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While many of the best workout apps allow you to follow along with streaming video workouts, or follow pre-made programs where you track your sets and reps at your own pace, Aaptiv is primarily an audio fitness app. You’ll follow along with trainer-led workouts, but nearly all of the instruction will be delivered via audio, so you don’t need to have your phone in front of you to watch the video.
For those who don’t like to have their phone out while they train, audio workouts offer a convenient way to break a sweat without needing your phone in front of you. This is certainly a unique approach to virtual training, but how well does it work? We’ve thoroughly tested this app, and I’ll explain everything you need to know in this Aaptiv fitness app review.
Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer
Whenever we test fitness apps, we always speak from personal experience. The GGR testers are certified fitness professionals, Olympic athletes, gym owners, dietitians, and more. Our team has tried over 50 fitness apps so far, which means we have hands-on experience with the most popular apps available.
As with all GGR reviews, we scored the Aaptiv app based on our testing methodology, which rates the most important factors we expect to see in a fitness app on a scale of 1 to 5, including:
- Pricing
- Interactive features
- Ease of use
- Accountability
- Programming
- Value
Aaptiv
Aaptiv
Product Highlights
- Audio-guided workout app
- Over 2,500 workouts
- New workouts each week
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Audio-based classes
- Thousands of workouts
- New classes each week
- Goal-based programs
- Free trial for annual plan
Cons
- Fewer coaches than competitors
- No information on nutrition
- Must sign up for annual plan to get the free trial
Bottom Line
Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.
A Quick Look at the Aaptiv Fitness App
Aaptiv is one of the most popular options for those looking for audio-based workout coaching. While some apps provide audio coaching for runners who don’t want to look at their phones, Aaptiv delivers nearly all of its workouts through audio-only programs.
All you need to do is throw on your favorite headphones and choose a workout, and you’ll have a coach in your ear guiding you through every step. Aaptiv workouts include strength training, mobility, boxing, outdoor running, and even sleep and meditation playlists, along with workouts designed to work with specific pieces of cardio equipment.
For those new to fitness, the app also includes a new feature called Coach, which uses artificial intelligence to create a customized plan for you, based on your answers to a quiz you’ll take when setting up your account. You can also choose your own workouts, but the suggested plans and healthy habits are a nice feature.
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This is a unique and very popular app worth considering if you enjoy training without staring at a screen throughout your session. Aaptiv doesn’t require a gym membership, as it works for home workouts, outdoor runs, dumbbell-only workouts, and everything in between.
Before You Buy
- While Aaptiv has added options for video workouts, most of the workouts are audio-based, though some do include exercise demos you can view ahead of time.
- Many of the workouts include good audio instructions that break down exercise techniques, but visual learners may struggle with Aaptiv.
- Aaptiv includes a social feed, team challenges, and stat tracking with unlockable badges, all of which help keep you motivated to follow your plan.
Is the Aaptiv Fitness App Worth It?
Aaptiv is right around the average price point for fitness apps that don’t include human coaching, which means it’s affordable for most, but still an investment. Aaptiv costs $14.99 per month, or you can purchase an annual subscription for $99.99, bringing the monthly cost down to $8.33.
The most affordable option is paying for an annual membership, but before you commit to this, you’ll want to make sure the Aaptiv training style works well for you.
Great for:
- Those who prefer to work out without watching a screen
- Anyone who’s familiar with most basic exercises and doesn’t need visual demonstrations
- Those looking for a community, group challenges, and unlockable achievements
Not recommended for:
- Visual learners who want video demonstrations
- Anyone looking for a program to follow at their own pace
- Anyone on a tight budget who doesn’t want to pay for workouts
Aaptiv Fitness App Specs
| Pricing | $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year |
| Trial period | 7-day trial with the annual subscription plan |
| Type of training | Endurance, mobility, strength, yoga, meditation, sleep |
| Accountability | Community access, no one-on-one coaching |
| Available on | iPhone and Android |
Experience With the Aaptiv App
The Aaptiv fitness app was tested by certified personal trainer and former GGR writer, Amanda Capritto, who has extensive experience testing products. Overall, Amanda enjoyed both the workouts and the app itself, noting that the app was easy to use, and the workouts were fun and challenging.
When you’re trying an app, you don’t want to spend all day setting up your profile. Considering Aaptiv has the Coach feature, which uses the Aaptiv algorithm to suggest a plan for you, you might expect a long onboarding quiz—this is not the case.
Amanda said: “It was super easy to get my account set up: You just answer some basic questions about your fitness/wellness goals and your demographic information. Within 5 minutes you have access to the main dashboard and can start working out.”
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I set up the app myself to give it a try and was also impressed with the fast onboarding process. The app will ask you about your goals, such as weight loss or muscle gain, equipment access, schedule, and which habits you want to build, and then suggest both workout plans and healthy habits for you to work on.
While you’re not working directly with a human coach, you can join community challenges to get support from other members doing the same workouts. You’ll also have access to a social feed, and a stat page that includes things like workout streaks, total workout time, and badges you can earn.
Training with Audio Coaching
Many people may not have tried audio-only workouts, so we’ll try to explain how it works. The workouts themselves are audio-guided, and while some do have visuals, many do not. Amanda noted that some of the workouts are confusing, as you’ll see a video demonstration of someone doing an exercise, with a different trainer speaking in the background.
If you’re a beginner who likes to see what each exercise looks like, you may prefer one of the best workout apps for beginners. Visual learners may also need to try a different app.
When you start a workout, you can choose from a variety of different music genres, or you can choose voice instruction only if you want to play your own music in the background. As you go through your workout, the coach will guide you through the workout, almost like having a personal trainer right there with you.
Interactive Features
For interactive features, we give Aaptiv a score of 3 out of 5. You can browse the community feed to see other people’s workouts, and you can join programs to follow and see other users doing the same program. It’s not quite the same as being in a live fitness class, but it is nice to know others are doing the same workouts with you.
Once you set up your workout schedule, you can have Aaptiv send notifications to remind you to train, and the stat badge has some fun badges and streaks to earn, but that’s about it.
Aaptiv has also introduced a new heart rate zone training feature, which allows you to sync with a heart rate monitor to make sure you’re training in a specific heart rate zone during training, but this requires a heart rate monitor or smartwatch, which many users may not have.
If you do have an Apple Watch, one great feature is the ability to access Aaptiv from your smartwatch. I saved a few workouts to my “favorites” category and was able to download the workouts to my Apple Watch, where I could start the workouts while connected to Bluetooth headphones, even without my phone.
Programming
For the programming itself, we’re mainly looking at progressive overload, which helps ensure you’re getting stronger over time. In this category, we give Aaptiv a 3-out-of-5 score.
Amanda said: “There are decent progressive overload programs. They’re definitely basic, but would suffice for a beginner. Most are just 4 to 6 weeks so not really enough time to see very big results (maybe for a novice).”
You can choose a different workout every time if you want, and save them to your favorites to access later, but this type of exercise routine isn’t very conducive to progressive overload. Aaptiv is meant for all fitness levels, but without progress tracking and progressive overload, advanced lifters may struggle to make significant progress with Aaptiv’s training programs.
However, Amanda did say that she was very impressed by the knowledgeable trainers, who incorporate a variety of techniques into strength workouts, like using a dumbbell on only one side of your body at a time. She particularly enjoyed this, as the trainers included things she wouldn’t have necessarily thought to program for herself.
Aaptiv also includes programs that focus on endurance events, like 5k and half marathon training plans, as well as various HIIT workouts for those seeking a challenge.
Types of Workouts
For workout variety, Aaptiv earns a 4-out-of-5 rating. Whatever your training preference and style may be, there are plenty of workout options designed for any stage of your fitness journey.
If you don’t use the Aaptiv Coach feature, you’ll select workouts manually, which are divided into 16 categories, including treadmill, walking, pilates, elliptical, strength training, indoor cycling, stair climber, mobility, rowing, and more. At the time of writing, there are thousands of workouts, with new workouts added regularly.
Many workout apps primarily focus on bodyweight or strength training, so it’s nice to see an app that’s designed to work with a wide range of equipment, similar to the Peloton app or iFIT app.
Pricing and Subscription Options
Aaptiv provides thousands of workouts and multiple community programs you can join, with a monthly fee of $14.99, or an annual fee of $99.99, which works out to $8.33 per month.
For the pricing category, Amanda gave Aaptiv a 4-out-of-5 score, saying that it easily provides the best value out of all the apps she tested for us, although it’s not free, so doesn’t quite earn the 5-star rating.
If you’re on the fence, you can claim a free 7-day trial when you select the annual plan, but be careful—you’ll be automatically charged for the full year after your seven days are up, so be sure to set a reminder to cancel your subscription if you’re not happy with the app.
Aaptiv vs iFIT
iFIT
iFIT
Product Highlights
- Over 16,000 live and on-demand classes
- More than 60 types of workouts
- Immersive experience
- Classes filmed worldwide
- Live races and events
- World-class trainers
- Syncs with Nordictrack and ProForm equipment
Pros & Cons
Pros
- At-home training
- World-class coaches
- Immersive training experience
- Vast library of workouts
- Record and track workout metrics
- Individual and family memberships available
- Free trial
Cons
- Pricey for some
- No true path for progression
Bottom Line
iFIT offers fitness lovers versatility with machine-based classes and classes that do not require anything more than a towel or mat. Anyone looking for a home-exercise program will be hard pressed to find a more technology forward, expansive and inclusive platform than iFIT.
Aaptiv is very unique with its audio-based coaching approach, but other apps on the market provide an equally large variety of workouts, like iFIT.
Similar to Aaptiv, iFIT includes workouts for all kinds of equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and various strength training and bodyweight workouts.
The main difference is that iFIT is primarily meant to work with your existing equipment, as many pieces of indoor cardio equipment, like the best treadmills and best ellipticals, are designed to integrate seamlessly with iFIT.
Both apps allow you to work out on a treadmill, outdoors, with free weights, or with your own body weight. Overall, iFIT is the better choice if you have a compatible device, but Aaptiv is best if you prefer audio workouts, or don’t have equipment that’s designed to work with iFIT.
To read more, you can check out our complete iFIT review.
| Aaptiv | iFIT | |
| Pricing | $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year | $39 per month or $396 per year family plan; or $15 per month or $180 per year individual plan |
| Trial period | 7-day trial with the annual subscription plan | 30-day trial |
| Type of training | Endurance, mobility, strength, yoga, meditation, sleep | Cardio, strength, yoga, cycling, cooking classes |
| Accountability | Community access, no one-on-one coaching | None |
| Available on | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android |
Customer Experience
Amanda gave the customer experience a 5-out-of-5 rating. She was able to easily cancel her subscription before the annual fee kicked in directly through the App Store, and if you need to reach customer service, you can chat with their support on the Aaptiv website or email support@aaptiv.com.
There is no standard refund policy, but Aaptiv says that refunds may be granted on a case-by-case basis, so you can contact support if you want to request one.
Customer Reviews
At the time of writing, Aaptiv has over 56k reviews on the App Store, with an average rating of 4.7, and 10.9k reviews on the Google Play Store with a rating of 3.8.
Most users love the expert trainers and workout style, though many of the negative reviews mention technical issues, especially on Android devices.
Final Verdict of Our Aaptiv Fitness App Review
To wrap up this Aaptiv review, I’m confident in saying that Aaptiv provides fantastic value for those who prefer to train without their phone. There are thousands of workouts, the app itself is easy to use, and you’re getting access to a massive workout library that can help you reach any of your fitness goals.
Visual learners or beginners who prefer to see full exercise demonstrations may wish to use a different app, as Aaptiv doesn’t always include clear demonstrations. For everyone else, Aaptiv is certainly worth a try, especially with the 7-day free trial period.
Full Rating
Aaptiv App
Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.
Product Brand: Aaptiv
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 14.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.13
Aaptiv: FAQs
How much does Aaptiv cost?
Aaptiv costs $14.99 per month, or $99.99 per year if you pay for the entire year upfront. New users can also claim a 7-day free trial when choosing the annual plan.
Is there a 100% free workout app?
Yes, while many apps charge a fee, there are great workout apps that are entirely free, like the Nike Training Club app. For more, check out our guide to the best free workout apps.
Does Aaptiv have video workouts?
Yes, select workouts include video demonstrations. Aaptiv started as an audio-based fitness app, so most workout programs don’t have video workouts to follow, but the company has been adding video classes led by Aaptiv trainers.
Does Aaptiv have walking workouts?
Yes, Aaptiv includes workouts for all levels of fitness, including guided walking workouts if you prefer to get your exercise outdoors.
Further reading
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