There isn’t an online community that allows you to connect with friends like many of the other running apps we tested, however, there is an option to receive push notifications to help keep you accountable. We are living in the age of the apps; anything you want, there’s probably an app (or 50) out there that does it. The BarBend team has tried and tested 20 of the most popular apps on the market to bring you the best running apps of 2025.

• The Netflix and Nike deal was meant to see if Netflix could compete with Peloton for streaming workouts, but it seems the company didn’t want to progress any further.
• Its wearables are better suited to casual users than to runners and athletes, but they all offer a solid mix of daily goals and wellness stats.
• We’re here to help you narrow your options and find the best fitness tracker for your needs and budget.
• Slightly better is the Fitbit Flex and the Jawbone UP24 which are both about a year and a half old.
• The differences were negligible, so all of the watches were winners in this category, proving that you don’t have to splurge for accuracy.
• We evaluated heart rate against a chest strap monitor, comparing the accuracy of resting heart rates, average heart rates during activities, and max recorded heart rates.

Comprehensive Instruction and Guidance in BodyFit: A 5-Star Experience for Users

Its broad integration with devices like Garmin and Apple Watch makes data syncing seamless. Strive Workout Log earns its top spot as one of the best apps for tracking exercise goals by delivering a powerful, no-nonsense experience focused purely on facilitating steady gains. It masterfully balances an intuitive, minimalist interface best weight loss fitness apps with a robust feature set that caters to everyone from beginner lifters to data-driven athletes. The app is built around the core principle of progressive overload, a scientifically proven driver of muscle hypertrophy. For fitness tracking, the Galaxy Watch 8 supports more than 100 different workouts (everything from walking and running to archery and flying disc) and can automatically detect certain activities. It also gives you access to many third-party fitness, health, and sports apps via the Play Store, including C25K, Cardiogram, Golf GPS Rangefinder, Komoot, MyFitnessPal, Seven Minute Workout, and Strava.

What metrics actually matter and what to track

You may not get the same second-by-second precision during intervals, but for everyday workouts, they’re more than capable. And the Amazfit Bip 6 is the reminder that accurate distance tracking doesn’t have to be expensive. For beginners looking to build a baseline without a major investment, it’s better than its $80 price suggests. Today, we know it’s less important to hit a specific step count and more about walking and your progress over time.

AI-Powered Coaching: Get Expert Training and Motivation from Athletic Icons

You can look at Hevy’s and other user’s workouts for inspiration if you’re unsure what to do that day. When you log a workout, the app will give you neat little celebrations; for example, I was told my total tonnage after a squat workout was like lifting a car. It’s the little things, but that interaction can help people through tough days. Each workout you log will add to a heat map, showing muscle groups used more frequently than others.

The Best Workout Apps of 2026: For Any Fitness Goals

GearLab has been purchasing and rigorously evaluating fitness trackers through hands-on side-by-side testing since 2017. Our testing methods are designed to evaluate and compare each model’s accuracy and precision, data output and insights, and overall usability. Our tests were performed in meticulous side-by-side tests, where accuracy was compared across all the things you might want to track, like heart rate, sleep performance, and workout stats like distance and pace. We also talked to a diverse panel of judges at GearLab to gain perspective on comfort, appearance, and general wearability. The Garmin Venu 3 earned high scores across the board with top-of-the-line fitness and lifestyle metric tracking, just enough smartwatch features to keep you connected on the go, all packed into a sleek design. If you’re looking for a watch that can do it all without compromising on usability or battery life, this is it.

Best Affordable Android Tracker

The Whoop is another model that ranked very highly for lifestyle tracking, for different reasons than the Garmin models. The only reason it isn’t our favorite is the lack of real-time heart rate data. But, for recording and analyzing day in and day out heart rate, strain, and sleep data, the Whoop is top notch. The Whoop uses all of its lifestyle metric tracking, like heart rate, sleep, and activity data, to provide analysis and other calculated metrics that speak to the impact of your lifestyle and health choices. Building out a workout regimen is easy through the library, and I appreciate how you can plan for future workouts by saving templates.

BodyFit: Budget-Friendly Workout App for Men

It’s the least expensive of the excellent Garmin Venu 2 lineup, with a squarish design that improves text legibility and a battery that lasted for up to nine days in testing. The hardware is exceptional, with a bright, responsive AMOLED screen that rivals an Apple Watch. Its fitness tracking is also surprisingly powerful, featuring accurate dual-frequency GPS and offline mapping—features previously unheard of at this price. It also offers reliable heart rate and sleep tracking, presented well in the Huawei Health app (no subscription required). “A great fitness tracker is one you love wearing—and that may be because you forget it’s there.

Caliber’s Accountability Features: Are Basic Notifications Enough to Keep You Motivated?

While the visuals may not be for everyone, our tester was disappointed with the lack of a light and dark mode, it can be a positive experience, nonetheless. Plus, it’s worth noting that Juggernaut AI is AI-powered, so while the interaction is scaled up with the app, it’s not as personable as the experience you’d have with a human coach. For this reason, we rate it at 3 out of 5 for interactive features, still a decent score for an app with no human on the other side of your conversation. These brands make some of the best cardio machines for home fitness, and the iFIT integration allows you to stream your favorite mid-workout sessions seamlessly. This integration also allows you to take advantage of iFIT’s AutoAdjust feature, which is available on several machines. AutoAdjust automatically adjusts your machine’s resistance to the trainers’ recommendations during classes or the terrain during scenic rides.

HealthifyMe

All three require exporting your entire health archive (and I mean everything, not just workouts or heart rate). Once extracted, the compressed file opens into a maze of nested folders with cryptic labels. The best strategy is to sort by date and hope that one of the files mentions heart rate. The first watch in any session was always at a disadvantage because my heart rate started lower and spiked more dramatically. By the second and third runs — even with deliberate rest periods to bring my heart rate back down — the jump wasn’t as sharp.

The Fitbit app (Credit: Fitbit/PCMag)

Accuracy is a big concern when it comes to tracking mileage, and all of the apps on our list do a very good job at that. However, with all apps come the potential for bugs and problems along the way. Garmin Connect comes out on top due to its superior runner-focused watches. If you find your search for the best running app takes you to an app we didn’t touch on here, be sure to check your device’s app store to see if it’s available for your operating system. There’s nothing worse than the excitement of using a new app fizzling out when you struggle to get the whole thing working. Consider how much time and effort you want to put into getting everything set up.

The free version automatically logs workouts detected by your device, tracks steps, and monitors sleep patterns, offering a comprehensive overview of your daily activity. It excels at showing how your exercise habits influence your overall well-being over time. While not a workout tracker itself, the Apple App Store’s Health & Fitness section is an essential starting point for any iOS user searching for the best apps for tracking exercise goals.