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If you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, the gym might feel like an intimidating place. A great way to lean into a healthy lifestyle and get your body moving is by signing up for a workout subscription app. It's hard to beat the convenience of working out at home, and that's why choosing the best workout subscription app for you is so important. While in-person fitness classes can provide some much-needed structure to your routine, an online workout subscription service offers you the best of both worlds. And even if you aren’t a fitness newbie, these services offer a host of advanced classes to keep you leveling up in the comfort of your own home.
You can get all the instructions and perks that come with a gym membership without having to share your space, germs or equipment with other gym-goers. All you need to get started is internet access and a smart device like a phone, tablet or TV, and you're ready to jump into a variety of different virtual classes.
Adding strength training, HIIT or cardio home workouts to your schedule is easier than you think, with the best streaming workouts only a subscription or app away. They offer large libraries of strength-training, cardio and other fitness classes that you can stream as many times as you want -- just like Hulu and Netflix do for movies and TV shows. You pay a flat monthly fee to view unlimited workout classes on your TV, computer, tablet or phone. Usually, a class will be prerecorded and available on demand, but some services (such as Peloton and Daily Burn) also offer live classes.
Watch this: Apple Fitness Plus vs. Peloton
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With so many options to choose from, how do you decide which workout subscription app is best for you? In this guide, I cover the best ones and what to consider before signing up.
Just a note: I've chosen not to cover any services for fitness programs that are exclusive to a specific product, such as Mirror. This list includes services anyone can sign up for without purchasing any workout equipment to get started. We update this list of the best streaming workouts periodically so that you can find the right workout subscription app for you.
| Cost per month | Free trial | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Fitness Plus | $10 | 1 month or 3 months* | iOS, Apple Watch |
| Daily Burn | $20 | 30 days | iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, web browser |
| Peloton App | $13** | 30 days | iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, web browser |
| CorePower On Demand | $20 | 30 days | iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, web browser |
| Glo | $24 | 7 days | iOS, Apple TV, web browser, Chromecast (coming soon) |
| Aaptiv | $15 | 7 days with an annual $100 membership | iOS and Android |
| Barre3 | $29 | 14 days | iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, web browser |
| Crunch Live | $10 | 10 days | iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, web browser |
| TA Online Studio | $90 | Two weeks | Web browser |
*Three months free for new subscribers when you buy certain Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone or Apple TV models. One month free for all new subscribers.
**Special pricing available for students ($7), military personnel ($10), teachers ($10), health care workers ($10) and first responders ($10).
Apple Fitness Plus is available to anyone with an iPhone 8 or newer. Fitness Plus includes exercises like core, HIIT, strength, yoga, rowing, cycling, treadmill running, Pilates and more.
The subscription service is beginner-friendly, with a series of workouts for those who are just starting to exercise or returning to it after taking an extended break. Another plus is the variety of workout lengths, which are ideal if you only have 10 minutes to spare or as much as 60 minutes. The service also learns what you like -- as you complete workout classes, Fitness Plus will start suggesting new workouts you might be interested in.
If you have an Apple Watch, you can pair it to sync your heart rate and calories burned to Fitness Plus, where you can see those stats on the screen in real-time. You can also view your Activity Rings with the Apple Watch.
The service costs $10 per month or $80 per year.
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Although Peloton is known for its Peloton bike, it includes a One Peloton subscription to its streaming workout content. Peloton has made it accessible enough that you don't have to own a Peloton in order to access its subscription workouts.
For $12.99 a month for a basic Peloton One or $24 a month for Peloton app plus membership, you can stream unlimited boot camp, strength, yoga, running and cycling classes, boxing, with and without equipment. There are also audio-only classes for outdoor runs. Peloton offers discounted monthly rates for students ($7), military personnel ($10), healthcare workers ($10), teachers ($10) and first responders ($10).
The Peloton app has live-streamed classes available every day, so you can tune in live or access the classes on-demand and you can pick from the on-demand. Each class provides a training plan so you know what to expect and what equipment you will need before you start. One of the things that has made Peloton popular are the motivating instructors who have earned their own following. Whether you're looking for someone to help ease you into a workout or you want someone to light a fire under you, you're sure to find that with a Peloton instructor.
If you want to give Peloton classes a shot, the subscription offers a 30-day free trial to get started.
If you like to attend boutique fitness studios, but don't want to break the bank doing so, Classpass is your solution. Classpass offers
True to its name, Daily Burn offers new daily classes live. If the time doesn't work for you, you can always watch the recorded version later in the day, plus so many more.
Daily Burn aims to help everyone get fit, regardless of fitness level. By answering a few questions about your goals -- weight loss, burning more calories, toning, improved fitness -- the service can create workout and nutrition plans for you.
Because the company has been around since 2007, there's a lot of variety of video classes with Daily Burn. You'll get everything from pilates and exercise basics to high-intensity interval training and kickboxing. There are even pregnancy and postpartum workouts.
Daily Burn has one of the more generous free trials -- 30 days. After that, it's $20 per month.
Do you already like yoga, but wish it was more...intense? CorePower is for you. The company has yoga studios all over the US, but you can also take classes virtually with CorePower on Demand.
Classes range from CorePower's full-body yoga flows and sculpting to meditation and technique lessons. There are new classes released every month to give you variety. CorePower offers a 30-day free trial and currently offers unlimited access to live stream and on-demand classes for just $20 a month for the life of your membership when you use promo code ATHOME19 at checkout. Membership will cost $49 without the promo code.
Aaptiv is unlike the rest of the services on this list in that it is audio-only. What makes it so great is that you can use Aaptiv to coach outdoor workouts, including running and cycling, and workouts on a treadmill, exercise bike or elliptical. Aaptiv also has classes for yoga, strength training and other indoor workouts.
There are currently thousands of workout classes, with around 30 more added weekly. You can pick workouts based on time, difficulty level, trainer and even choose the music you want to hear. If you ever need cues on how to perform an exercise more, you can use Aaptiv's visual workout guides which show you how to perform 250 movements, such as deadlifts or dumbbell rows.
It costs $100 per year with a free seven-day trial or $15 per month (without a trial).
Ballet-inspired barre classes are a wildly popular way to tone your body. There are plenty of nationwide studios teaching barre, but you can also take them online. Barre3, which has studios in 33 states plus the Philippines and Canada, has a streaming subscription with more than 500 classes.
Videos range from calming yoga-like flows to challenging balance and flexibility workouts. There's a new 30-minute class added every week. While you don't need any equipment to get started, Barre3 recommends getting a few props: a core ball, a resistance band and lightweight dumbbells.
There's a free 14-day trial and after that, it's $30 per month or $240 for the year. Right now, you also have the option of choosing the 3-month plan for just $13 per month.
First, almost all of the fitness streaming services are cheaper going to a gym or fitness studio for your workout routine. Most cost around $10 to $30 per month, which is often as much as you'll pay for a single studio class.
Second, just like the fitness DVDs and VHS tapes of yore, you can work out wherever and whenever you want. In fact, it's easier with a streaming subscription because you no longer need a DVD player and a TV. You can access videos from your phone or tablet or computer.
So when you're traveling, or if you'd rather not go to the gym, fitness streaming services make it easier to work out at home.
Read more: 8 Ways to Measure Your Fitness That Aren't Heart Rate
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The biggest downside of a streaming fitness service is that you're working out on your own, without a trainer to correct your form. That's generally fine if you are already an experienced exerciser who has taken IRL classes, but if you're a beginner, it might be hard to master moves on your own.
The flip side of that is that if you feel embarrassed or nervous about going to a real class, working out on your own can be a good way to build confidence.
You also need to carve out space in your home to exercise, and it can be hard to put aside household chores or get time away from your kids when your home is your gym.
As always, proceed with these programs at your own risk and start slow if you're new to exercise.
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When deciding what fitness streaming subscription to get, here are some of the most important factors to consider.
What's the cost?
Some streaming fitness services can get pricey, but most are usually less than the cost of a single class at a fitness studio.
Do you need equipment?
Most streaming fitness programs offer a mix of videos with and without equipment, such as dumbbells, resistance bands or a heart rate monitor. If you'd rather exercise without buying any equipment, pick a service that has enough variety of classes that don't require it.
Read more: Should You Stretch Before or After Your Workout?
How will you stream?
Are you planning to work out in front of your TV or using a workout app on your phone? Most services offer iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Apple TV or Roku apps, but always check to make sure you can stream your workouts wherever you want.
Read more: How to Recover From a Tough Workout
Does it align with your fitness goals?
Obviously, if you're into a cardio workout, you're not going to pick a service that only does yoga. Take a look at the classes each streaming service offers before you sign up.
Options like Peloton Digital, Daily Burn and Aaptiv offer the greatest variety of classes.
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