The Top 10 Best Fitness Workout Apps for 2024 | Tested and Used by Fitness Experts (How They Work, Features, and the Pros & Cons)

If you’re on the hunt for an effective tool to help you achieve your fitness goals, it could be just a click away on your smartphone. A wide range of fitness workout apps make it simple to work up a sweat, build strength, and stay motivated in any place at any time.

App stores are saturated with them, which means there's something for everyone at a range of prices. Whether you like to lift weights, join a HIIT class, or get guidance while training for a marathon, you're sure to find something. We've tested and put together a list of the best workout apps across a wide range of activities, so there's bound to be something right for you.

However, seemingly endless options can make your search difficult. So, we did the heavy lifting to narrow the list to the 10 best fitness workout apps worth the download.

To know the top 10 best fitness workout apps for 2024, the Forbes Health editorial team reviewed over 40 fitness apps across the iOS and Android app stores. Star ratings associated with each recommendation were determined solely by the editorial team and based on factors including price and the availability of several features highlighted below.

Keep reading to find out the best fitness workout app for you.

The Top 10 Best Fitness Workout Apps in 2024

• Best Fitness Workout App for Guidance and Instruction - 8fit

8fit brings together on-demand workouts and meal planning. It's one of the best workout apps for people who like a lot of guidance and instruction. The app creates a personalized program for your diet and exercise based on whatever goal you set.

You tell 8fit what your fitness goal is, and then you work out to videos in the app, log what you eat, and create meal plans using recipes and shopping lists. The free version gives you access to only some workouts, which require you to look at and tap the screen often. That's not great.

You can also track your weight and activities with the free app. The Pro version is better and unlocks personalized meals, shopping lists, calorie logging, instructions on what foods you should exclude from your diet, weekly classes you can join, and additional workouts.

The monthly rate is high, so don't sign up for it—but six-month and annual plans are priced competitively. The list prices for the Pro plan are $79 per year, $39 per three months, or $24.99 per month.

The app is available for Androids and iOS at $0.00 at 8fit.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Screenless Workout - Aaptiv

Aaptiv specializes in audio-based workouts led by trainers, meaning you don't have to keep your eyes or fingers on a screen to exercise. A trainer tells you what to do with music in the background. You can choose from one of the music styles the app offers or connect to your Spotify account.

The app suggests workouts that will suit you based on the information you provide, such as what type of exercise you like (stretching, strength training, yoga, indoor cycling, outdoor running, stair climbing, and other activities) and what styles of music you prefer.

Take advantage of the seven-day free trial via the web app, though it requires a credit card. List prices are $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year, though good discounts were in effect the last time we checked prices.

It is available at the Aaptiv official site for Android and iOS devices. It is also available for web usage.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Family Sharing - Apple Fitness+

Inside the Fitness app by Apple is Fitness+, a membership with all kinds of video workouts. You can do yoga, HIIT cardio, kickboxing, dancing, or more restorative wellness classes such as meditation.

The app also lets you create custom plans based on your preferred days to work out, class duration, trainers, music, and more. A free one-month trial is available, after which it costs a reasonable $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

If you use Apple's Family Sharing, up to five family members can also use the membership at no additional cost. If you purchase an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Apple TV, Apple Fitness+ comes free for three months.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Free Calisthenics and Pilates Workouts - Blogilates

Blogilates—officially called Body by Blogilates in the Apple App Store and Google Play—is one of the best free workout apps, hands down. There is a paid tier of service, but it's more nice-to-have than need-to-have.

You can access the workouts without even creating an account, which is good for your privacy. Blogilates contains video workouts with the ever-peppy Cassey Ho, who sweats and suffers alongside you through her tough routines.

The workouts lean toward pilates moves and calisthenics, though you can also find exercises that mix in weights and some cardio. You can sign up for challenges and try to complete a series of workouts over several days, find healthy recipes, and more, all for free.

While free content is abundant—and Blogilates is by far one of the best free workout apps you'll find—you can pay a subscription if you love the app and want to get a little more out of it.

A Workout Pass ($3.99 per month or $39.99 per year) gives you access to the Workout Calendar, as well as all challenges and programs. An All-Access Pass ($6.99 per month or $69.99 per year) lets you set goals, keep a daily journal about your progress, track your water intake, and keep a visual meal tracker.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Tough Workouts - Centr, by Chris Hemsworth

Actor Chris Hemsworth, known for playing the swole hammer-wielding god Thor, brings you this all-in-one fitness app for planning your training, doing workouts, and eating healthy.

You can use it to build muscle, lose weight, or just generally get fit. You tell the app which of these goals you're interested in during the signup process. Some workouts are coached, meaning you play a complete video of a trainer who does the workout with you.

Others are self-guided, meaning you get a timer and a sample video of each exercise instead. You can get a free seven-day trial of this app, though a credit card is required to access it. The prices are all over the place. The list prices change constantly, and the annual subscription is always on sale.

Typically, the monthly plan ($29.99) is too expensive, so don't sign up for it. The quarterly and annual rates ($60 per quarter, $120 per year) are good, and you may even find discounts for them.

The app is available at Centr for both Android and iOS devices. The web access of the app is also available as well.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Free Yoga Videos - Find What Feels Good

If you've ever searched for a yoga video on YouTube, chances are you've run into Yoga with Adriene. This same Adriene (Mishler) sells a subscription to all her yoga videos and other content under the brand Find What Feels Good, or FWFG. It's available on iOS, Android, and the web.

The FWFG library has exclusive videos, premium courses, and vlogs from Adriene, plus all the videos from Yoga with Adriene (Mischler's other website) ad-free. Mischler has brought on new instructors, too, who offer pilates and other classes via recorded video in a style that's similar to her yoga workouts.

The app and website have yoga classes for kids, too, if you want to get your young ones involved. Subscribers get access to new content as it's added. The subscription cost went up slightly in 2021 but has held steady since then at a reasonable $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year with a seven-day free trial that requires a credit or debit card number to get.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Finding Workouts by Time, Intensity, or Style - FitOn: Fitness Workout Plans

Another one of the best workout apps is FitOn. This app has video-based workouts on demand led by trainers, and a good amount of the workouts are free.

You can find exercise routines based on how much time you have, the level of intensity that you want, or the type of workout you prefer, including yoga, butt and thighs, abs, stretching, and so forth.

If you wear a connected heart rate monitor while working out, you can see your heart rate on the screen as you move. There's also a leaderboard where you can compete with other members or a group of friends.

You get a lot for free with FitOn, including all the video workouts. If you want a little more, however, such as personalized meal plans and the ability to connect to Fitbit or Garmin, you can pay for a Pro account—but don't pay the advertised rate ($79.99 for six months or $99.99 for a year).

Keep an eye out for discounts, which can bring the price down significantly. The app is available at the FitOn official site for Android and iOS devices as well as web access.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Tracking Weight Training - Jefit

Jefit is a workout app designed for people who want to log and track their strength training, such as how much weight you lift, how many reps you do, and so on. This app doesn't limit you to weight training, as you can design and track other kinds of workouts, but it's most popularly used for lifting.

The app comes with routines you can do and a bank of exercises you can explore and add to a workout plan. You can search for exercises based on which muscle groups they target.

The app also lets you track your body measurements. Jefit comes with a calendar for keeping track of your workouts, planning workout days and rest days, and a training schedule that tells you briefly what's up next in the coming days.

You can get a lot from the free version of this app, which is ad-supported. An Elite membership removes the ads and unlocks advanced features, such as video-based exercise instructions, charts, and goal settings.

In the years that we've been reviewing Jefit, the price has nearly quadrupled, but it's still not very high for the annual membership ($69.99, or $12.99 per month). The app is available at the Jefit official site for Android and iOS devices, as well as web access.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Free Exercise App for All Fitness Levels - The Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout App

The J & J (for Johnson & Johnson) Official 7-Minute Workout App is one of the best truly free workout apps. It's a circuit training app that lets you squeeze some exercise into your day at an intensity level that's right for you.

All you need is a chair and about seven minutes. A medium-intensity workout includes jumping jacks, wall chair sits, high-knee running in place, triceps dips on a chair, and a few other moves.

The app has options beyond the classic seven-minute routine, such as First Timer, Intermediate 16 Minute, and Core Workout. You can also create custom workouts by stitching together exercises that are right for you.

The interface is surprisingly attractive and intuitive, though quite simple. Audio and visual cues tell you when to start and stop each exercise in the routine, and a video demonstration appears in the middle to guide you.

Swipe in one direction, and you can pull in music from your phone if you’re using Google Play Music. Swipe in the other direction, and you see a running timer. We love that it's suitable for nearly anyone at any ability level and that it’s free to use the whole thing, not just parts of it.

The app is available for Android and iOS devices at the Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App official site.

• The Best Fitness Workout App for Energetic Instructors - Peloton: Fitness & Workouts

While the name Peloton may be synonymous with expensive stationary bicycles, the company does offer a reasonably priced fitness class subscription service to anyone, with or without home equipment.

The app has a ton of classes, from yoga to cardio to bodyweight strength and so on. Classes and instructors have the high energy and intensity Peloton is known for. Even if you pick a quick 10-minute yoga class, expect some upbeat music and someone yelling at you through a headset mic.

You can do live classes or workouts on demand with recorded videos. The app supports outdoor activities, too. Android device owners should beware that users have reported problems tracking outdoor activities, connecting to Bluetooth devices, and casting to Chromecast.

There are two subscription options to choose from. You can also sync with Apple Health if you want.

The Peloton App One costs $12.99 per month and features access to all sorts of training methods, as well as three cardio equipment classes per month (indoor cycling, running, walking, or rowing), or Peloton App+ which comes with no limit on those cardio equipment classes and costs $24 per month.

It is available at Google Play Store and Apple App Store for Android and iOS as well as web usage.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Building Muscle - Shred: Home & Gym Workout

Shred is an app that creates workouts for you to do with some basic equipment you might have at home or in a gym. The workouts are based on your goals, such as whether you want to drop a lot of weight, build muscle, or just stay healthy by adding some cardio to your routine.

Whatever the case, Shred sets you up with a complete program so you know what to do and which days to do it. You can also generate a workout based on what part of the body you want to exercise, what equipment you have, and how much time you want to spend.

Sometimes, you get full videos with a trainer working out alongside you, and other times, you get sample videos of each exercise or move and the ability to record your rep counts. You can try a few workouts for free and get a free seven-day trial, but after that, it's $99.99 per year with no monthly payment option.

The app is available at app stores and Shred Labs LLC for Android and iOS devices.

• Best Fitness Workout app for Tracking Runs and Bike Rides - Strava

Strava is a fitness-tracking app that offers access to over 30 types of sports, making it perfect for anyone who loves to run, cycle, hike, swim, rock climb, snowboard, or even golf. If you’re looking for some competition, you’re in the right place.

With Strava, you compete against yourself or others who have run, biked, or swum the same segments you have. The app uses the GPS from your phone or a connected device, such as a running watch or fitness tracker, to map where you go and how fast.

Then, it analyzes your data (and everyone else's) to see where you overlapped to compute a segment leaderboard. If you're into Strava, be sure to read all the details and options for keeping your personal information private.

The free app has plenty to get you started, but if you want advanced features, you'll want to pony up for the paid membership, which costs $59.99 per year. New members (and sometimes lapsed returning members) get a 30-day free trial.

Strava is available at top app stores for Android and iOS devices, as well as available for web usage.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Long-Term Exercise Commitment - Nike Training Club

When a pandemic was declared for COVID-19, Nike vowed to make its Nike Training Club workout app free to everyone, at least for the time being.

Almost four years later, the app is still totally free and has a wide variety of workout videos, from short yoga sessions designed to loosen and relax your body to 15-minute fun activities for kids and adults to do together.

You also have access to healthy recipes and tips on nutrition and exercise. The workouts come in the form of videos, usually with a trainer who talks to you while doing the activity alongside you, and sometimes videos showing a trainer doing the exercises with a voiceover, giving tips, and counting down the time.

While some of Nike's on-demand workout videos are short, they can also go the distance, with routines up to 60 minutes.

If you want more structure in your routine, there are programs you can join that include multiple weekly workouts, usually split into several stages. As extra motivation, you can work toward hitting the various achievements set out in the app.

The app is available at top app stores and Nike's official site for Android and iOS devices.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Women - Sweat

The brainchild of Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines, the Sweat app started as a series of downloadable "Bikini Body Guides" in 2015 and has now grown into an extensive training app with several different programs and recipes to help you reach your goals.

There's a structured program for every woman — from the new mom taking her first steps into post-baby fitness, to the girl looking to gain more confidence in the weights room at the gym.

Trainers include Kayla herself, as well as the likes of Kelsey Wells, Chontel Duncan, Britany Williams, and Stephanie Sanzo. You can switch your program easily and take on-demand classes if you feel like adding the odd barre session to your planner.

The workouts are also compatible with the Apple Watch. There’s no free version of the app, although newbies can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

During testing, we loved the range of workouts but found it a little irritating having to bend down and manually skip between exercises, although it wasn’t enough to put us off using the app regularly. We’d also say this app is aimed at women, but there’s no reason why guys couldn’t follow the training plans.

The price of the subscription is $19.99 monthly/ $119.94 yearly and the app is available at top app stores.

• Best Fitness Workout App for Personalized Training Plans - Adidas Training

Adidas Training offers customized workout plans based on individual preferences, such as how often someone wants to exercise, their ability level, and their fitness goals.

Once a personal training plan is generated based on answers to survey questions in the app, users can opt to turn on automatic workout reminders, as well as integrate their exercise data with Apple Health. In addition to common workout tracking strategies, such as graphs and health data integration, Adidas Training allows users to upload and save progress pictures.

What’s more, if a user doesn’t like the original plan designed for them, they can switch easily to a more appealing plan.

The subscription cost is free for basic, $9.99 per month, or $49.99 annually for premium. The app has no live classes, but it has heart rate monitoring services.

How Much Should You Pay for a Workout App Membership?

The real prices for fitness app subscriptions are often less than they first appear, so don't get stuck paying too much. If an app offers you a free trial, take it and cancel the subscription before the trial ends.

Doing so can sometimes trigger a discounted rate. Be patient, and never pay the highest list price you see. A deal will come, often during the "Are you sure you want to cancel?" phase of a company trying to keep you on as a customer.

App makers would love for you to believe that the best discounts happen between November and January, but it's just not true. Deals crop up all year round, and some sales never seem to end.

The prices you see above are list prices—not necessarily what you'll pay. In our opinion, $20 per month is too high for a workout app subscription. A good rate is $10–$13 per month. Even $15 per month is on the high side, though it could be worth it if you love the app and it provides services, classes, or extras above and beyond the norm.

As with many online subscriptions, you're almost guaranteed to get a better rate if you pay for a year upfront. We don't recommend doing that until you've completed a free trial and paid for a one-month membership first, however.

The reason? Sometimes, you get all the best content up front, and the rest of the catalog is duds. You'll know after around five weeks if an app seems built to last for you.

After comparing more than 70 workout and fitness apps on the market, we ruled out several that are very good but cost twice as much as most others. If you've heard about a trendy app and it's not here, there's a good chance it simply costs too much to be considered one of the best. You can do better with a little extra shopping around.

The Best Apps for Smart Gym Equipment

If you're interested in more than just apps, including at-home workout equipment that includes on-demand classes, take a look at our ultimate fitness tech guide. Just keep in mind that smart exercise equipment often costs a lot upfront and requires an additional subscription fee for classes that can also be quite steep.

For example, the Peloton Bike+ will set you back at least $2,495 for the bike itself, plus $44 per month for an all-access pass. Yowzers. Because at-home equipment is so different from a standalone workout app, we didn't include any here, but the stories linked above can help you find some great equipment.

In addition to finding you the best workout app for your needs and preferences, we'd love to steer you toward other wellness services that could be of help, including apps for weight loss, great meditation apps, and online therapy apps.

The Takeaway: Protect Your Privacy and Security When Using Workout Apps

Remember that some apps can be malicious, even fitness apps, and you always have to think about your privacy and safety before downloading. While we've tested all the apps included in this list and feel confident in their safety, there are so many fitness apps out there that it's easy for a malicious one to hide among the good ones.

Be careful what you download and what information you give to any app. Also, before you start working out, make sure you check the privacy settings on your chosen app.

Some apps will share your running routes online, for instance, something that can quickly turn into a nightmare for you if that data were to fall into the wrong hands.

If an app opens an in-app browser and asks you to submit information there, think twice—and if you follow the advice of PCMag's security analyst Kim Key, don't enter anything there at all.

Those in-app browsers can collect data on everything you do. Open your browser to the website you need, or even reconsider whether the app is worth using at all. As always, taking a few simple steps to protect your data is better than dealing with being a victim of an online crime afterward.

Alright, that is it for the top best fitness workout apps for 2024. I hope you were able to pick an app that gives you all you want from a fitness workout app. 

Odudu Abasi

I Am odudu abasi a top-notch and experienced freelance writer, virtual assistant, graphics designer and a computer techie who is adept in content writing, copywriting, article writing, academic writing, journal writing, blog posts, seminar presentations, SEO contents, proofreading, plagiarism/AI checking, editing webpage contents/write-ups and WordPress management.

My work mantra is: “I can, and I will”

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