Top 7 Indoor Cycling Apps | Zwift & its alternatives compared

The Best Indoor cycling apps can reduce indoor cycling boredom and maximise fitness gains. There's now loads of Zwift alternatives to choose from including free virtual cycling apps. We take a look at the pros and cons of 7 of the best indoor training apps including Zwift, Fulgaz, Wahoo RGT, Rouvy, Bkool, MyWhoosh and TrainerRoad. You can find more details of the indoor cycling apps on the road.cc website:
road.cc/buyers-guide/best-ind...
Zwift (£12.99/month)
uk.zwift.com/
MyWhoosh (Free)
mywhoosh.com/
Wahoo Systm / RGT (~£11.25/month)
uk.wahoofitness.com/wahoo-x-a...
Rouvy (~£12.39/month)
rouvy.com/
Fulgaz (£9.99/month)
fulgaz.com/
TrainerRoad (~£16.53/month)
www.trainerroad.com/
Bkool (~£8.84/month)
www.bkool.com/en
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⚫️ In this video
0:00 Introduction
0:25 Zwift
2:06 MyWhoosh
3:26 Wahoo X
5:01 Rouvy
6:12 Fulgaz
7:33 TrainerRoad
8:58 Bkool
9:58 Recommendations
11:07 Outro
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[@thomasmarktooms]

You appear to have overlooked Garmin/Tacx trainer app, which while it doesn't offer much by way of competition has a pretty realistic feel, permits d/l of routes, and has a huge and ever expanding library of these, and a good range of structured work. While it was originally a closed system, (before Garmin acquired it) it does seems to permit third party trainers and sensors now. Definitely worth a closer look.

[@AnTalk_blog]

Yes, it is rather strange from someone riding a Tacx Neo Bike and not even mention their app. I've been using it since December and satisfied with the video library and the training plans. I do not race and in my indoor training I do not socialize.

[@mischief2168]

You've just answered something currently on my mind, so this was especially useful ~ thank you.

[@hugov392]

I wish there was a good app you could just buy one-off instead of on subscription. I'd be happy to have in-app purchases for extra maps or whatever, but I don't want a subscription that I have to cancel each spring and resubscribe each autumn.

[@elliotwilcox6900]

Coming from video games, no, you don’t want to open up the Pandora’s box of in app purchases. You make canceling a subscription much harder than it actually is

[@m00minmamma]

Fwiw Zwift makes it very easy to pause a subscription, then resume with all levels / history / in-game rewards intact.

[@FrankNeulichedl]

Kinomap offers onetime purchase

[@liutang]

So you want them to keep the service running and provide updates indefinitely , at their cost.

[@hugov392]

@@liutang nope, I want them to offer an offline local app that works like any other game, running locally on my hardware providing the ride simulation and graphics, and sold as a traditional application rather than as a service. Sure, it would lack the social features, but those don't appeal to me anyway. Something I can take up to my hypothetical off grid cabin in the mountains and use without an internet connection. I recognize I'm probably not the common case here...

[@johanp8391]

I use Rouvy because it most closely compares to my outdoor results and offers a great number of realistic routes. Speed reported per specific cadence and gear selection in Rouvy matches my outdoor speed and the effort feels the same. I have compared with Fulgaz and RGT and found Rouvy to be the best. As to internet, Rouvy routes can be downloaded for optimum performance. I have avoided Zwift due to its video game style and unrealistic and limited VR type routes.

[@LejonetJanne]

Completely agree!

[@leeday2265]

Yeah I like Rouvy too. I've used BKool, MyWoosh, Zwift and Rouvy and like Rouvy the most. As a racer of 10-25 years ago, going out riding feels the most natural. Rouvy replicates this the best. I get excited about trying new routes in new countries. I disagree on the efforts feeling the same. I'm a few rpm down on what I ride on the road, and prefer to ride at a weight far under my actual weight. I feel the indoor trainer just doesn't 'ping' like I do on the road. It does mean my average speed is way above my road average speed.............but when I get off the trainer I've definitely worked hard enough.

[@amberswartz3876]

Thank you for this video! It's hard to tell each of these apps feature set just browsing the app store! As someone who is out of shape and simply wants to ride more. I am attempting to just get a feel for which, if any, of these experiences is fun enough to get me on a bike. I started with Zwift beacuse a friend told me about it. Using the cheapest setup I could find (wahoo speed and cadence sensor on an indoor electric bike) I'm less sure Zwift is the best app for someone justgettingstarted. 👌 I was dropped into a busy race, with no opportunity to test my bike setup and know it's working correctly or calibrated. After cycling as fast as humanly possible for me, and being passed by a jogger 😂 I have suspicion something was off, possibly the setup I have may not work for Zwift. I am looking for a way to bike virtual trails and preferably be in no ones way as I at a snails pace figure out my bike setup and learn how to ride. I think I will try Rouvy next. Thank you for this video, it's enabling me to find something that could work for me! If anyone has suggestions on using the wahoo speed and cadence sensor for with these apps, or any idea which they work best with I would love your input! I have read it's not an ideal setup for Zwift, but the cost difference is low enough that a novice can give it a try. 😄

[@wilsistermans1118]

I use Wahoo System X, mainly the RGT part. This is a good platform with a number of graphically good looking routes. Physics like drafting and breaking are excellent. The magic routes makes it possible to ride any real world route you want all over the world. It is very easy to organise a event. It can also run on iPhone and Android and works with just a powermeter, you can organize an event with one rider on the real road (in our cas a young woman pro rider) during a competition and virtually take part with a few other riders.

[@84imreplica]

I bought a Wahoo Kickr Snap and 50 inch TV during the last Black Friday sales day and I'm presently trying out a couple of online cycling apps (Fulgaz & Rouvy). After the free trail I'll probably become a paid subscriber to one, but I haven't decided which one I'll go with.

[@FeWH]

Great review of all apps while working out. Impressive! Which one is the Best for Mountain bike training? Thanks,

[@MattSwain1]

I’ve tried a few on the list. I’ve covered 10,000km+ on Zwift and it’s good, although after all that time was starting to get a bit too familiar. I didn’t like the same group workouts being scheduled at the same time every week.. if you’re free at 6pm on a Monday and want to do a group workout, it will be the same EVERY week. Controversial view… if the “cartoon” graphics bother you then you’re not training hard enough! I’ve got a Wahoo Systm subscription at the moment and I’m underwhelmed. Firstly you can tell that the various elements of it come from different places because they’re not fully integrated. If you want to include your outdoor rides then you must have a Wahoo head unit, sorry but not I’m not getting rid of my perfectly good other-brand head unit. I want something that claims to be a system to include all of the running and cycling I do, indoors and out to give me an overall picture of my training load, SYSTM does not do this. RGT has a small number of roads that will quickly become boring but Wahoo have developed voice chat instead which isn’t useful when there’s more AI bots than human riders. I doubt I’ll be renewing when my subscription ends. Fulgaz was a nice distraction when I decided to take a break from Zwift but ultimately I didn’t like it’s workout options. I wanted to be able to do (for example) 1 minute intervals with the video playing at the speed I was riding and have the distance covered in the .fit file to match what I had ridden - it didn’t do this so I moved on. Not sure where I’ll be going next, maybe Rouvy.

[@TheFlowZoneX]

Thanks for the detailed recount! Haven't tried MyWhoosh yet, but wondering why they don't attempt to acquire some of these other guys and create the best of the best

[@pgee70utube]

Grand Theft Auto can be hooked up to a smart trainer, this has really good graphics, great road simulation on a tacx trainer, and a one off cost for the game (not a subscription model). it does get a bit boring, so it is better for the occasional user.

[@RealMTBAddict]

Wow sounds so 2013

[@smokedcaramel]

No mention of Kinomap? Using it for 2 years now and would put it on part with Rouvy (not a fan of its AR by the way). Great summary none the less.

[@a1white]

So useful to see alternatives to the ubiquitous Zwift. They obviously leaver their huge marketing budget to get so many sponsored videos on other bike channels, so kudos to you for putting together an honest and informative assessment such as this.

[@Bungle2010]

I noticed that GCN seems to do videos for both Zwift and RGT. In fact it's how I found that RGT existed and that it was "free" (to an extent).

[@danieldunstone6128]

as a distance runner and want to increase my aerobic cycling for my aerobic capacity advantage and all i have is a regular spin bike with pressure for resistance and a laptop which app will best suit me

[@marcelschlebos3975]

Just started with Zwift. Did not know of Any other ones

[@gonzaloguillen4758]

Wahoos is getting better, not quite as social as swift but it does the trick with more affordable price if payed yearly…

[@runnerdan785]

Why can’t all presenters be as good as this guy! Great informative video!

[@user-yt1eg2wk9d]

I use swift it my favourite because theirs always little details in the world your riding on to keep you from Getting bored and when I ride outside that same thing carries over

[@cgott42]

Do any indoor bikes, have any of these apps built in (without needing a separate ipad/tablet/etc)?

[@TheFlowZoneX]

Peleton?

[@sshimwell]

Have Rouvy dropped their family membership? I'm on Zwift but looking for an alternative for the wife as well.

[@BigMeanyVids]

MyWhoosh should have chosen a better name. That said competition is generally a good thing. Proably not for me since I don't really race though.

[@PacNorthOR]

Is Zwift the only app that uses audio?

[@stevenlloyd5372]

Missing trainer day. Cheap as chips and very good.

[@offthefront7537]

Agree 100%. Watch bike races while training so don't need videos.

[@TheFlowZoneX]

Care to tell us some more about it

[@offthefront7537]

@@TheFlowZoneX try it. If you don’t like it then stop using it.

[@paulcooke100]

no KinoMap?

[@WowRixter]

I’ve been taking a break from Zwift and Rouvy and giving Fulgaz another try. Quite buggy and lacks the breadth of routes that Rouvy has. I’m not impressed so far. It’s hardly changed since the version I used 18 months ago

[@gaul849]

i find in zwift you have to increase height at least 20cm of rider height and use on of the worst bike setup to get a realistic average speed.

[@SafJar]

tacx?

[@AutoCAD681]

Onelap?

[@LejonetJanne]

Great video and great coverages/review! However, it would be less distracting when you would not paddle! It is meaningless to paddle while presenting. Why? does not make sense.

[@MstrRo1]

I think the peddling was to show that he not just someone reading a script and is actually a cyclist and somewhat of an authority.

[@luciouspontorro3741]

Surprised MyWhoosh wasn't rated higher. It's FREE ffs.

[@dangerfulmind]

I found it to be very buggy, crashes constantly on iPad and Android devices, also on my high end pc it has worse (jerky and blurred) graphics than my iPad and Samsung S21 with no way of improving them via the app or the Pc graphics card, although at least it doesn't seem to crash. A real shame as I'd use it rather than pay for Zwift.

[@luciouspontorro3741]

@@dangerfulmind I run it on my android phone (S22) and cast it to my TV. Maybe try that.

[@dangerfulmind]

@@luciouspontorro3741 yeah, I tried that on my S21 and it just kept crashing a few minutes or even seconds in. Same with my iPad air (not casting). Seems to work good on pc but not working properly with the geforce graphics card unfortunately. I'll give it another go, hopefully find a solution.

[@DegenDavid]

It was trash when I first tried it but recently it's been pretty dang good, especially considering the price. Pretty sure I'll end up skipping Zwift this winter for this guy.

[@luciouspontorro3741]

@DegenDavid I'm about a year in and it definitely keeps improving. It's a strange thing though as I think more ppl should adopt MyWhoosh but that might harm Zwift and less options is never good. I don't know how long MyWhoosh can stay free! My fear is it starts charging 😞

[@johnnyboy4711]

zwift pricing going up very soon! time for other options

[@RealMTBAddict]

Its alternatives* No apostrophe

[@MTBScotland]

none of them. I just watch youtube videos while I ride indoors.

[@Bungle2010]

I think I would still find that monotonous. I like the interaction of Zwift et al, and the feeling that your actions on the bike are actually producing something tangible.

[@MTBScotland]

@@Bungle2010 not at all. I make up a playlist and watch it. I'm just starting my fitness training so only riding for 30mins in zone 2 at the moment. It may become more boring once I move on to longer segments. I ride on my MTB alone most of the time so its not anything different to the norm.

[@ivodam2]

There are specific training videos on YT if you are driving with manual wheel on resistance trainer or any other manual trainer. I was using Elite manual trainer with CTXC videos for years, than moved to Zwift with interactive trainer. Besides, if you cancel the subscription on Zwift, they keep your records. I was off Zwift for 18 months, came back and all my achievements and history was in place.

[@MTBScotland]

@@ivodam2 was going to look at the GCN ones. Been doing Zone2 on the rollers to boost base level fitness (just started end of November)

[@wesleyswain1189]

*its

[@loko__loko]

why need to be in a trainer while presenting?

[@androidfarmer8863]

RIP RGT.

[@studiosmalltown7891]

He looks like he’s just reading an auto-cue. Slow down and put some feeling into the presentation.

[@expressogino3971]

Another serious training app is Xert. $100/year.