.