Best fitness trackers 2026: Apple Watch, Fitbit, Samsung and more

We’ve been testing fitness trackers and smartwatches for years, using every offering from Garmin, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Amazfit and many more. Beyond logging, you can follow other lifters, share workouts, and participate in community challenges. The motivation model is social accountability—knowing others can see your workouts creates external pressure to show up consistently. At the lowest price point in the market, Hevy positions itself as the value leader. Kinshuk Snehi has been closely involved in the fitness space for over four years. Through his work at FitBudd, he has contributed to shaping how fitness professionals build their online presence, attract clients, and scale sustainable coaching businesses.

Compared to other stretching apps, StretchIt’s use of instructor-led classes made a big difference, as they help guide you through the different stretches. Health professionals particularly appreciate Cronometer, with Cronometer Pro offering specialized features for dietitians and nutritionists to work with clients directly through the app. Cronometer stands out from crowded alternatives by prioritizing data quality above all else, using verified sources like the USDA and Nutrition Coordinating Center rather than unreliable crowd-sourced entries. Christina is a health commerce staff writer at Fortune with more than a decade of experience crafting engaging content for digital platforms. There are also a few red flags to watch for when you’re evaluating options. Finally, we enjoyed the user interface of this app and felt its layout to be rather intuitive after the first few workouts.

gym workout apps comparison

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”. The SE 3 is Apple’s cheapest up-to-date offering, and unlike most of the entries on this list, it’s a true smartwatch. That means it pairs seamlessly with your iPhone to deliver a more complete communications experience with watchOS 26, not just stripped-down notifications.

Luckily, Torokhtiy offers great instruction, earning a rock-solid 4-out-of-5 rating in the category. Having competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Caine wasted no time trying out a fellow https://mail.topendsports.com/fitness/products/apps/mad-muscles.htm Olympian’s training program. He focused his efforts on the highly popular Weightlifting Male 2.0 Program (there’s also a comparable program for women with volume and intensity adjustments). If you’re looking for another weightlifting app that won’t cost you a penny, the fully free version of Caliber can be a great alternative. JuggernautAI earned high scores in nearly every category outside of workout variety and interactive features.

Nike Nike Training Club App

Connect your workout tracker with your sleep app, nutrition app, and calendar. When all your health fitness data flows together, you spot connections. Many fitness apps offer paid plans with advanced analytics, custom workout templates, and detailed reports. You might discover the free tier covers everything you actually need.

Best Personal Training App for Beginners: Aaptiv

  • The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up.
  • The best workout app will be the one that offers you the right tools to achieve your goals and fits your lifestyle.
  • The kind of weights can vary though—free weights, Olympic barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, slam balls, and even resistance bands.
  • Apple Fitness+ is a great all-around workout app, but only if you have an iPhone.
  • Each program comes with step-by-step details to complete each movement along with helpful photos illustrating how the exercises should be done.
  • Being able to choose what you have available—ranging from full gym access to just your bodyweight—makes it accessible for people who train at home, in different gyms, or while traveling.

” Additionally, they often cost less than hiring an in-person instructor. Plus, they can be ideal for athletes struggling to compile a worthwhile regimen on their own. Below are some of the perks that come with adding one of these services to your home screen. They also noted that the instructors were clear and easy to follow along with, and appreciated how upfront they were with equipment requirements prior to the session.

gym workout apps comparison

The Fitbit Charge 6 is the most advanced band-style fitness tracker you can buy from Fitbit these days, and it’s packed with more features than you’ll find from the Fitbit Luxe at the top of this list. This is why it’s our top pick if you’re looking for a tracker to suit a lot of different needs and workout types. It’s not cheap compared to some of the fitness bands on this list, but it’s a powerful fitness tool with a smorgasbord of excellent third-party apps, such as AllTrails and Smartgym. Its own native Workout app is great, especially for running and cycling, and provides a ton of contextual features when paired with Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones. It also can aid in the diagnosis of health conditions like Sleep Apnoea and hypertension. For incredibly accurate tracking, give the discreet Samsung Galaxy Ring a try.

Best yoga app

The app only works in areas with cell service; to be able to download a trail route for offline use, you’ll need the pro version of AllTrails. “This is helpful (and critical, I’d argue) if you’re in the backcountry with questionable cell service, especially if you don’t have any other navigational tools or are unfamiliar with the area,” Amanda argues. The GPS support seems to work well enough, as Amanda tested its accuracy with other GPS trackers she uses, and it was comparable to those apps and trackers. She gave it a 3-out-of-5 rating, as it still wasn’t always accurate, getting within about a tenth of a mile for accuracy.

It features a variety of programs spread across seven exciting categories, including Backcountry Hunter Training, Military & LEO Application Training, and Minimal Equipment Training. 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. What makes FitBudd particularly powerful is how it streamlines the entire client journey. From initial consultation and program delivery to progress tracking and ongoing communication, everything happens within the branded app environment. All-in-one platform empowering fitness professionals to build, manage, and scale their online training business with custom-branded apps. The app’s beautiful design and intuitive interface remove friction from tracking your nutrition, making it easy to maintain consistency.

Best Free Workout App for Variety: Nike Training Club

Expert product tester Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, has also used the app for more than two years now, and loves the expert coaching and combination of visual and auditory cues. The Shred app is significantly cheaper than the average training platform. The seven-day trial period is right on par with other services, as well. Kate has nearly two decades of experience working in both the fitness and content industries.

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Based on your results, Pliability recommends specific content to address your weaknesses. We selected Pliability as the best app for recovery and mobility because it addresses an area most people neglect yet could benefit from enormously. Poor mobility causes compensatory movement patterns, increases injury risk, and limits performance.

Progression

You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets. The app is a pretty great deal at just $14.99/month, but if you want the best value, buy a year for just $89.99, which will save you 50% compared to paying month-to-month. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The onboarding process is thoughtful, sprinkling helpful tips and realistic expectations throughout. Yazio understands common roadblocks people face, particularly the tendency to set overly ambitious goals that lead to frustration and abandonment. You can assess your current joint mobility across different areas, revealing limitations you might not have realized.

Best workout subscription apps compared

Whether you’re looking for home workouts, gym training, or weight loss programs, we’ll show you exactly what each app offers without spending a dime. If you’re looking for an online workout program, one of the factors could very well be money. Personal training can be expensive, and getting your workouts online is often more affordable and more convenient.

Best audio-only workout subscription app

Our full Nike Training Club review goes over workout variety in more detail. As a certified personal trainer and expert product reviewer, I tend to be tough on online workout programs but I could find very few faults with the Caliber Strength Training App. What I love about it is it stresses fitness fundamentals such as progressive overload, energy balance, flexible nutrition, and the importance of rest periods. Hevy is our choice for the best free weightlifting app, as it provides not only basic workout tracking with simple features but also an expansive community in the app. You can post and share workouts, as well as like and comment on other users’ training progress. Furthermore, this free workout app contains an expansive exercise library with videos and directions on each movement.

Best cheap Fitbit fitness tracker

When not concerning himself with health and technology, James can be found excitedly checking out each week’s New Music Friday releases. 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. Although many of the best workout apps require a subscription, most also have a free trial to get a taste of the workout style, instructors, and ease of use. However, if you’re after an app that does a bit of everything, you might be better off with Apple Fitness+, as Alo Moves is primarily a yoga app, with a bit of cardio and strength training on the side. But this does make it the perfect option for yogis looking to practice at home.

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