Crush Your Fitness Goals With the Best Free Workout Apps

Sure, you can go to the gym or hit the pavement to break a sweat, but if you want to see any real progress, you need a fitness plan. The problem? With thousands of workouts at your fingertips, figuring out where to start—and what actually works for your goals—can feel overwhelming. 

A solid workout app in your pocket can keep your fitness goals on track, whether you're training at home, in a gym, or while traveling. The right free workout app can deliver innovative programming, structured routines, and a little push of accountability, all without tapping into your wallet. But not all free apps are created equal. Some offer complete training plans, while others provide short daily workouts or guided coaching. I spent a month testing various free workout apps to find out which ones are worth downloading.

This guide breaks down the best free workout apps I tested, what makes them stand out, what to look for when choosing one, and how I chose the ones that made this list based on hands-on experience.

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The 10 Best Free Workout Apps

• Best Free Workout App Overall: Nike Training Club
• Best Free Workout App for Strength Training: Fitbod (Free Version)
• Best Free Workout App for the Gym: Jefit
• Best Free Workout App for Running: MapMyRun by Outside
• Best Free Workout App for Cycling: Strava
• Best Free Workout App for Beginners: FitOn
• Best Free Workout App for Value: Adidas Training by Runtastic
• Best Free Workout App for CrossFit: SmartWOD
• Best Free Workout App for Advanced Lifters: Strong
• Best Free Workout App for Community: Hevy

Best Free Workout Apps for Men

Best Free Workout App Overall: Nike Training Club

Nike Training Club strikes a rare balance of quality, versatility, and polish—for free. Whether you're trying to build strength, boost cardio, or improve mobility, there’s a well-designed workout for you. Certified trainers lead each workout, which comes with clear video demonstrations and coaching cues. The app also includes multi-week training programs based on goals like muscle building or getting lean, which can add structure to your workouts.

Pros

• High production value
• Broad workout variety
• No paywall

Cons

• No workout logging or progress tracking

Product Highlights

• Wide variety of workouts (strength, cardio, yoga, mobility)
• Curated programs by Nike trainers
• No subscription required for full access

Best Free Workout App for Strength Training: Fitbod (Free Version)

While Fitbod does offer a paid tier, the free version still delivers three intelligently designed personalized strength workouts a week. The app uses your previous workouts and available equipment to tailor each session, making it ideal for gym-goers who want structure but don’t want to think about programming. If your goals are building muscle or strength, this app gives you a strong sample of its full capabilities, enough to stay consistent without needing a subscription.

Pros

• Smart, adaptive programming
• Gym and bodyweight options

Cons

• Limited number of free workouts per week

Product Highlights

• Algorithm-generated workouts based on muscle recovery
• Equipment-based filtering
• Body part-specific strength routines

Best Free Workout App for the Gym: Jefit

If you’re lifting at the gym and want to track everything, from sets and reps to PRs and rest intervals, Jefit has you covered. The free version gives you access to thousands of exercises with instructional videos and the ability to build your own workouts or follow routines from the app’s community. It also lets you log weights and progress visually over time, making it great for serious gym-goers who want detailed data.

Pros

• Deep tracking tools
• Customizable workouts

Cons

• The interface feels dated
• Ads in the free version

Product Highlights

• Extensive exercise library
• Detailed workout logging and stat tracking
• Community and progress calendar

Best Free Workout App for Running: MapMyRun by Outside

MapMyRun does a stellar job at the basics: tracking your runs, mapping your routes, and analyzing your pace and distance. You can also connect wearables and heart rate monitors to elevate your experience. The app includes audio coaching cues during your run and lets you save or discover popular local running paths. If you’re trying to increase mileage, train for a race, or just build cardio consistency, this one’s a keeper.

Pros

• Great tracking and route tools
• Community features

Cons

• Premium version needed for advanced training metrics

Product Highlights

• Real-time GPS tracking and running routes
• Audio coaching
• Compatible with wearables

Best Free Workout App for Cycling: Strava

Strava is more than a tracker; it’s a cycling community hub. The app tracks all your rides with speed, distance, elevation, and time stats, and it lets you compare your performance across segments and leaderboards. While many cyclists use it for performance metrics, it also motivates through social features like challenges, kudos, and group ride planning. The free version is packed with value, especially if you're competitive or community-driven.

Pros

• Highly-detailed ride data
• Community-driven challenges

Cons

• Premium version needed for training plans and power analysis

Product Highlights

• GPS ride tracking with elevation and segment analysis
• Strong social component
• Syncs with fitness wearables

Best Free Workout App for Beginners: FitOn

FitOn delivers high-energy, easy-to-follow workouts that don't require any equipment. The app caters to beginners with short workouts, built-in guidance, and a welcoming interface. It’s stacked with variety, from yoga to HIIT to Pilates, which keeps things fresh as you build fitness. You’ll get access to hundreds of classes with instructors who break things down clearly, so you never feel lost.

Pros

• Beginner-friendly
• Wide variety of bodyweight workouts

Cons

• Some features (like music integration) are locked behind a paywall

Product Highlights

• Trainer-led workouts across multiple fitness levels
• Focus on bodyweight training, yoga, and mobility
• Classes from celebrity trainers

Related: Want to Build a Barrel Chest and Sleeve-Stretching Arms? Trainers Swear By This Classic Bodyweight Move

Best Free Workout App for Value: Adidas Running by Runtastic

Adidas Training brings big-brand quality to a free app. It offers dozens of workout plans, plus a built-in fitness test to personalize your experience. You can target specific goals, like fat loss, strength, or endurance, and follow along with guided workouts or self-paced routines. It’s one of the best values because (nearly) everything is free, including plans, trackers, and beginner-to-advanced workouts.

Pros

• Lots of content with no subscription required

Cons

• Slightly less polished than Nike Training Club

Product Highlights

• Free training plans and workout challenges
• Personalized recommendations
• Clean, user-friendly interface

Best Free Workout App for CrossFit: SmartWOD

SmartWOD is tailor-made for CrossFit athletes who want a plug-and-play workout option without programming their sessions. The app pulls from a deep library of classic WODs, including benchmark workouts like Fran and Murph. It includes AMRAP, EMOM, and tabata style timers so you can stay dialed in without switching apps. It also tracks your history and personal records, giving you a performance-based edge. Whether you train at a box or in your garage gym, SmartWOD is a minimalist but powerful tool to keep your conditioning sharp.

Pros

• Massive WOD database
• Intuitive timers and performance tracking

Cons

• No coaching or guided instruction for newer athletes

Product Highlights

• Daily WODs pulled from benchmark and hero workouts
• Built-in timers for AMRAP, EMOM, and tabata formats
• Tracks past workouts and personal records

Best Free Workout App for Advanced Lifters: Strong

Strong is all about tracking and progression. It doesn’t hand you cookie-cutter workouts; it lets you create and log your own. That makes it ideal for experienced lifters who know what they’re doing and want to see every rep and PR plotted over time. It’s streamlined and minimal and doesn’t try to gamify your workouts; it's just you and your numbers. The free version allows you to create multiple workouts and custom templates.

Pros

• Clean interface
• Great for custom lifting programs

Cons

• Not ideal for beginners or those who need instruction

Product Highlights

• Simple, intuitive workout logging
• Custom routines and tracking for advanced lifts
• Analytics and progress charts

Best Free Workout App for Community: Hevy

Hevy blends workout tracking with social motivation, making it a top pick if you thrive on accountability and community support. You can log your strength workouts, track progress over time, and even build custom routines. But where Hevy stands out is its social feed—you can follow friends, view their workouts, comment, and give encouragement. It’s like Instagram for lifters, minus the distractions. The free version gives you full access to workout creation, tracking, and community features, making it one of the most engaging fitness apps out there.

Pros

• Community-driven features
• Easy logging and tracking

Cons

• Limited built-in workout programming for beginners

Product Highlights

• Social feed to share workouts and progress
• Workout logging and custom routine creation
• Intuitive interface with detailed performance tracking

Related: 10 Best Workout Apps to Build Your Physique Anytime, Anywhere

What to Look for in Free Workout Apps

Not every free workout app will suit your needs. Here are key features to look for:

• Workout Variety: Look for apps that cover multiple training styles or let you filter by goals, duration, or equipment.
• Ease of Use: The best apps offer clean interfaces and intuitive navigation.
• Progress Tracking: Choose apps that track your workouts and progress or provide training plans.
• Customization: Apps that adapt to your equipment, fitness level, or goals offer a more personalized experience.
• Video and Audio Guidance: Good coaching cues and clear visuals help you follow along safely and effectively.
• Community Support: Built-in social features or online communities can boost accountability.
• Offline Access: This is a huge plus if you train in a garage, basement, or outdoors.

How We Chose the Best Free Workout Apps

I didn’t just scroll through app store descriptions to find the best free workout apps; I trained with them. For a month, I downloaded, tested, and worked out with each app listed here, putting them through real workouts ranging from strength training to cardio and high-intensity interval training.

Some days, I brought these apps into my garage gym for heavy barbell sessions. Other days, I went through bodyweight HIIT workouts in my living room or knocked out tempo runs using GPS tracking on the trail. I wanted to see how each app performed in the real world, not just how slick the interface looked or how many downloads it had.

But it wasn’t just about personal experience. I also analyzed user ratings, sifted through thousands of reviews, and compared features to get a complete picture of each app's offerings and where it might fall short.

Here’s What We Considered

• Workout Variety: Does the app offer strength, cardio, HIIT, and mobility workouts? Or is it specialized for a single type of training?
• User Experience: Is the app intuitive, responsive, and easy to navigate mid-workout?
• Video and Audio Guidance: Are workouts guided with clear instructions and form demonstrations?
• Customization and Tracking: Can users log workouts, customize routines, or follow a structured program?
• Community Features: Does the app offer social interaction, leaderboards, or motivation challenges?
• User Reviews & Ratings: We looked for apps with consistently high ratings (4.5 stars and up) and positive feedback from thousands of users.
• Truly Free Access: We prioritized apps that offer legitimate training features without forcing a paywall after a short trial.

The goal was to find apps that deliver real training value without costing a dime—and that hold up whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete.