Discover Top-Rated iPhone Workout Apps to Achieve Your Fitness Goals
The countless health and fitness apps available on the App Store often overwhelm our fitness journey. Finding the right fitness app can make all the difference between a short-lived resolution and a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Some of the best digital fitness solutions offer personalized workouts, nutrition tracking, and motivation to help you reach your fitness goal.
This article evaluates and finds the most popular fitness applications based on user experience, feature sets, effectiveness, and value. Whether you’re a beginner just starting your wellness journey or a fitness enthusiast looking to optimize your routine, these top-rated fitness apps offer something for everyone.
Unlike many other gym apps, Planet Fitness Workouts is a good fitness app that provides an extensive library of on-demand workout videos, making it accessible to users at all fitness levels. The Crowd Meter allows gym-goers to check how busy their local Planet Fitness is before visiting. Additionally, members can enjoy exclusive perks, including discounts on top brands and referral benefits.
It includes easy-to-follow exercise tutorials, helping users perfect their form and become more comfortable with gym equipment. The app integrates with Apple Fitness for seamless activity tracking. One drawback is it lacks an offline mode for workouts, which could be a limitation for users in areas with poor connectivity.
The digital check-in feature simplifies gym visits, while the Crowd Meter helps users plan their workouts more effectively. Additionally, Planet Fitness members can benefit from referral perks and discounts. On the downside, some of the best perks, such as premium workouts and access to Black Card Spa services, are locked behind the PF Black Card membership.
While it does not offer in-depth nutrition tracking or personalized coaching, it provides an all-in-one solution for gym users looking for a structured fitness experience.
MyFitnessPal stands as the gold standard for nutrition tracking and calorie counting. This comprehensive wellness platform is your all-in-one food diary, nutrition coach, and meal planner. The app’s primary strength lies in its massive food database containing over 14 million items, including restaurant dishes. This extensive library makes logging meals remarkably simple, whether typing to search, scanning barcodes, or using the innovative meal scan feature to capture entire plates with your camera.
The user interface is practical, allowing quick logging of food and providing detailed nutritional insights. Beyond basic calorie counting, MyFitnessPal excels at macro tracking, breaking down carbs, proteins, and fats by grams and percentages. The water tracker and exercise logger further complement the nutrition focus, creating a holistic health monitoring system.
On the downside, the most valuable features require a premium subscription, which may deter budget-conscious users. Additionally, some users report occasional inaccuracies in the food database for regional or specialty items. Compared to similar nutrition apps, MyFitnessPal offers superior food recognition technology and community features, though competitors like Lose It! provide comparable core functionality.
Finch takes a unique approach to wellness by gamifying self-care through a virtual pet that grows and thrives when you take care of yourself. This innovative app transforms mental health practices and daily wellness habits into rewarding interactions with your digital companion. What makes Finch unique is how it leverages the emotional connection to a virtual pet to encourage consistent self-care practices that might otherwise feel like chores.
Its clean, colorful interface makes mental health activities feel approachable. Quick mood check-ins, mindful exercises, and evening reflections are all framed as ways to care for your pet, making them more engaging and consistent.
Finch shines in its various self-care tools, including goal tracking, guided journaling, breathing exercises, quizzes, mood tracking, and sleep aids. The insights feature combines analytics from these activities to provide a holistic view of your mental health patterns. The app maintains a good balance of free and premium features, though some users note that energy limits in the free version can restrict daily activities.
Finch offers a more playful and engaging approach than traditional mental health apps like Calm or Headspace. However, it may not provide the depth of meditation content found in specialized meditation apps. Finch is ideally suited for individuals who struggle with consistency in their mental health practices and those who respond well to gamification and cute rewards. Users who find traditional wellness apps too clinical or boring will appreciate Finch’s fresh approach to making self-care rewarding and fun.
Lose It! represents the next generation of calorie tracking apps, leveraging AI technology to simplify the often tedious food logging process. This weight management app centers on the proven principle of calorie tracking but stands out with its AI-powered features. The standout innovations include Snap It photo meal logging and AI voice logging, allowing users to take a picture of their food or tell the app what they’ve eaten for instant logging.
Beyond basic calorie counting, Lose It! provides insightful patterns and personal insights to identify what’s helping or hindering your progress. The comprehensive macro tracking and meal planning features further enhance the experience.
While the core functionality is available in the free version, premium subscribers report 3x the weight loss success, highlighting the value of the paid features. Some users note the AI recognition can sometimes misidentify foods, requiring manual corrections.
Strava has revolutionized fitness tracking by transforming it into a social experience. As the self-proclaimed “home base of your movement,” this app excels at recording, analyzing, and sharing your outdoor activities. The primary function of Strava is to track a wide variety of exercises, with particular strength in running, cycling, and hiking. What sets it apart is the robust community aspect that turns solo workouts into shared experiences. The app’s routes feature intelligently recommends popular paths based on community data, making it easier to discover new training grounds.
User experience is streamlined and athlete-focused, with clean visualization of performance metrics. The activity feed presents real efforts from real people, creating an authentic social atmosphere that motivates through genuine connection rather than filtered perfection. Privacy features allow you to control who sees your activities and routes.
Strava’s premium features include advanced performance analytics, training plans, and safety features like real-time location sharing. However, many users note that the free version’s limitations have increased over time, pushing more features behind the subscription paywall.
Compared to pure tracking apps like Garmin Connect or MapMyRun, Strava offers a superior social experience and community engagement, though dedicated training apps may provide more structured workout guidance. Strava is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts who thrive on community motivation and friendly competition. Whether you’re training for your first 5K or your tenth marathon, accurate tracking and social engagement create a uniquely motivating fitness experience.
BetterMe offers a comprehensive approach to fitness and nutrition with personalized guidance from certified coaches. This app’s core function is to provide customized workout and meal plans tailored to individual goals, preferences, and lifestyle factors. What distinguishes BetterMe is its emphasis on human coaching—users can message certified coaches directly for guidance, motivation, and accountability.
The user interface balances information density with accessibility, making it straightforward to access workouts, meal plans, and progress tracking. The app excels at variety, offering over 800 home workouts across multiple disciplines, from prenatal yoga to guided interval running.
BetterMe’s nutrition component is particularly strong, featuring hand-picked recipes for various dietary preferences, including keto, vegan, and intermittent fasting plans. The integrated calorie tracker complements these meal plans by allowing users to log food items not included in the prescribed diet.
The premium subscription model provides access to the most valuable features, particularly coach communication, which may be a barrier for budget-conscious users. Some users report that the personalization algorithm occasionally needs fine-tuning after initial recommendations.
Compared to similar coaching apps, BetterMe offers more affordable access to human coaching, though the interaction may not be as intensive as higher-priced personal training apps. BetterMe is ideal for individuals who benefit from external accountability and professional guidance but don’t want to invest in traditional personal training. Combining structured plans and human coaching creates a supportive environment for sustainable lifestyle changes.
FitOn: Premium Workouts Without the Premium Price
FitOn has disrupted the digital fitness landscape by offering celebrity-led workouts and personalized fitness plans completely free of charge. This app’s core function is to deliver high-quality workout videos across multiple disciplines, from cardio and strength training to yoga and meditation. FitOn’s impressive roster of celebrity trainers, including Cassey Ho, Gabrielle Union, and Jonathan Van Ness, is typically found only in premium subscription services.
Workouts are categorized by type, duration, and intensity, and the interface makes it easy to find appropriate classes, whether you have 10 minutes or an hour. The social elements, including leaderboards and real-time messaging with workout partners, add motivation and accountability.
A major advantage is the truly free core offering—unlike most fitness apps that restrict content behind paywalls, FitOn provides complete access to its workout library without subscription requirements. The optional PRO upgrade adds meal plans, recipes, and premium music but isn’t necessary to access the workout content.
Some users note that while the workout variety is excellent, the progression between difficulty levels could be more structured for long-term development. Compared to subscription-based services like Peloton Digital or Apple Fitness+, FitOn offers comparable quality content and celebrity instruction without the monthly fee, though it may have fewer live classes.
Cal AI is a newer health tracking app that represents the cutting edge of nutrition tracking, using artificial intelligence to simplify the often tedious food logging process. This innovative app analyzes food images and provides instant nutritional breakdowns. What sets Cal AI apart is its seamless AI-powered approach—simply snap a photo of your meal, and the app identifies the components and calculates the nutritional content without manual entry.
The app focuses on the core photo analysis function without unnecessary complexity. The app streamlines the nutrition tracking process to an unprecedented degree, removing the friction that causes many users to abandon traditional food logging apps.
Cal AI begins with lifestyle questions to build a personalized plan based on your goals, whether weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. The AI analysis provides comprehensive nutritional information beyond just calories, including macronutrients, micronutrients, and portion estimates.
As a newer entrant to the market, Cal AI requires a subscription for analysis results, which may deter some users accustomed to free basic tracking. Some users also report that while impressive, the AI recognition can occasionally misidentify foods or struggle with mixed dishes.
Compared to traditional nutrition trackers like MyFitnessPal or Lose It!, Cal AI offers a more streamlined, technology-forward approach, though it may not have as extensive a food database for manual entries when needed. The combination of AI technology and personalized planning makes it particularly suited for those who have abandoned traditional tracking apps due to the time commitment required.
Nike Training Club: Professional Quality, Zero Cost
Nike Training Club stands out in the crowded fitness app marketplace as one of the best free workout apps, offering premium workout content and wellness guidance. It gives you access to quality workout videos and wellness content across multiple disciplines. What makes Nike Training Club unique is that it removed its previous subscription model in 2020, making all premium content—including celebrity and athlete workouts—completely free.
The user experience is sleek and intuitive, reflecting Nike’s design expertise. The interface organizes content by workout type, goal, equipment needs, and duration, making it easy to find appropriate sessions. The production quality of the videos is exceptional, with clear demonstrations and engaging instructor guidance.
Nike Training Club excels at holistic wellness content, going beyond workouts to include nutrition guidance, mindfulness practices, and recovery techniques through its “Well Collective.” The Apple Watch integration enhances the experience by allowing users to control workouts from their wrist and monitor heart rate data.
Some users note that while the content quality is excellent, the app could offer more structured long-term progression plans. Additionally, some features like NTC TV are only available in select countries. Compared to subscription-based fitness apps, Nike Training Club offers comparable or superior content quality that is completely free, though it may not have as many live classes or interactive features as paid competitors.
Nike Training Club is ideal for fitness enthusiasts of all levels who want professional-quality content without a subscription fee. The combination of workout variety, production quality, and zero cost makes it an essential download for anyone serious about fitness.
Created by fitness icon Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines, Sweat has established itself as one of the world’s largest women’s fitness communities with professionally designed programs for various training styles. The app’s primary function is to deliver structured, progressive workout programs specifically designed for women. Its unique selling point is the roster of world-class female trainers, including Kayla Itsines, Kelsey Wells, and Britany Williams, each specializing in different training methodologies.
The user experience is polished and intuitive, with clear exercise demonstrations and video guidance. The interface allows users to choose between following structured programs or selecting on-demand workouts based on time availability and equipment access.
Sweat excels at variety, offering HIIT, strength training, yoga, barre, Pilates, and specialized pre/postnatal workouts. The comprehensive education section covering fitness, nutrition, and well-being adds substantial value beyond workout content.
The subscription price point is higher than some competitors, which may be prohibitive for some users. Additionally, some beginners report that even entry-level programs can be challenging without modifications. Compared to general fitness apps, Sweat offers programming specifically designed for women’s bodies and goals, though at a premium price point compared to less specialized options.
Sweat is perfect for women serious about their fitness journey who appreciate structured progression and a supportive community. Combining expert programming, variety, and a focus on women’s health approach creates a premium fitness experience worth the investment for dedicated users.
Seven has simplified fitness with the science-backed approach that just 7 minutes of high-intensity exercise daily can transform your health. It delivers practical, equipment-free workouts that can be completed in 7 minutes. Its unique selling point is the science-based approach, drawing from research showing that short, intense workouts can provide significant benefits when done consistently.
Seven shines with its habit-building focus, featuring a 7-month challenge encouraging daily workouts. The gamification elements, including achievements and competition with friends, add motivation beyond the workout itself. The variety of virtual instructors, from the motivating Cheerleader to the intense Drill Sergeant, keeps the experience fresh and engaging.
While the core 7-minute workout is free, the most valuable features—including personal workout plans and access to all exercises—require a subscription to the 7 Club. Some users note that while effective, short workouts may not be sufficient for those with more advanced fitness goals.
Seven offers a more focused and time-efficient approach compared to comprehensive fitness apps, though it doesn’t provide the variety of longer workout sessions found in more general fitness apps. Seven is perfect for busy individuals who struggle to find time for exercise and those new to fitness who might be intimidated by longer workouts.
Finding Your Perfect Fitness Companion
The fitness app landscape in 2025 offers remarkable solutions for every health goal and personal preference. MyFitnessPal and Lose It! lead the pack with their extensive food databases and smart tracking features for comprehensive nutrition tracking. Social fitness enthusiasts will find their community in Strava’s activity-sharing platform, while those seeking structure and variety will appreciate Nike Training Club and FitOn’s vast workout libraries.
For specialized needs, Sweat offers premier women-focused training, Seven delivers science-backed efficiency, and Finch provides a unique approach to mental wellness. Meanwhile, Planet Fitness and BetterMe bridge the gap between digital guidance and real-world support.
The best fitness app ultimately depends on your specific goals, preferences, and lifestyle. Consider factors like time availability, preferred exercise types, and whether you thrive with community support or prefer solo fitness journeys.
Which fitness app has transformed your health journey? Share your experiences in the comments below!
