Peloton vs. Zwift – Which one to Choose for Indoor Cycling?

During the Covid-19 breakdown, many gym enthusiasts started missing going to gyms. That’s when many gyms came up with apps and connected with audiences virtually.

Although these apps started off to combat the needs of people that were getting frustrated because of lockdown, they became quite famous later on.

Two such apps that work wonders for fitness freaks are Peloton and Zwift. With so many apps in the market, a continuous battle keeps on happening between different apps.

The same is the case with these two apps, and Peloton vs. Zwift is now a hot topic in the industry. These apps are working on providing the users with an excellent indoor training experience which is why indoor training is getting more and more popular with time.

Although indoor training sessions are gaining a lot of popularity, some factors, i.e., time constraints, lack of a proper training plan, and several others, can become a hurdle in your way at times.

That’s why cycling indoors is one such training activity that everyone loves. It’s easier to do and gets hassle-free because of the lack of traffic at home.

Both Zwift and Peloton have earned a big name in the cycling indoor space. But which one of these is the best for you? Let us compare Zwift with Peloton and find out in this article.

What is Zwift?

Zwift is an online app that is built particularly for runners and cyclists. This app allows fitness freaks to compete with each other from the comfort of their homes.

This app is equipped with some incredible features to provide them with excellent training at home for cyclists.

The app works in association with a smart trainer and the user’s bike, giving the riders a real-world riding experience without having to go anywhere.

The app was initially built as a social gaming platform to connect different athletes and riders and allow them to stay fit at any given time.

In addition to training yourself and riding whenever you want, you can also join hundreds of free races and events at the app.

Zwift carries a whole world in itself, where you can select the gear of your choice and ride your bike on a diversified landscape equipped with landmarks.

The basic structure of Zwift Classes

As mentioned earlier, Zwift is a social community for cyclists and fitness freaks. But as far as the structure of Zwift for free is concerned, it comes with the structure of a game.

The app represents users in avatar characters, and these characters move along with your movement on a treadmill or a bike. This whole process seems pretty fun and exciting to the users. The best part is that you can customize the avatars and their movement.

Not only the logged-in user but also the other app users appear as avatars on the screen, allowing you to see and compete with them.

Users can also select a racing class with other people and compare their range with other competitors. There is no live communication during the course, and you see what you do.

What Is Peloton?

Peloton is a virtual indoor exercise bike that provides users with live spin classes. These classes are guided directly by expert NYC trainers.

The bikes at Peloton appcome with a 22” display which makes the digital app much more accessible and user-friendly for the users.

A carbon steel frame is used to build these Peloton bikes, featuring a quiet belt drive system along with a perimeter-weighted flywheel. Peloton comes with a smooth magnetic resistance mechanism that you can tune while exercising.

These bikes are an excellent alternative to the real-time cycling experiences for the people who deem to stay fit but not so much to go cycling. You can also avail yourself of the free rides and exciting fun classes at the Peloton app.

The basic structure of Peloton Classes

The classes on the Peloton app can be both live and on-demand. You can choose if you want to join pre-recorded peloton classes or want an instructor to lead you live.

The instructors usually instruct the users live from a studio, and the setting of a class is that of a real-time physical spinning studio. Users are provided with directions during the session, i.e., when to rest, increase resistance, etc.

In addition to this, students are provided with three levels of classes, namely beginner, intermediate, and expert/advanced. The classes are then further divided into different time frames ranging from five to seventy-five minutes, and users can choose the one that goes with their preference.

More than seventy other instructors are working with Peloton at the moment, and all of them have different expertise. The users can choose an instructor based on their expertise, personality, and impact.

Head to Head Comparison – Peloton vs. Zwift

Difference between Peloton and Zwift

Both Peloton and Zwift are doing exceptionally well in their relevant fields, but when the user has to choose any one app between them, he gets confused.

There are numerous things about Zwift that make it better than other similar apps. Likewise, many things about the Peloton app make it more worthy than other virtual bikes and fitness apps.

To make the decision easier for you, we have come up with a comparison between these two apps.

Let us explore different aspects of these apps and compare them based on them.

Peloton vs. Zwift: Cost

The first factor in comparing the two apps is their cost. The cost of the Peloton digital app is $12.99, while that of Zwift appis $14.99 at the moment. However, both apps provide users with a free subscription for a month, and the cost stays almost the same once the first month ends.

On Peloton, users buy their own Peloton exercise bike and an all-access membership at $39. You can sign up for around 20 accounts in this amount. Also, $1400 is the price of a standard bike, while $2400 is the cost of a bike plus at Peloton.

On the contrary, Zwift for beginners requires its users to hire a trainer/instructor, which costs around $1000. After creating Zwift account, users have to pay for the Zwift bike too, and the overall cost is almost the same as that of buying a high-end bike plus at Peloton fitness app.

Overall, there is a negligible difference between the costs of both platforms. You can also avail Peloton discounts and Zwift discounts.

Features

Both Zwift and Peloton come with some highly user-friendly features. Zwift, for instance, provides users with a video game-like feel.

The users will feel like they are part of a virtual world and competing with other users in real-time. This is especially helpful for gaming enthusiasts who are into fitness. Similarly, Peloton enables the users to get the feel of an exercise class.

Users will take the instructions and are given directions just like an actual training class. Cycling, yoga, meditation, and many such physical activities make Peloton gymthe first choice of numerous users.

Design

Zwift provides the users with a real-time gaming experience and has more than 130 routes to offer in ten different worlds.

The app’s interface design gives the realistic feel of biking tracks so riders can enjoy the scenery while riding, which makes the workout more exciting. Just by the app’s look, you can tell that it is fitness-oriented.

However, Peloton doesn’t provide the users with different biking routes to choose from. It gives the simulations of a physical gym so that users can feel that they are present in an exercise/fitness class.

Stability

When it comes to home workout apps, the stability of apps is an essential factor to consider. Zwift is a highly stable app, and all its features and interface work together in providing the users with a durable and comfortable experience.

Zwift with heart rate monitors keeps the riders’ heart rate in check while riding. Also, the app has numerous workout plans to choose from, which earns it a broad user base.

Similarly, Peloton is appreciated for its stable Peloton bikes, which can be easily balanced even on carpets. The high-quality virtual screen and continuous directions provided by the instructors all the time make it an app worth going for.

Workout Environment

If you are a professional cyclist, you must know that different workout environments lead to a better cycling experience. This way, you can cycle and have an adventure as well.

And that’s precisely what Zwift comes up with. Zwift workouts are quite extensive and on this app each user is given a particular avatar, and on the screen, you can see different avatars competing against one another.

On the other hand, Peloton gives the users an indoor environment feel. Although it does come with an outdoor environment option, too, that’s all audio.

The Peloton instructors come live straight from a studio which gives the users more of a gym feeling. So, if you are an adventure lover, Zwift is the app for you, but if you prefer simple indoor workout feels, Peloton is the app for you.

Apps

Zwift and Peloton both feature digital apps for streaming classes. These apps are compatible with numerous devices, including smartphones, smart TVs, iPhones, iPads, tablets, etc.

The apps allow users to customize their workout equipment, choose the workout plan of their choice, and decide on a plan keeping their budget and convenience in mind.

Furthermore, you can only have one account on these accounts. So, if any of your other family members want to join the workout sessions, they will have to buy another subscription.

However, Peloton works best for the people who want multiple household accounts as it’s more than just a digital app. On Peloton, you will get an all-access membership plan where you can get the equipment of your choice.

Community

Both Zwift and Peloton are not just digital apps for indoor cycling but carry a community in them. After signing in on these platforms, you will find a list of people who are competing against you.

This list on the right side of the screen is referred to as “Leaderboard” on Peloton. You can give a high-five to other riders on the leaderboard and can even have a video chat with them.

Zwift, on the other hand, allows you to chat with other users on the leaderboard. This app also allows you to give a thumbs-up, just like the high-five feature on Peloton.

In addition to this, people share their experiences and recommendations on various pages and social media platforms dedicated to both these platforms. This forms an interactive community on both Zwift and Peloton.

Instructor

The instructors vary significantly on both platforms. For instance, on Zwift, you only get to see an instructor avatar who will give you directions, and at times you will not even get to see him, especially if you decide to travel on personal routes.

On the contrary, Peloton is quite famous because of its instructors. The instructors at Peloton will guide you at all stages and communicate super efficiently that you will hardly miss any step. These instructors come to live straight from a studio setup, and you can see them doing the workout in front of you while giving you directions.

Conclusion

Both Zwift and Peloton are the best apps for indoor cycling and workout. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to find an app as good as these two.

In this comparison of Peloton vs. Zwift, we have explored the two apps. If you want to get your hands on the best app between both of them, it’s better to look at their features and interface instead of focusing on the workout plans they offer.

For instance, if you aim to decide on an app that enhances your cycling experience and provides a game-like feel, Zwift is your app. On the contrary, if you want an app with a more holistic approach, Peloton is the one to go for.

Related Articles:

1. iFit Vs. Peloton App – The Ultimate Comparison
2. Zwift Vs Peloton – Which one is better?