Best Treadmill App (2024): Engaging Apps You Can Try Right Now

Your friends here at Garage Gym Reviews tested more than 20 fitness apps to determine the absolute best workout apps available. And it was quite an experience—from trying new workouts to navigating new interfaces. But, what we found was that our top picks were heavily focused on resistance training. 

So, in an effort to make sure our home gym running friends are accounted for, I present to you: the best treadmill apps. You’ve trusted our team of certified personal trainers, CrossFit Level 1 trainers, Olympic-level athletes, and gym owners to test and review the best treadmills for your home gym, but now it’s time to review the best app to bring your workout to the next level. 

Our expert product testers were tasked with the app setup, navigation, and completing a number of workouts. Testers scored 10 different categories on a 1-to-5-star rating, some of which included: 

• Pricing: What is the price per month and how does it compare to other running apps?
• Trial period: Is there a trial period for this running app?
• Compatibility: Do you need a specific treadmill or can you use your smartphone?
• Ease of use: Is the app easy to navigate and potentially use while on the treadmill?
• Accountability: What kind of accountability is provided?

Best Treadmill Apps: 

• Best Treadmill App Overall: Peloton
• Best Treadmill App for Data Tracking: MapMyFitness
• Best Free Treadmill App: Nike Run Club
• Best Treadmill App for Beginners: Couch to 5k
• Best Treadmill App for Games: Zombies, Run!

Best Treadmill App Overall: Peloton App

Good for: Folks looking for high-quality conditioning programming

Best Overall

Peloton App

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• World-class workout classes
• Variety of fitness routines
• On-bike and off-bike workouts
• Don’t need a Peloton bike to sign up for the app

Pros & Cons

Pros

• World-class programming
• Not just bike workouts
• Can be used all over the world
• Keeps tracks of all training metrics
• Train from the comfort of your own home
• Seven-day free trial
• Two plan options

Cons

• Required to access Peloton Bike's features

Bottom Line

The Peloton app is one of the best training programs we've come across on any piece of exercise equipment.

Peloton Digital is the app-based Peloton program that can be streamed on your phone or tablet with a WiFi connection. That means you don’t need a Peloton-branded machine to join the fun of boutique-style fitness classes both live and on-demand. 

RELATED: What is VO2 Max?

And trust us, Peloton’s live classes are something to be experienced. The brand is well-known for indoor cycling classes, but the treadmill bootcamps, interval runs, and endurance runs are just as exciting with Peloton’s lineup of star coaches. 

Peloton gives you real-time coaching, so you’ll literally be completing your treadmill workout at the same time your coach is. Some of you may find this extremely helpful—almost like a virtual accountability buddy—and some of you may find it odd if you’re not used to following along with classes. 

GGR expert tester and Peloton fanatic Caroline Lubinksy says in our Peloton app review, “I feel pushed to work harder.” 

RELATED: Peloton vs iFIT

Caroline also notes that coaches are super knowledgeable, offer terrific intrusion, reminders on breathing, and give adequate rest time. For that reason, Peloton earns a 4.5-out-of-5-star rating for instruction. 

It’s also worth mentioning that if you’re someone who owns a Peloton Tread (or you’re thinking about buying one) you’ll have an all-access Peloton account, which has a community workout leaderboard. It’s a fan-favorite feature that is not available on Peloton Digital. You can read more about these features in our in-depth Peloton Tread review. 

Best Treadmill App for Data Tracking: MapMyFitness

Good for: Anyone training for an event or just generally interested in tracking workout data

Best for Data Tracking

Map My Fitness by Under Armour

GGR Score: 4.2

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Product Highlights

• Fitness app with GPS
• Tracks routes, distances, pace, etc. 
• Select from 600+ activities like including running, cycling, yoga, etc. 
• Large community of athletes
• MVP version offers training plans and coaching tips
• Premium features include live tracking and audio coaching

Pros & Cons

Pros

• GPS integration
• Great community aspect
• MVP version is affordable
• Lots of options with free version
• Integrates with most trackers and wearable
• Plan and track your own routes

Cons

• Requires MVP subscription to unlock some features

Bottom Line

Map My Fitness is a well-established and widely-used fitness tool that allows you to choose from a huge variety of workouts with some really notable features. Whether you're working out in a gym or looking for a route to run, Map My Fitness has got you covered.

When it comes to data tracking, MapMyFitness can track your data for indoor or outdoor runs and walks. Actually, the app is primarily used for tracking outdoor routes with a GPS tracking capability but our team still agrees it’s an excellent tracker for indoor workouts, too. 

That said, there is one small step you’ll need to take on the MapMyFitness app before you hop on the treadmill. The app will certainly be able to track your movement, but it does best if you select your workout type as “treadmill walk” or “treadmill run” within the app. 

Typically, with an outdoor run, you’ll track your route via GPS. By selecting a treadmill workout in workout type, you’ll enable the app to track your data without needing GPS tracking. You can expect to find a full report on your distance, pace, and calories burned. 

MapMyFitness is unlike apps like iFIT and Pelton with on-screen classes and coaching. GGR expert product tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto says, “For a running app, it’s really good.” Overall, Amanda rates MapMyFitness 5 out of 5 stars for instruction. 

“You obviously aren’t getting on-screen instruction like you do with a strength training app, but the premium version gives you audio coaching, heart rate analyses, custom interval workouts that you can create, custom split data, and power analysis, to name a few,” Amanda says. 

Amanda also liked the fact this app is easily able to sync to apps and devices like Garmin, Apple Watch, UA-connected footwear, MyFitnessPal, and Suunto. 

RELATED: Best Wearable Fitness Tracker

Best Free Treadmill App: Nike Running Club

Good for: Anyone looking for free running resources to reach their fitness goals

Best Free App

Nike Run Club App

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Nike’s free run-tracking and training app 
• Training plans: Getting Started, 5K, Half-Marathon 
• Guided workouts

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Completely free app
• Training plans for Getting Started, 5K, and Half-Marathon
• Audio guided workouts
• Shoe tagging to track mileage on running shoes

Cons

• Limited training plans
• Apple users having trouble syncing runs started on their Apple Watch
• Users share the app is best for beginners

Bottom Line

Nike Run Club is a free run-tracking app with a few training plans best for beginner runners.

Nike Run Club (NRC) is not only a free way to track your runs, but you’ll also get access to running coaches (like Olympic-medalist Shalane Flanagan) and training programs for beginners, experienced runners, and everyone in between. The app can pair with Garmin devices and Apple Watches, too. 

Much like the app MapMyFitness, NRC has built-in GPS tracking capabilities to track your outdoor routes. However, if you’re using NRC for indoor running, you’ll want to make sure you change the workout settings to indoor by tapping on the gear icon on the “run” tab. 

What stands out about this app (besides the fact it’s free) is the fact there are tons of running programs to choose from. Are you training for a 5K, 10K, or half marathon? Well, there is a program for that. Plus, the app offers training programs with guided runs. 

So what this all means is that you can receive free coaching for your next race. You’ll just download the app, choose a training plan, pop in your headphones, and viola! You’ll have a coach guiding you through an entire treadmill session. 

You may also like knowing you can listen to your own music or your favorite Spotify playlist and you’ll still hear the audio coaching for tips along your run. If you’re doing interval training, the audio cues will help you transition your speed so you don’t have to keep track on your phone or watch.

NRC can also connect with third-party apps via Bluetooth (like Apple Health) and sync your workout and heart rate data. 

Best Treadmill App for Beginners: Couch to 5K

Good for: Beginners looking for a solid starting place

Best for Beginners

Couch to 5K App

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• Couch to 5K program to help beginner runners 
• 30 min per day, 3 times per week for 9 weeks 
• $4.99 one-time purchase

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Training program to start or re-start running
• Interactive motivating audio coach
• in-app music player

Cons

• Users complain distance tracking is inaccurate
• Similar apps available for free
• Doesn’t link with wearables

Bottom Line

The Couch to 5K app is for beginner runners to get moving. Users complained of inaccurate distance tracking but appreciated that the app got them running for 30 minutes at a time.

If you’re a true beginner runner, Couch to 5K is an excellent place to start. If you’ve dabbled with running but never really had a legit training program, Couch to 5K is also for you. 

It’s a nine-week training plan that consists of three training sessions per week, each 30 minutes in duration. The app starts you off with a walk-run combination. Essentially, the ratio of walking to running turns into more running as the weeks progress. 

As far as a running app goes, this app offers one of the more structured progressions we’ve seen in our testing process. For that reason, this app earns a 4-out-of-5-star rating when it comes to progressive overload (which is usually a term applied to strength training, but can also be used for runners). 

The app also offers audio cues and coaching to guide you through every workout and every transition, so you know when to pick up the pace and when to ease off. Plus you can also listen to your own music while still being able to hear the coaching cues. 

Additionally, Couch to 5K is similar to MapMyFitness and Nike Run Club in that it offers GPS tracking, which means for outdoor workouts you’ll have the ability to track your route. For indoor running, you’ll have to manually enter your workouts to log your running data. For that reason, Couch to 5K earns a 3-out-of-5-star rating for ease of use. 

You can download the app in the Apple App Store or in Google Play for a one-time purchase of $4.99. When you finish the nine-week program, you’ll still have access to the app and have the ability to repeat workouts. 

Best Treadmill App for Games: Zombies, Run!

Good for: Anyone who wants to have a gamified experience to obtain running goals

Best for Games

Zombies, Run!

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• Combines the digital world, storytelling, and new technology to create a fitness game
• Smartphone sensors create an immersive experience where users act as a character surviving a zombie apocalypse
• Track progress with either a GPS tracker via Google Maps integration, a step-counter, or an estimated distance tracker 
• Stream your own music or podcast
• 5K running plan available

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Motivating
• Can use your own audio
• Affordable
• Unique
• Reportedly easy-to-use

Cons

• VIP membership required for virtual races
• Some reports of inaccuracy in tracking distances
• No mention of any fitness metric tracking

Bottom Line

Zombies, Run! is a unique fitness game that blends digital storytelling with new technology, immersing users in a zombie apocalypse where they act as characters and run through various situations.

Zombies, Run! is an ideal way to get on the treadmill and have a true, immersive distraction to get you through a run or walk. The Zombies, Run! app provides a detailed storyline to listen to and follow along with as you work out. 

Essentially, you’re a character in the Zombies, Run! storyline (called Runner 5) and you live in a post-apocalyptic settlement. Your workouts are more like missions as you receive audio information and instructions.

“It’s a gamification of running workouts,” says GGR editor and product tester, Frieda Johnson. “In addition to the main post-apocalyptic storyline that you listen to during your run, you’ll also collect item drops during your run that you can use to rebuild your settlement and encounter zombies that you need to outrun by speeding up.”

It’s also free! There are premium versions that grant you access to more features and a community board for $5.99 per month, but Frieda says the free version of the app is fully functional. For this reason, the app earns a 5-star rating when it comes to value. According to the app, the free version has over 500 missions. “Hopefully it will be a while before you’re bored,” says Frieda. 

Frieda also appreciates the fact Zombies, Run! tracks distance, time, average pace, calories, and steps. Plus, the app also tracks your “supplies” collected and “zombie chases” escaped. Plus, if you want to use this app for outdoor running, you’ll have GPS tracking capabilities, too. 

Other Treadmill Apps We Researched

Joggo: We didn’t pick Joggo for this roundup because it offers similar capabilities to MapMyFitness with the exception that it doesn’t sync to third-party apps or devices. GGR tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto notes she had to manually enter her running data into her Apple Health app. 

Zwift: This app is wildly popular with cyclists for virtual races and training. Zwift does offer runners virtual worlds for running, but we didn’t pick this app because it’s far more popular in the cycling community.

Studio: This app didn’t cut it for this roundup because it’s very similar to what iFIT and Peloton offer for cardio machine-based workouts but with a higher monthly subscription fee and fewer offerings for off-machine workouts. Kate Meier, GGR head of content and expert product tester, notes that compared to iFIT and Peloton, Studio’s app interface is a little unclear to use, offers less on-screen instruction, and doesn’t have nearly as many total workouts. 

Runkeeper: This app offers a starting place for beginner runners, but it’s similar to apps like MapMyFItness or Nike Run Club but costs $9.99 per month, which is on the higher end for running apps. 

Treadmill Trails: We didn’t choose this app for this roundup because of the app’s structure. Instead of paying a subscription fee and having access to tons of workouts, this app allows you to pay per 30-minute scenic video or per trail run. This model may work for some, but our team knows having variety within one app is what drives a lot of folks to make a commitment to a certain app. 

Aaptiv: This app is an excellent choice for beginners who want a variety of training options like cardio, yoga, and strength training. It’s similar to iFIT with the variety of on and off equipment offerings, but iFIT has bigger exercise library. 

How We Picked and Tested the Best Treadmill Apps

Your friends at Garage Gym Reviews are not just expert product testers, we’re also fitness professionals with decades of collective experience. We have a variety of training backgrounds including marathon running, triathlons, college sports, CrossFit, weightlifting, and bodybuilding. 

While our app testing experience didn’t stop with cardio-based programs, this roundup is specifically designed to assist treadmill walkers and runners in making an informed decision about workout apps. 

Our testing methodology consisted of over 10 categories and each category requires a 1-to-5-star rating from our testers. Here is a quick overview of how that scoring works: 

• Subscription price: Based on industry standards, if a cardio-based app is less than $10 per month it earns a high score and if it’s more than $35 per month, it earns a low score. 
• Trial length: Apps with at least seven-day free trials earn high scores and apps without trials earn low scores. 
• Equipment demands: High scores are given to apps that can be used on or off a treadmill. Low ratings are given to apps that require a treadmill or a specific brand . 
• Ease of use: High scores are given to apps that are easy to use, navigate settings, and filter workouts. Low ratings are given to apps that are generally confusing and unclear. 
• Accountability: Apps with community or push-notification reminders earn higher scores than apps without. 
• Instruction: High scores are given to apps that offer either visual or audio instruction. Low scores are given to apps without any instruction.  

Benefits of Treadmill Running Apps

Whether you’re getting back into fitness, you’re an experienced runner, or you’re a walker on a weight loss journey, treadmill apps can help you move for longer, track your progress, and make your workouts more enjoyable. Because truthfully, the best app for you is the one you’ll want to use. 

Track Your Progress

When the GGR team tested general workout apps, one of the main features we wanted to see was the ability to progress. For strength training and resistance training, that usually means manipulating the number of repetitions, sets, rest time, or weight used. 

For running, the ways to progress are a little different because you can really only modify a few things: speed, duration, and frequency. That said, it’s still important to track your progress (or have one of the best running apps automatically do it for you) so you don’t get caught on an endless cycle of completing the same treadmill run over and over again. It may work for a while, but eventually you’ll need to progress with interval training or switching up the duration of your runs. 

Make Workouts More Fun

Fun on a treadmill? I know, it doesn’t seem possible. And truly, it depends on the treadmill app you choose. However, if the app makes walking or running on a treadmill more entertaining, then the app is doing its job. 

Potentially Push Longer

A minute on a treadmill seems to go by way slower than a minute off the treadmill, literally doing anything else. So if an app can offer coaching or entertainment (or both) then it may be the ideal way for the minutes to pass by effortlessly. 

What to Look for in a Treadmill Workout App

Here are the three main points to look for in a treadmill walking or running app: 

Monthly Subscription Fee

Consider how much you’re willing to pay per month for a treadmill app. Some apps even allow you to pay an annual subscription fee, which usually offers a price break compared to the month-to-month subscription. 

Compatibility to Apps and Devices 

Before you go and download an app, make sure it can connect with the devices you currently have. For example, some treadmills have built-in Bluetooth connections and can pair with apps so you don’t have to run with your phone on you. 

Similarly, there are foot pods you can purchase that can track your pace and distance. These little devices may not be compatible with all training apps. 

And for apps like Peloton and iFIT you’ll certainly be able to use the app on your phone, but you’ll also have the ability to actually buy a treadmill with a built-in screen for streaming these apps. Just know that both iFIT- and Peloton-enabled machines are designed to only stream its respective app (no Netflix or YouTube). 

Style of Training and Workouts

Most treadmill apps we tested provide workout metrics and audio coaching. Apps that offer running-only workouts and programs will most likely be designed for using hands-free with headphones. If you’re someone who wants to walk or run on a treadmill with a TV or tablet streaming a workout, apps like Peloton and iFIT might be a better option. 

Best Treadmill App: FAQs

Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1

Caine Wilkes is an Olympian, placing 9th in weightlifting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A former gym owner, he also has more than 15 years of experience coaching other athletes in weightlifting, CrossFit, and functional fitness.

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