One-Time Purchase vs. Subscription

In testing, I also found the wearable connectivity unimpressive; while accurate, it showed only basic metrics (pace and heart rate) during my run. It didn’t note any laps or splits, and there wasn’t an option to mark those manually. If you pay for the premium subscription, you can see those metrics in the mobile app afterwards—but they weren’t visible on my Apple Watch during the activity. Comprehensive comparison of the top free workout tracking apps in 2025, including features, pros, cons, and recommendations.

If you’re serious about strength training and want a tool that grows with you, exploring options like Setgraph can transform how you approach progressive overload. The app’s focus on simplicity means you spend less time managing your tracker and more time actually lifting. Nike Training Club is completely free with no premium tier at all. Over 190 guided workouts covering strength, cardio, yoga, and mobility. The app includes pre-built workout routines for various goals (strength, madmuscles review hypertrophy, fat loss) and experience levels.

• And if that’s not enough, Gymverse offers calorie tracking when paired with a wearable, which is a nice addition and helps you get a better view of your overall fitness.
• 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.
• When starting, look for videos labeled specifically for beginners and make sure your doctor clears any new exercise routine.
• Amanda gives NTC a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands, noting that you’ll need equipment for the majority of workouts, but you can filter workouts by what type of equipment you have available.
• Ascend’s gamification isn’t cosmetic—the RPG system represents actual training principles.
• While it lacks the bells and whistles of some other apps, I still really liked this app.

Best App for Cardio and Running Workouts

Over the years, he has evolved into a recognized wearables and fitness tech expert. Through Wareable’s instructional how-to guides, Conor helps users maximize the potential of their gadgets, and also shapes the conversation in digital health and AI hardware through PULSE by Wareable. As an avid marathon runner, dedicated weightlifter, and frequent hiker, he also provides a unique perspective to Wareable’s in-depth product reviews and news coverage. In addition to his contributions to Wareable, Conor’s expertise has been featured in publications such as British GQ, The Independent, Digital Spy, Pocket-lint, The Mirror, WIRED, and Metro.

The social aspect is either a major selling point or completely irrelevant depending on your personality. If you prefer to train solo and focus on your own progress, these features add unnecessary complexity. JEFIT’s standout feature is its enormous exercise database with detailed instructions and animations.

From more advanced sleep tracking to workouts and mindfulness exercises, Fitbit Premium offers a little of everything. Its killer feature, however, is the Daily Readiness Score which helps pool all of your data into a single figure that shows just how fatigued you are, and whether you need to take a rest or not. 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.

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While not primarily a logging app, it excels at guided workouts with video demonstrations and audio coaching. Yes, most quality workout tracker apps work offline and sync your data when you reconnect. This is essential since many gyms have poor WiFi or are in basements with no signal. Setgraph, Strong, JEFIT, and Hevy all offer full offline functionality. Apps that rely heavily on AI features (like Fitbod) may have limited offline capabilities.

Plus, most fitness trackers offer heart rate monitoring so you can keep tabs on your heart health. And, with February being American Heart Month, now’s a great time to purchase one of these wearables to check your heart health daily. Whether you are a beginner looking for one of the best budget fitness trackers or a keen athlete in search of a top-quality running watch, we have a fitness tracker recommendation for you.

Hevy Coach

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. The app offers live classes every day of the week — filmed in a fun neon studio — in addition to its extensive on-demand library of more than 7,000 classes. Offerings include ashtanga, hatha, kundalini, restorative prenatal, vinyasa, HIIT flow, and kids yoga. Perfect your backbends and inversions, learn how to boost sleep quality, or release stress and shift energy on a seven-day meditation journey. Alo Moves may have claimed a top spot on MacPherson’s list of top strength apps, but it’s also one of her favorites for yoga. “They have incredible programs and instructors for all levels and types of yoga,” she says.

Best fitness trackers FAQs

We’ve tested Fiit with and without equipment or chest strap monitors, and every class we’ve sweated through gets a huge tick from us. However, with so many options out there, including both free and paid apps, it can be hard to know which will suit your training needs. Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. While the free version is extensive, if you’re going on some deep country trails, it may be worth it to upgrade. At only $35.99 per year, the monthly price works out to only $2.99, so even the paid plan earns a 5 out of 5 for value. There are notifications for accountability, but they’re all focused on the social media aspect, getting likes or follows.

Best budget fitness tracker

It features a harder, more scratch-resistant screen and longer battery life than its predecessor, while adding 5G connectivity for faster downloads when you’re separated from your phone. It otherwise carries forward the Series 10’s sleek design, featuring a bright and colorful 2,000-nit wide-angle OLED display. With these upgrades, the Apple Watch Series 11 remains the best iPhone-compatible smartwatch for most buyers. Yes, though apps vary in how well they handle non-weighted exercises. Most strength training apps let you log bodyweight movements (pull-ups, push-ups, dips) by tracking reps and sets without weight. For cardio, you’ll need to check if the app supports time-based or distance-based tracking.

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Plenty of research1 has shown that following a workout routine can help improve your physical fitness and athletic performance, but getting a personalized training plan can be expensive. Several apps offer robust free tiers that cover basic tracking needs. However, free versions typically limit the number of workouts you can create, include ads, or restrict your exercise history. If you’re serious about training and plan to track long-term, a paid subscription ($5-10/month) removes these limitations and usually pays for itself in motivation and progress.

Battery life: How long do fitness tracker batteries last?

In our Apple Watch SE 3 review we wrote “it matches the Series 11 and Ultra 3 in speed and smoothness, offers solid battery life, and feels like a compact yet uncompromised Apple Watch”. You can also compare colleges based on graduation rates — how likely a student is to complete their degree on time, which is a big factor in how much college will cost in the long run. There is also data about what the student body looks like and how many people stick with their school.

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They’re great for people trying to make a dent in their health and fitness, but who don’t want to splash out on one of the best smartwatches. Oura justifies this somewhat by being the industry leader in new features, which help keep the experience fresh. However, it’s still a much higher investment than most other fitness trackers and smart rings. “A great fitness tracker is one you love wearing—and that may be because you forget it’s there. It should be comfortable, have a charging cycle that fits your lifestyle, and present your data in a way that’s simple, motivating, and easy to understand. It’s a big reason Fitbit dominated the basic fitness-tracking category in the early days of wearables.

Fitness tracking is no longer just about counting steps; it’s about gaining insights into recovery, stress levels, sleep quality, and training load. Before purchasing an app, a person should check the price, the additional features, and whether the exercises are appropriate for their fitness level. It’s billed as a nutrition and food tracking app, but MyFitnessPal also includes fitness features like activity logging and estimates of calories burned.