The Best Online Fitness Programs

Tuesday, March 28th

2023 Online Fitness Program Reviews

FitOn

• Free to use as a Basic account
• PRO subscription available: regularly priced at $99.99/year, offered at $29.99/year during signup
• Hundreds of live and on-demand classes ranging from Cardio and Strength to Self-Defense and Pilates
• Celebrity instructors include Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough
• Social features like leaderboards, news feed, and adding friends

Why pay to get online fitness classes when you can use FitOn for free? That's right: this platform gives you unlimited live and on-demand classes streamed through your phone or TV, adds a social dimension by letting you see live class leaderboards, and so much more. And no, your data won't be sold to third parties, either.

Tell FitOn where you're starting from

To create your free account, simply download the app or sign up on your browser. You'll be asked to enter your name, height, and birthdate, along with some information about your current fitness goals and interests. You can also join Community Groups in categories like Food (Meal Preppers, Vegetarians, Intermittent Fasting), Lifestyle (like Singles, 20s, Apple Watch users), and Activity (such as Walkers United, Run the World, Yoga Lovers).

Start with the free account

On the final screen, you'll see that you can get a Basic FitOn account with unlimited free workouts. However, as with most free-to-use online fitness programs, there's an upgraded account option too: FitOn PRO gives you access to meal plans and recipes, offline use of downloaded workouts, exclusive fitness programs, and so on. It's regularly priced at $99.99/year, but it was discounted 70% to $29.99 at the time of this review. You can always opt into PRO later, so we recommend choosing Basic to start.

Incredible selection of workout types

We got pretty excited when we started sorting through the available classes and courses. Vytas for yoga? We know him from Survivor! Live Total Body Training in a little over an hour? Let's go! The selection here is really mind-blowing:

• Hot & New: FitOn adds classes every month, so there's always something to try
• Mobility
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Self-Defense (wow!)
• Stretch
• Strength
• HIIT
• Cardio
• Toning
• Pilates
• Kickboxing
• No Equipment
• Quick Hits
• Dance
• Barre
• Celebrity (most notably Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough)
• Circuits
• KINRGY
• Vuori
• Before Bed
• At Work
• Beginner
• Low Impact
• Small Space
• With Kids
• Prenatal
• Postnatal

Easy to keep track of what you've done

Within each category, you'll find tons of videos, not just a handful. Jump in and try one - maybe a quick neck rollout at your desk at work or a meditation session before bed. It'll give you a great feel for how FitOn workouts go, what kind of music comes standard with each workout (premium music is a PRO add-on), and if you like the overall vibe. When the video finishes, you'll be taken to a summary that shows how many weeks you've been working out with FitOn, how many workouts you've completed towards the goal you set during sign-up, your total weekly minutes and estimated calories burned. You'll even be asked if you want to take a progress photo - but you can skip it if that's not your thing. Rate the workout and add it to your favorites too.

Get social to get fit

FitOn lets you be super-social if you enjoy that. Click on the Friends tab and you'll see a social media-style feed highlighting your workouts, showing you those groups you might want to join, encouraging you to invite your friends to the platform, and even offering fun challenges to get you inspired and active.

Over 100,000 five-star reviews

There's no online fitness platform in our review that can even compete with FitOn's reviews. When you look on the Apple App Store and Google Play, you'll see hundreds of thousands of reviews with an impressive average of 4.8 to 4.9 stars out of 5. Start to read user comments and you'll see the same thing over and over again: "this is the best free fitness app out there" .

Some free features moved to paid members only

However, it's worth mentioning that some of the more recent reviews (within the month prior to our evaluation) said that many features that used to be included with a Basic account were moved over to FitOn PRO as a perk. For example, you can't cast workouts to your TV anymore (at least, not within the app itself; your smartphone probably has a workaround but it might not be as smooth). Other people described the meal plans as unimaginative and lacking consideration of food allergies.

Best overall online fitness program

Still, that's a very slight downside for an online fitness platform that has so incredibly much to offer: an amazing array of free on-demand and live workouts for practically every interest and current fitness level, fun leaderboards and ways to socialize with online and IRL friends, the list just goes on and on. You'll need to look to one of the paid apps in our review if you need a comprehensive suite of meal planning tools, but FitOn still earns our #1 ranking overall. What are you waiting for?

Jillian Michaels

• 7-day free trial
• $19.99/month or $149.99/year
• Discounts of up to 40% for military, first responders, nurses, teachers, and students
• Numerous workout types - or generate your own
• Incorporates both exercise and nutrition

Jillian Michaels is one of the most recognizable names in fitness. She's been featured on 50+ magazine covers, sold millions of home workout DVDs, authored eight New York Times best-selling books, and the list just goes on and on. You can put all of her expertise right in your pocket, on your tablet, or cast to your TV with The Fitness App, one of the most comprehensive online fitness platforms on the market.

Exceptional range of class types

The variety of options offered on The Fitness App is mind-blowing. Want to move your body? Take your pick:

• Strength
• Yoga
• Bootcamp
• Kickboxing
• Cardio
• Prenatal
• HIIT
• Stretching
• Restorative (foam rolling)
• Core
• Running
• Walking
• Jill's DVD library (for all of your old favorites)
• Gym Training
• Audio-only (for when you're on the treadmill or out for a jog)

Create a personalized workout on demand

You can even generate your own workout, if you don't find anything in the ready-made sessions that fits what you're looking for on any given day. Click the Generator button at the top of the app under the Workouts section, select the desired workout style plus time and intensity level, add in the stretches you prefer, and voila: your just-for-you workout downloads right to the app.

Personalized workout plays in segments

Just be aware that your personalized workout will play in segments. Some users would rather use a pre-made workout so that the flow isn't interrupted (and so that they get the full impact of Jillian's encouragement throughout, not just in bits and pieces across the workout sections). You can also swap out any moves in your generated workout that you'd rather not do - maybe you've got an injury or you want to try something a little bit more challenging? No problem.

Holistic approach to your wellness

But wait - there's more. Are you struggling to sleep well at night? Could you use some breathwork? How about a rejuvenating meditation session? You guessed it: you'll find plenty of options in The Fitness App too.

Get meal plans and track what you eat too

Guess what: we're still not done. If you've ever worked with a trainer or nutritionist, you already know that fitness isn't just about what you do in the gym or during your workout. What you do with the other hours of your day, especially in the kitchen, has a big impact on your overall health and wellness. The Fitness App incorporates extensive tracking options, not just of your workouts but also what you eat. Customize a meal plan or use one of the ready-to-go options like omnivore, keto, or vegan. You can ignore this functionality if you're just looking for an online fitness app for working out, but most of us are going to need to combine both elements to reach our health goals.

Less than $100/year with promos and discounts

You can try Jillian Michaels' online fitness app at no cost for seven days. Your trial gives you access to all of the features of the platform, no restrictions. When you sign up for the trial, you'll indicate what level of membership you'd like your account to default to after the week is up. What are those options? Membership is priced at $19.99 per month or $149.99 per year. At the time of this review, there was a seasonal promo that brought the annual membership down to just $99.99, but it wasn't featured prominently on the site until we got to the 7-day trial setup (hint: go to the Help section, then click on "What are the available subscription options?" That's where we found the promo code for the discount). You can also score savings of up to 40% if you're a member of the military, first responder, nurse, teacher, or student. Just go to the Discount Programs link at the bottom of the site to verify your ID.

A few glitches

We found a few glitchy things as we browsed the Jillian Michaels site most recently. The links at the bottom of the page for both Membership and FAQ took us to a "page not found" error. In order to find the details we were looking for on those pages, we had to go to the Help section instead. You may also encounter some issues when using The Fitness App: we found more than a few reviews that mentioned the app freezing or acting up in other ways, but that's true of any smartphone app and not really any cause for concern here.

Great feedback from app users

Speaking of user reviews, Jillian Michaels' program gets a lot of praise. With more than 10,000 ratings across Google Play and the Apple App Store, this online fitness platform earns an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars and got "App of the Year" designations in both places. (It also helps if you really like her personality, since you're not going to find hundreds of instructors featured throughout the workouts here. We encourage you to see what people have tagged on social media (@thefitnessapp), giving you the most up-to-date perspective on how others are using Jillian Michaels' app to get out there and get it done from one day to the next.

Best choice for exercise + nutrition

Although this online fitness platform has been bumped just slightly out of first place, it's still one of our most recommended options. It's comprehensive and affordable, making it an ideal way to take your workouts and your nutrition in whatever direction you need right now. Give Jillian Michaels some serious consideration when choosing an online fitness program.

SHRED

• 7-day free trial
• $99.99/year - but can keep Basic mode for free with no subscription
• $99.99/year - but can keep Basic mode for free with no subscription
• Create groups and workout with friends (complete with automated leaderboards)

SHRED is the mobile app offered by Shred Labs, designed to help you make the most of your workout time. If you're serious about training, particularly within the strength category, you'll definitely want to check out this app. Every workout here was designed by a trainer and not a computer, personally completed by someone on the SHRED team and tested multiple times before rolling it out to the public. You might say that the Shred Labs staff is "obsessed with effective training" and it shows.

Gym or bodyweight?

There are two training types here: Gym and Bodyweight. The first type assumes you have access to a gym, either at home or one in your community. Sessions range from 30-75 minutes and include Classic, Athlete, Lean-X, CrossShred, Tone, and Bulk training styles. Bodyweight sessions might still expect you to have some basic gear - like bands, dumbbells, and kettlebells - but the idea is that you don't need a full-fledged gym. These sessions range from 20-60 minutes and cover Classic, Athlete, Band, Dumbbell, Lean-X, and Kettlebell training.

Workout party

That's all pretty standard in the online fitness industry, right? Where SHRED has made its mark is by incorporating the social aspect of working out. Who says watch parties are only for Netflix? Create a group with your friends and have a little friendly competition, do a workout together, even see when they check into the gym (or give them a little jab if they don't). But, if that's not your idea of a good time, no worries. You can opt out of the social aspect and just use SHRED's tracking modules to keep an eye on your stats. After all, at the end of the day, it's really just you vs. you.

Use for free (basic) or subscribe

You can try SHRED for free for a week. At the end of the trial, you'll be signed up for a membership at $99.99 per year. However, you can opt out of that at any time and just continue with a free, Basic membership here. We'd like to see a little more details from Shred Labs about what that does and doesn't include, but in the meanwhile just be aware that it's an option if you don't want to pay for access.

Great for beginners and more advanced athletes too

People across all fitness levels love SHRED. On the Apple App Store, this platform has an impressive 4.8 average (out of 5 stars) across nearly 34,000 ratings. It's a little newer (and buggier) on Android, apparently (just 10,000 downloads and 414 reviews), but SHRED still averages 4.1 out of 5 there too. For absolute beginners, SHRED takes you step by step through everything you need to know to work out, with multiple video angles so your form is on point and you're working out safely. Even experienced fitness enthusiasts find that SHRED takes them to the next level, with efficient workouts that give you, in one person's words, "an exact blueprint" to follow instead of just winging it as usual.

Noteworthy customer service

We also give SHRED points for having good customer service. Where many online fitness apps will give you a "gotcha" if you don't realize you're signing up for a subscription after the free trial - "Too bad! It was in the fine print!" - the folks at SHRED will actually help you out if you make that common mistake. One person said that she inadvertently signed up and paid for a one-year membership after the intro week; SHRED's support team refunded her payment and switched her over to the free Basic account she wanted. We give SHRED a gold star for that.

Excellent choice, especially for strength training

SHRED might not be the app for you if you want tons of cardio workouts or you're not interested in strength training at all. On the other hand, if you've ever walked into the gym and had no clue what to do or you're trying to focus on muscle gains, SHRED is about as good as it gets. Add in that social component for fun and motivation, and you'll see why so many people love this online fitness platform. SHRED is one of our favorite picks in the industry.

Aaptiv

• 7-day free trial
• $14.99/month
• $99.99/year
• Students can save 50% on monthly and yearly memberships
• Over 6,000 audio and video workouts
• Uses the music you love, not generic tracks
• Classes can be downloaded to use offline

Aaptiv has made some big changes since our last evaluation. It used to be an audio-only platform, but now it incorporates video training as well. There are over 6,000 audio and video sessions you can use here, with 30+ new classes added every week.

Audio tracks are like having your own personal trainer

Those audio tracks are what really sets Aaptiv apart from other online fitness apps, though. Do you really need to watch a video to know how to run? Isn't it a distraction to have to watch an instructor on an elliptical when all you need is a coach? Aaptiv makes working out on your own more like a one-on-one training experience or a studio session: load up one of the workouts and follow the instructions. Granted, for something like yoga or strength training, you might need to use videos until you're familiar enough to follow verbal cues like "jump or step back to chaturanga" and "inhale as you reload the movement on the way up" .

Training programs help you hit goals

You can also use any of Aaptiv's multi-week plans to make progress in a specific way. How about a six-week training plan for your first 5k? A four-week plan to move from walking to jogging your first mile? There are programs for weight loss, flexibility, healthy pregnancy, and many more.

Connect to popular cardio equipment and wearables

A recently-added feature we love here is being able to connect LifeFitness equipment to the Aaptiv app. All of your machine-tracked data, from distance to duration, will be shown in real time on your phone and saved to your workout history. That's in addition to previously-established integrations with most wearable fitness trackers (like Apple Health and Fitbit).

Free one-week trial plus short previews online

Like most online fitness services, Aaptiv gives you a week to try it out for free; at the end of the seven-day period, you'll be switched over to a monthly membership for $14.99 or a yearly plan for $99.99 unless you cancel in advance. It's never our favorite when we have to enter our credit card info to get the free trial, but it's pretty common in the industry. And, while you can't preview any of Aaptiv's video workouts before signing up, there are audio samples on the main page for Yoga, Outdoor Running, Elliptical, Indoor Cycling, Treadmill, and Strength Training.

Students get a 50% discount

By the way, your Aaptiv membership is 50% cheaper if you're a student. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS (through the link on the Aaptiv site) and you'll be good to go.

Lots of praise from app users

Aaptiv gets plenty of five-star reviews. On the Apple App Store, more than 55,000 people took the time to leave a rating, averaging 4.7 stars; Google Play's numbers are a little lower (11,000 ratings averaging 4 out of 5 stars) but still good. Aaptiv users appreciate being able to download workouts for offline use (because who wants to use up that kind of data while on a long run or rely on the gym's spotty WiFi?), give lots of kudos to the trainers on the platform, and praise recent updates that let you toggle between Aaptiv soundtracks and user-selected playlists.

Solid choice for working out

Does Aaptiv have every single function you'll find in an online fitness app? No. You won't get meal plans or food tracking, and the video selection here takes a backseat to audio tracks. However, it's one of the only platforms that makes it so easy to take a workout with you, ideal for anyone who really prefers audio sessions and leans on videos for variety or some initial instruction. And, Aaptiv is constantly innovating, so we expect to see their video content continue to expand going forward. Aaptiv should be on your list of online fitness platforms to try.

Fitness Blender

• Free account with 600+ workout videos, workout calendar
• Free account with 600+ workout videos, workout calendar
• Membership includes exclusive workouts, ad-free content, trackers and more
• 7-day free trial on FB Plus
• Professionally-developed meal plans and workout programs can be purchased a la carte
• No smartphone app required

You shouldn't have to be rich to be healthy. Fitness Blender is on a mission "to make health and fitness attainable, affordable, and approachable" . This online fitness platform offers over 600 free workout videos (streamed right on YouTube, no account necessary), ranging from 10-85 minutes and covering everything from beginner stretching to elite athlete conditioning.

No music?!

Now, you'll need to manage your expectations a bit: giving away content for free means that Fitness Blender probably doesn't want to deal with music rights... so you won't hear any, and we mean any, in their workout videos. You'll want to have your own Spotify playlist nearby, unless you really enjoy the sound of the instructor breathing.

Get started today

We love that you can just jump right in and start doing workouts here. New videos are added at least weekly, and the default sort is "newest first" - so you can always keep it interesting. Want some Power Yoga to Challenge Your Balance? How about Bodyweight Stacked Cardio Intervals? You'll find a lot of everything here, including an overview of the whole class and "chapters" you can use to move around easily. (For example, maybe your phone rang and you need to go back to the part you were on, or you want to skip ahead to the stretch because something came up.) And, each video carefully shows you how to complete each move properly, minimizing your risk of injury. That's fantastic.

Plenty of benefits with free and paid memberships

Once you have tried a few of the videos, we encourage you to sign up for a free Fitness Blender account. Besides the workouts, you'll get access to an interactive workout calendar, weekly giveaways, healthy living articles and recipes, and much more. When you're ready for even more, consider the Fitness Blender Plus subscription for just $6.29/month or $55.99/year. It'll make your online fitness experience ad-free, while adding many more helpful tools like progress trackers, the ability to enter custom workouts, workout challenges, and so on. You'll also get access to about 300 exclusive workouts that are only available to FB Plus subscribers.

Meal plans and workout challenges available a la carte

Or, if you want to jumpstart your fitness with a challenge, Fitness Blender has a series of a la carte Workout Programs for purchase. Many of them are included with an FB Plus membership. One example is the 2-Week FB Reboot Challenge - A Balanced, Approachable Return to Fitness. It requires 15-40 minutes per day, five days a week, and targets cardio (both HIIT and low impact), strength training, and stretching/flexibility. You'd pay $5.59 as a standalone purchase, which is fairly average for all of Fitness Blender's workout challenges. There are also Meal Plans that can be accessed this way, from one-week programs to help you know what to eat for strength training to four-week plans to learn how to eat "real" food and feel your best.

A few limitations

We give Fitness Blender a lot of credit for offering online fitness for all. There's really something for everyone here, and so much of it comes absolutely free. But, it's a little haphazard compared with other platforms: you might feel like you're cobbling things together on your own, even with the FB Plus subscription, the workout challenges and meal plans. And, for us, the lack of music is a huge downside: if you're playing your own tracks just to have a beat to move to, you might miss some of the instructions being offered, and it's not likely to sync up with what's being shown on the screen.

Not bad for free

If "free" is your main focus when selecting an online fitness option, take a look at Fitness Blender. On the other hand, if you want a slick smartphone app, integration with wearable devices, or a hot soundtrack with your workout, you'll want to check out the competition instead.

Daily Burn

• 30-day free trial
• $14.99/month plus tax
• Thousands of workout videos in the library
• Daily live workout at 9am est for beginners

If you're trying to make working out a habit, Daily Burn can help. Most of the workouts here are 30 minutes or less: just enough to get you moving, and not so much that you can make an excuse to skip it. There are thousands of videos to choose from on this online fitness platform.

Live workout at 9am est

Are you starting out or starting over with your fitness journey? Be sure to check out Daily Burn 365. It's a 30-minute workout every day at 9am est, aimed at people just like you. It comes with plenty of modifications for all fitness levels, and you can always play the video on demand if the live session doesn't work for you.

Generous 30-day trial

Daily Burn lets you use everything on the platform, no restrictions, for 30 days. After the trial ends, you'll be charged $14.99 per month (plus any applicable tax in your state) unless you cancel in advance.

Plenty of class categories

One thing we don't love about Daily Burn is how you have to sign up for the free trial to see what they offer. Sure, you can see the class categories on the main page, which include:

• Tone & Target
• Full-Body Group Workout (preview a full class video on that page too)
• Intro to Exercise
• Cardio Strength
• Yoga Basics
• Barre for All
• Muscle Building
• Beginner Pilates
• Cardio Kickboxing
• High Intensity Training
• Pregnancy & Post-Natal
• Flexibility & Stretching

That's a fantastic array of classes, but why does Daily Burn find it necessary to collect your credit card information before letting you see more about how their online fitness platform is set up? You'll get the most minimal preview of their dashboard for tracking your workouts, weight, and so on, but most people want to see a lot more than that before handing over their credit card information.

Fraud was an issue

That's especially important given how many issues Daily Burn has had with fraud over the past few years. In one place we looked, tons of people had left a one-star rating for the service because they had been charged for a membership without their knowledge - for several months. That wasn't Daily Burn's fault, and they addressed the issue professionally, but it still left people with a bad impression.

Love it...

User reviews for the actual online fitness classes are mixed as well. Some people really like the simplicity of a 30-minute daily workout (whether you go with the new release or use something from the library) and the variety of exercise styles to choose from. We found comments from happy subscribers who have used Daily Burn for years and wouldn't even consider any other service.

...or hate it

On the other hand, particularly for more experienced fitness enthusiasts, Daily Burn doesn't have the intensity they're looking for. Some people mentioned that many of the workouts featured as "no equipment" actually require a mat, weights, or other gear. And, if you're planning on watching videos primarily through the app and not streamed to your TV or desktop, complaints about the app functionality are widespread: frequent crashing, "wrong password" error messages, and difficulties getting help from customer service, for example. Be aware that these problems are much more prevalent on Android than on Apple devices.

Good but not great anymore

While Daily Burn used to be one of our highest-rated online fitness programs, it now ranks as "just above average" . Yes, a 30-day trial is generous, but why not show prospective clients more of what you offer before you require payment info? Overall, Daily Burn might be a good option to keep in mind if you don't find what you're looking for among the higher-ranking rivals in our review, but it's not a favorite anymore.

Beachbody On Demand

• 75+ fitness and meditation programs, nutrition plans, recipes, and community support
• Over 1,800 available workouts plus live classes
• 14-day free trial for Beachbody On Demand only
• $119.98 for annual plan of Beachbody On Demand, plus $19.95/month for BODi
• $179/year for both Beachbody On Demand and BODi
• 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans

As you might expect from a company named Beachbody, this brand is based in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1998, Beachbody is one of the most recognizable names in at-home fitness (even if you don't want to drink their Shakeology nutrition drinks).

Which program do you like?

There are a LOT of workout collections, referred to as "Programs" , available here. It's a good idea to browse so you have an idea of what you'll be choosing from. You may already know some of Beachbody On Demand's flagship formats, from the classic TurboKick with Chalene Johnson to P90X created by Tony Horton, or see if you like newer programs like JBYB (Just Bring Your Body, no equipment required) and Idalis Velazquez classes en espanol. Clicking on any one that gets your attention will take you to much more detailed information, including trailers showing class samples, a program overview with the total number of workouts and intensity level, and so on.

Hard to figure out which package to choose

Pricing here is really confusing, to say the least. When you click the "sign up" button, you get taken to two options: Total Solution Packs and Membership Only. For the sake of simplicity, let's say you're not currently interested in bundling a membership with a nutrition program and supplements to "get results faster" , and just look at the Membership options. That will require you to enter a name and email address just to see your offers (which isn't our favorite sales tactic).

Pricing plans

Here's what we were given for offers:

• 14-day free trial, then $74.97 every three months for Beachbody On Demand (no BODi)
• Beachbody On Demand Annual Plan + 30-day free trial of BODi: $119.98 annually, then an extra $19.95/month for BODi at the end of the trial period
• Beachbody On Demand Annual Plan + BODi Annual Plan: $179

To complicate things even further, there was a promotion running at the top of the site offering three years of BOD and BODi and an integrated fitness bike, starting at $50/month. Overwhelmed yet? Since many people looking for online fitness options aren't really looking to go the Peloton-type route, we won't get into more detail here - but be aware that it's yet another option you can access through Beachbody On Demand.

Lots of features included in both membership tiers

So, let's get back to what you get from this online fitness platform. There's a long list of features included in the general Beachbody On Demand membership and the BODi add-on: on-demand videos, meditation, two healthy cooking shows, online communities, daily activity and program tracking, and multiple device streaming. But, our favorite membership benefit is the 1:1 coach: once you've signed up, you'll see your assigned coach's contact information, and they can help you choose the right program and help you troubleshoot your progress.

Upgrade for live classes and other tools

If you want live classes, you'll need that BODi upgrade. This membership also gives you the ability to workout alongside a trainer on the screen during those classes, access to a premium workout library, ongoing nutrition support with weekly meal plans and recipes, and a few other features.

Recent feedback isn't trending upward

So, why does Beachbody On Demand come in with just an average rating here? While there are thousands of five-star reviews on the app stores, more recent feedback is almost exclusively negative: casting isn't working, there's no way to use the app to browse workouts by category, and it doesn't integrate as expected. Beyond that, we also saw a trend surfacing about the classes themselves: sometimes people without the BODi upgrade felt that new content wasn't being offered to them, there were some mentions of instructors not paying attention to teaching good form or being body/mind negative. For the money people are paying for this platform, we were surprised to see that kind of feedback.

Pushing supplements and shakes?

Another aspect to point out relates to the coaches. Beachbody is sometimes described as a multi-level marketing setup, calling representatives "coaches" and having them push those supplements, shakes, and nutrition programs we mentioned earlier. We don't know about you, but that's not the kind of energy we want when we log on for a workout.

Not terrible, but not our favorite

There's a lot to choose from with Beachbody On Demand, and it has some features we didn't see with most online fitness platforms (like 1:1 coaches and integration with a bike if desired). But, that's not quite enough to get us past the confusing pricing, glitchy app, and "buy our nutritional products" push. We would recommend several other programs before settling on Beachbody On Demand.

Booya Fitness

• 30-day free trial
• $9.99/month
• $26.99/quarter
• $99.99/year
• 60+ workouts, with 60-100 new ones added per year
• Workout plans available separately ($2.99+ each)

Love boutique studio workouts but hate the crowds (and the sweat... and the smell... )? That's where Booya Fitness comes in. This online fitness platform brings the most on-trend workouts right to your smartphone, tablet, or TV: no need to live near a big city or pay $125+ per month when you can do the same classes wherever you like.

Big focus on current music

One feature that's somewhat unique to Booya's online fitness offerings is the platform's approach to music. You won't get some generic, "barely better than elevator music" tracks here. The Booya team curates current pop playlists specific to their workouts, comparable to what you'd get if you went to a studio class today (Sean Paul, Pitbull). And, if you're still not feeling what they're playing, no problem: skip the track or turn off the music altogether and play your own favorite workout anthems. Plus, if the instructor's voice isn't your favorite, you can also control that volume relative to the soundtrack: crank the music and put him/her in the background if that's what you need.

30-day trial run

We love that Booya Fitness still gives you the chance to try them out for free, for a full 30 days. And, if you want a preview of all of the workouts in the Booya library even before signing up for that trial run, no problem: just go to the Workouts section of the main page. You can browse all 60+ - this online fitness platform adds 60-100 new workouts from 20+ content partners each year, to keep up with what's hot in the industry - or filter by your energy level, goal, available equipment, surroundings, and so on. At the time of this review, some of the most popular workout styles included Barre, HIIT, and Trampoline Cardio. Booya Fitness is also known for its attention-grabbing workout session names: Skinny Jean Workout, Hakuna Ma Squata, and Girls Just Wanna Have Guns are some of the ones that made us laugh.

Purchase a workout plan for more structure

You can use the app just like that, choosing workouts as you go that fit your mood and your available time. But, if you want a more structured approach to your routine, you may want to consider purchasing some of Booya's Workout Plans. You'll get a schedule with specific workouts (and often meal plans too) targeting the goal you choose, like 28-Day Clean Eating Challenge or 8 Weeks Until The Aisle. Prices start at $2.99 and are in addition to your monthly membership.

Not very expensive

Speaking of which, what will it cost to subscribe to Booya Fitness? This is one of the more affordable online fitness options in our review at $9.99 per month. You can also opt into the quarterly plan at $26.99 every three months, or pay once a year at $99.99.

App has fallen in our rankings

All of that being said, we've dropped Booya significantly in our rankings since our last evaluation. Why? After all, the company still has an "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau and the features we loved the last time. The answer is simply that this online fitness platform has been outpaced by the competition. Where Booya Fitness adds new workouts on a yearly basis, rival services add new content weekly - or even daily.

Social media silence

When you check out Booya's socials, it's pretty quiet over there. There aren't many tagged posts on Instagram and virtually none in the year or two prior to this evaluation, Facebook went silent a few years ago, you get the idea. And compare Booya Fitness against other apps in the Apple Store, for example: this service has just a handful (six, to be exact), compared with thousands of ratings for other online fitness options.

Other online fitness platforms give you more

As much as we would like for Booya Fitness to still be one of our most recommended services, they just haven't kept up with the times (which is ironic, given the company's founding goal of being on-trend, all the time). You don't have anything to lose by giving it a try for a month, and we still encourage you to do that. However, chances are high that you'll wind up looking for an online fitness platform with many more workouts to choose from - like the higher-ranking ones in our review.

Obe

• 7-day free trial
• $24.99/month
• $169.99/year
• Over 10,000 classes across 20+ class types
• Live stream classes seven days a week
• New on-demand classes added daily
• Only available to users in the US and Canada

Have you spotted obe in your Facebook or Instagram feed and wondered what all the hype is about? Derived from an acronym representing "our body electric" and said like the word "obey" , this online fitness platform has options for every exerciser, from young professionals pressed for time to kids and seniors who want to get healthier from, well, anywhere.

Ample choices for on-demand classes

Your obe membership includes access to over 10,000 on-demand classes with new ones added every day. There are four class categories at obe, with a total of 20 class types. These include:

• Cardio: HIIT, Dance HIIT, Dance Cardio, Cardio Boxing, Bounce, Jump, and Ride
• Strength: Sculpt, Pilates, Strength, Power, and Barre
• Yoga: Vinyasa, Yoga Sculpt, Restorative, and Meditation
• Activate/Recover: Warmup, Cool-down, Stretch, and Foam Roll

Live class option too

You also can participate in a live daily schedule with streaming classes. But don't worry: even though your live instructor might call you out by name ("You can do it, Chloe in Chicago!" ), they're only going by the names and locations on their list and not spying on whether or not you're really giving it your best effort. Still, it can help you really feel like you're in the studio together with everyone else signed in for the workout.

No leaderboards, but tracking and challenges are available

You'll also be able to take advantage of Programs and Challenges, if you need a little more structure to get yourself in gear and working out regularly. Plus, obe's tracking tools and online community can give you that extra push. But, there are no leaderboards here: as they put it, "no leaderboards, no guilt trips - just a great time."

More expensive than most online fitness platforms

Your experience starts out with a 7-day free trial. After that, you can either pay $24.99 per month or $169.99 per year. We recommend starting out month-to-month after the free period ends, so that you can make sure you're getting enough out of obe to make it worth a longer commitment - because there are no refunds here.

Keep an eye out for discounts

When we visited obe most recently, we got a 50% discount pop-up offer. We weren't thrilled that we had to provide both our email and our mobile number to qualify, but it is what it is. There was another interesting promo featured at the top of the page: sign up to be an annual member and get a free year's membership to gift to a friend, along with a Daily Harvest box for you (valued at $70). Be sure to look at the top of the obe site to see if there's a code available at the time you're signing up.

Decent user feedback

So, should you sign up for obe? On the one hand, it can't hurt to give it a try for seven days and compare it with other online fitness platforms you've had your eye on. It gets pretty high reviews on the Apple App Store (average of 4.8 out of 5 across several thousand ratings) and a similar average over fewer reviews on Google Play (average of 4.5 across 300+ ratings). People love how obe helps them get excited about fitness and participate regularly: some people opt into a live class at the same time every day, so that they always get a new mix of class types, while others praise the ample on-demand catalog for making it impossible to get bored.

Customer service is bad

On the other hand, this online fitness company had an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, with almost 100 complaints filed there over the last three years and more than half of those coming in the last 12 months. Most of those have gone unanswered and represent significant issues: this isn't a case of people signing up for a trial and not realizing they'd be charged, like you see with some fitness platforms. Complaints here describe a completely non-functioning app and then not being given any credit or refund for months of unusable time, canceling before the end of the trial period but still being charged multiple times, no response at the customer support phone number, you get the picture.

Lots of room for improvement

While we don't want to overlook the thousands of positive reviews from fitness enthusiasts who feel transformed by their experience with obe, we can't ignore the company's lack of a response to legitimate claims filed with the BBB - especially when the complaints line up with comments we saw on both app stores. This online fitness platform is much more expensive than most services we reviewed, and we're not convinced that obe is worth the extra dollars - or potential drama. Take a look at some of obe's rivals first and then decide for yourself.

Transform

• 7-day free trial
• $14.99/month
• $38.99/quarter
• Over 1,500 workouts to choose from
• Schedule a free 15-minute assessment call with a coach
• Can incorporate nutrition

Transform was created by Chris Powell, made famous on the "Extreme Weight Loss" TV show. It shouldn't surprise you, then, that this online fitness platform places a lot of emphasis on shedding some pounds. However, when setting up your account, you can choose from three transformation types: lose weight, get fit and toned while you maintain weight, or gain muscle.

Over 1,500 workouts

The next step will ask you to indicate the type of training you want to do based on the equipment you have. Whether you have access to a gym (at home or elsewhere) or are just working with your own bodyweight, there are plenty of options here - over 1,500 workouts, to be exact. These range from traditional favorites like Yoga and Cross Training to fun sessions like Dance Party.

Get a free consultation if you can

You can try out the Transform app free for a week. However, before jumping in with a trial, you might want to take advantage of Transform's complimentary consultations. There's a calendar link on the site that lets you schedule a 15-minute call with a trainer, to give you an idea of what to expect from the app and get suggestions for which transformation is right for you. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, the calendar wasn't showing any openings in the next few months (which we think could be a glitch and not the actual availability schedule).

Get nutrition + exercise in one package

After your initial seven days, you'll pay either $14.99/month or $38.99/quarter for ongoing access to the Transform app. That's about average in the online fitness industry, but you get a little more for your money here - since it incorporates workouts and nutrition, if you choose to utilize both.

The app is unreliable, especially on Android phones

Compared with other app-based fitness programs we reviewed, Transform doesn't rate quite so well with users. For example, they've received a score of 3.2 out of 5 stars across 1,300+ ratings on Google Play and 4.4 out of 5 stars across 1,200 ratings on the Apple App Store (so maybe it works better on iOs than Android?). We've seen better.

Older reviews are more positive

If you look at older reviews (from 2018 and earlier), there's a decent amount of positive buzz: people liked the workouts and the meal plans and felt like Transform really did help them change their approach to wellness. It's hard to find more recent praise for this app, though: time and again (and especially on Android), users experience glitches that render the platform unusable for weeks (or months) and can't get help from support.

Could be a disappointment

The Transform App is an affordable way to get workouts and nutritional guidance in one package - if you can actually get it to work on your phone, with that being more likely if you have an iPhone. This online fitness platform also assumes you want to move from Point A to Point B in your journey, instead of just accessing an on-demand library of workouts. If that's your thing, you don't risk anything by giving The Transform App a go, but you've got better options you might want to try first.

All Out Studio

• 7-day free trial
• $14.99/month or $89.99/year
• Hundreds of on-demand workouts from Men's Health, Women's Health, Runner's World, Prevention, Cosmopolitan
• New programs added monthly

All Out Studio is the online fitness platform "from the world's most respected fitness brands" -namely, Men's Health, Women's Health, Runner's World, Prevention, and Cosmopolitan (though that last one made us raise our eyebrows a little as far as being a "fitness brand" goes). If you've ever seen a workout article in one of those magazines and thought, "Man, I wish someone could show me how to do that" , this is the resource for you.

Get the workouts you read about in the magazine

It might be a little hard to see against the background, but the "Explore Workouts" button on the main page is the easiest way to browse what All Out Studio offers for online fitness. You'll see that the workouts are typically part of a series from one of the fitness magazines behind the platform, like Women's Health Total Body Kettlebell or Run Faster by (you guessed it) Runner's World. Most of the videos are focused on strength and cardio, but you can scroll down and find yoga, healing stretches, mobility, and so on.

Not much information given without signing up

You'll have to sign up for All Out Studio's 7-day free trial to see much more than that. We wish that this platform made it easier to see in advance which workouts require equipment; it's obvious from the thumbnails that many sessions call for dumbbells or a bench, for example. You can try it out for that week and see if the workouts here speak to you; after that, you'll automatically be subscribed monthly or annually, depending on what you selected while creating your account. You'll pay $14.99/month or $89.99/year; at the time of our most recent visit to the site, there was a 50% discount off the annual membership with a given promo code.

Unenthusiastic user reviews

User reviews for All Out Studio aren't overly enthusiastic. On Google Play, the app only had a little over 100 reviews at the time of our evaluation, averaging 3.7 out of 5 stars and not many new ratings. The results were pretty much the same on the Apple App store: although there were 250 ratings, the average was still the exact same (3.7/5) and again, almost no feedback after 2021.

Just "meh" compared with other online fitness options

In fact, it's hard to find anyone recently who absolutely loves All Out Studio. Compared with other online fitness options, the workouts here are just so-so. There's no way to track your progress, interact with other users, or take live classes - all features you'll find with most of today's top platforms.

Limited appeal

All Out Studio will appeal to a pretty limited audience, mostly people with more fitness experience than the average person and who already like the brands behind the platform. But, the average person will get more for their time and money with the more popular online fitness platforms we've rated. We recommend looking at All Out Studio's rivals first.

Centr

• Free trial for one month
• $29.99/month
• $59.99/quarter
• $119.99/year
• Over 1,400 workouts to choose from
• 800 recipes across four meal plans (regular, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan)

Want to work out like Marvel's Thor? (Or maybe work out with him?) Then check out Centr, the online fitness program created by Chris Hemsworth. After realizing that he got more questions about his training routines than his acting roles, Hemsworth decided to use his expertise and connections to build a global platform. Although Centr was acquired by HighPost Capital in 2022, you'll still find Hemsworth (and his wife, among others) leading workout sessions and offering advice.

Several different ways to use the platform

There are a couple ways you can use Centr for online fitness training. There are over 1,400 workout videos in the on-demand library, led by experts in their fields: Hemsworth's personal trainer (Luke Zocchi), Da Rulk (functional training), Michael Olajide Jr. (boxing for fitness), and several others. You can also use one of Centr's specialized short-term programs to get you started. Begin is a 3-week low-impact series ideal for new exercisers, taking under 20 minutes a day. Power offers a 13-week training program (beginner, intermediate, or advanced) with strength-building exercises and a nutrition guide. You get the idea.

Meal plans are just okay

You can also use Centr to follow a dietitian-approved meal plan: regular, pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan. It isn't the most robust tool on the Centr platform: some of the preparation times are a little excessive (who wants to spend an hour prepping breakfast, even on a weekend?), and the plan doesn't really line up with a particular calorie/macro goal you may have in mind for your age, height, and/or current weight or weight goal. Use it as a way to try out some new foods and maybe feel less confused about what to eat, but don't expect this to be the main focus of your Centr experience.

Use meditation and sleep visualizations for overall wellness

Finally, Centr includes meditations and sleep visualizations to help you "calm the chaos" . That might not be your thing, but maybe the young people in your house would enjoy the "Sleep for Kids, Starry Night" read by Thor himself (you can listen in too, we won't tell).

Free trial could last a month

Typically, Centr comes with a 7-day free trial, but at the time of this review it was extended to a full 30 days. If you decide to continue with a membership, expect to pay $29.99 on a month-to-month plan, $59.99 for quarterly, and $119.99 for an annual subscription.

Customer service is awful

Wondering why this is one of our least favorite options for online fitness? Across the board, the most prevalent complaint about Centr is focused on customer service. People say that help is almost impossible to come by, and that when you do reach someone, the rep is often rude. This happens most often with respect to being charged after the free trial period: there are a lot of terms and conditions that, if you don't follow them to the letter, you're out of luck.

Problems with cancelling

Be aware also that you have to cancel Centr on the same platform where you signed up. So, if you download Centr as an iOs app, your cancellation won't be valid if you do it through a browser login. We also found numerous rants saying that users had canceled the right way, well before the end of the 7-day period, but still got charged for a year's membership - and were then told, essentially, "Oops, sorry, no refunds." That's unacceptable.

Not many fans of this online fitness program

But, users aren't all that impressed with the content on this fitness platform either. One person described Centr as "just another at-home workout app with basic exercises and basic material." We saw comments like "Waste of money" and "scam" more than once.

Don't even mess with the free trial - it's risky

Ordinarily, we'd tell you to try Centr for the free month and then decide if it's right for you. However, with so many people reporting that they were charged for the full subscription even after canceling correctly well in advance of the trial's end, it could be risky to even do that. There are plenty of online fitness options out there, and unless you're dead set on making Chris Hemsworth a part of your routine, you should skip Centr altogether.