Fitness App Face-Off: Apple Fitness+ vs. Peloton

Then in December, Apple rolled out its entrant to the category, Fitness+. The move enabled Apple to leverage the fitness tracking capabilities of its Apple watch and its music and TV businesses. With its vast financial resources—more than $190 billion in cash—the company also had the ability to attract top training talent.

When my gym closed last spring because of the pandemic, I was content at first to do my workouts outside or at home on my own. I missed the classes eventually, but even after my gym reopened, I just didn’t feel comfortable going. So I got a Peloton digital subscription this fall, choosing it over other fitness services because of the class variety and solid instructors. I’ve worked out with it a few times a week since signing up.

Since I have an Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and a subscription to Apple TV, I wondered if I should make a switch after Fitness+ launched. So when CR asked me to use my two-plus decades evaluating exercise classes, designing workouts, and teaching as well to compare them, I was more than game.