The best free and paid fitness apps of 2025, per our reviews

The best free and paid fitness apps of 2025, per our reviews

This saves a lot of time, allowing you more space to do your workout rather than fiddle with the app. The Les Mills+ training app gives you the feeling of being in a live class, from the comfort of your living room. There's tons of different classes to choose from, and they are extremely motivating. Accountability needs vary a lot depending on lifestyle and personality. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.


What age is best for brain training?


“The workouts on this app often help me feel like I’m just being mindful and moving my body to feel better rather than ‘fixing’ or ‘improving’ anything,” she explains. In a study published in the September 2019 JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth, college students who used fitness apps were more active than students who didn’t use apps. The researchers attributed this to the fact that app users felt like they had higher levels of social support and self-efficacy than non-users. Workout videos can be accessed on demand and you can track your progress in the app as well, with a user profile that records past classes and any health data you wish to track.


  • Maybe your back pain is better on days you exercise, for example, and worse on days you have a lot of stress at work.
  • After downloading the app, you’ll get customized workout suggestions based on the results of a quick quiz.
  • Neuropsychological exploration, stimulation, and cognitive rehabilitation tools.
  • Some users noted that AI-based videos feel less relatable than trainer-led ones and mentioned issues with cancellations, so keep that in mind before signing up.
  • The Alive app is SID class of 2024 trainer Gabrielle Savary’s “go-to” for strength training workouts.
  • If you’re looking to connect with a trainer, get a customized workout plan, or find some epic and efficient workouts, read on.

Best Workout Apps to Hit Your Goals, Tested and Personal Trainer–Approved


The Peloton experience is a little lacking in the accountability department if you go with the basic membership, our tester noted. “If you want more of the at-home gym experience, I recommend the All-Access option,” they said, giving this category a 3 out of 5. As an All-Access member, you can encourage other users in your classes and follow the in-class leaderboard.


top fitness apps comparison

Yoga app


Shred also offers full-length studio classes in yoga, boxing, HIIT, and more. "It creates running workouts with interval variations based on the time I want to exercise—great for mixing up my routine." When you upgrade to the paid version, you can also track your weight and visualize your progress, which might help you stay motivated. It also shows a calendar of all of your workouts and lets you see them at a glance. I’ve had this app for three years now and they do a great job of updating it regularly to add new exercises and respond to user requests. The app can take you through one of three regimens, which offer a variety of exercises, including crunches, squats and beyond.


What is the best workout app?


Plus, it can be used as a workout tracker to document your progress and stay organized. Start by identifying your fitness goals, as they will guide your app selection. Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, gain muscle, improve flexibility, or train for a specific event, choose an app that specializes in the type of workouts and progress tracking aligned with your objectives. Clear goals can also help you stay motivated and measure your success over time.


Lastly, engaging in activities such as puzzles and games can help keep the brain active and sharp and identify the earliest signs of problems like memory loss. Send assessments and training programs to your children or other family members. With it, you’ll be able to invite your group and guide them through CogniFit evaluations and training activities. This account is designed to give your employees access to CogniFit evaluations and training.


She holds a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University, as well as advanced certifications as a Women's Fitness Specialist and a Behavior Change Specialist. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. Workout apps are a fantastic tool for guidance, structured routines, and cues to help with form. However, they cannot fully replace the individualized attention and expertise of a personal trainer in a one-on-one session. Some apps, such as Future, offer virtual personal training so you can receive tailored guidance from the comfort of your home.


What to Look for in Workout Apps for Men


There are HIIT, strength, core, yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes, taught by a range of different trainers. Although there are plenty of sessions that can help you build substantial muscle, we were impressed at the variety available through Centr. There are beginner-friendly workouts, high-intensity cardio sessions, and gym-based weights sessions, but the primary focus is on helping you hit your goals, whatever they are. Fiit's group classes are completely free to join, and you only need a membership to tackle standalone sessions.


top fitness apps comparison

How to choose the right workout app for you


Experienced lifters or runners might be fine with minimal cues, as long as sets, reps, or distances are clearly laid out. Beginners, people returning from injury, or anyone unsure about form usually benefit from detailed demonstrations, step‑by‑step videos, and clear modifications. Look for an app whose level of guidance matches how confident you feel performing exercises on your own. Choosing the right workout app starts with knowing yourself—your goals, schedule, budget, and how much structure you actually enjoy.


Other popular workout apps we recommend


Ultimately, the right app for you is the one that inspires you to open it up and use it—all the apps we tested have free trials, free versions, or are entirely free, so you can try out a few to see what works best for you. When you open the app, if there is currently a live class, it’ll already be playing on the screen, so all you have to do to join it is expand the window. When you do, the instructor will greet you by your name, because classes—at least all the ones I took—actually are live. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news. If you are considering getting this app just so you can work out with Chris Hemsworth every day, you may be disappointed.


This program checked all the boxes for me.


When we talk about value in a product, we want to make sure it’s worth its price. In the case of Nike Training Club, it has killer value, as the online training program is 100% free and has been since 2020. You can read more of our thoughts on this coaching platform in our Future app review. Log your repetitions and weights from each workout, and Juggernaut AI will have you hammering out new PRs in no time. Our editor, Kerrie Hughes, is a keen gym-goer and regularly works out. I challenged her to try the app for an Apple Fitness+ review, and she's not looked back since.


However, https://realreviews.io/reviews/madmuscles.com with the update, Nike removed some of their training programs, which used to be a popular feature of the app. Instead, you now have the option to filter workouts by muscle group — abs and core, arms and shoulders, or glutes and legs, workout focus — endurance, mobility, strength, and yoga, and by equipment. There is also the option to filter by duration, level, and intensity.


Healthline’s picks for the best fitness and exercise apps


“The responsibility falls on you to do the work and research how to do exercises safely so you avoid getting hurt,” says Davis. That said, it touches on women’s health topics in many of its curated programs, like syncing workouts to your menstrual cycle and aging. If you’re someone who is new to exercising or has a specific goal in mind, you can take Obé’s quiz, and based on your answers, the app creates a personalized fitness plan for you that refreshes as you go. All the fitness apps below come recommended by NBC Select staff members or the experts I spoke to.