Best App to Track Workouts (UK 2026)

Type "best app to track workouts" into any app store and you will get dozens of results, and most of them do one thing well. Some record your runs, some log your lifts, some read your smartwatch. The right choice really comes down to what you train and how much help you want along the way. This guide compares the apps most people in the UK are choosing in 2026, says plainly what each one does best, and shows where Edge fits for anyone who wants running, strength and HIIT tracked together inside a plan a real coach can adjust.

We have checked each app on its official site and App Store listing as of August 2026, and we have hedged prices because they change often. Have a quick look at each app's current listing before you subscribe.

What is the best app to track workouts in 2026?

The honest answer is that it depends on your goal. If you only run or cycle, Strava or Garmin Connect are excellent and hard to fault. If you only lift, Hevy and Fitbod are two of the best strength trackers around. If you already own an Apple Watch, Apple Fitness is a natural fit. But if you train across more than one discipline, and you want your tracking to sit inside an actual plan rather than a pile of past sessions, that is where a coached app pulls ahead. Edge tracks running, strength and HIIT together, then wraps them in a fully personalised plan across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, ready in 15 minutes, with a real coach you can message anytime. That makes it the strongest all-round pick for most people who want more than a bare logger.

What is the difference between a workout logger and a coached plan?

This is the difference that matters most when you are choosing, so it is worth being clear about the three kinds of app on the market.

• Loggers. You decide what to do, then the app records it. Strava logs your runs and rides, and Hevy logs your sets, reps and weights. They are fast, clean and great for looking back at your progress.
• Plan builders. The app generates sessions for you from your history and goals. Fitbod does this well for strength, choosing your next workout based on what you have recovered from.
• Coached apps. You still get a plan, but a real person stands behind it and can change it when life gets in the way. Edge is in this group. Your plan is built for you, it flexes around your life, and if a session does not fit your week you can move it, or ask your coach to adjust it.

None of these is wrong. A logger is perfect if you already know exactly what you are doing. A coached plan helps most when you want structure, variety and someone to keep you on track.

Which apps are best for tracking running?

For running and cycling, Strava is still the app most people reach for. It uses your phone or watch GPS to record the route, then adds segments (so you can compare your time on a favourite stretch of road), a social feed, route suggestions and pace analysis. There is a free tier, with more analysis and route tools on the paid subscription. Garmin Connect is the other standout, especially if you own a Garmin watch, because it layers on deep metrics like resting heart rate, sleep, Body Battery and training readiness. Apple Fitness will also track a run neatly if you wear an Apple Watch.

Where Edge is different is that your running does not sit on its own. It is one part of a plan that also balances your strength and HIIT work, so your easy weeks and hard weeks are planned together rather than by accident. If you are training for a first 5K or building back up, your coach can shape the running around everything else you are doing.

Which apps are best for tracking strength training?

For lifting, Hevy is a favourite because it is quick to log sets, reps and weight, it tracks your personal records and volume over time, and its free tier is genuinely generous. Fitbod takes a different route and generates each session for you, using your history and recovery to decide what to train next, which is handy if you never want to plan a workout yourself. Both are strong, focused strength trackers, and both do that job very well.

Edge tracks your strength sessions too, logging what you lift as you go, but it treats strength as one thread in a wider plan rather than the whole app. That suits members who lift and run and want to keep their HIIT and mobility in the same place, with a coach making sure the load across the week actually adds up.

Do you need a smartwatch to track your workouts?

For some apps, yes. Apple Fitness shows only your Move ring from an iPhone alone, and you need an Apple Watch to track the Exercise and Stand rings and to use the Fitness+ classes. Garmin Connect is at its best paired with a Garmin device, which is where all those detailed metrics come from. If you do not own a wearable, that is worth knowing before you commit.

Strava, Hevy, Fitbod and Edge all work from your phone, so you can start today without buying any hardware. With Edge you simply open the app, follow your plan, and tick sessions off as you finish them. If you do have a watch, great, but you are never blocked from tracking without one.

How do the best workout tracking apps compare?

Here is a simple side by side. Prices change, so check each app's App Store listing for current UK pricing, as of August 2026.

How do I choose the right workout tracking app?

Start with what you actually do each week. If you are a dedicated runner or cyclist, pick Strava or Garmin Connect and enjoy the depth. If you live in the gym and love logging every set, Hevy or Fitbod will serve you brilliantly. If you already wear an Apple Watch, Apple Fitness is right there and free to begin with.

If you are someone who mixes running, strength and HIIT, or you are just starting out and would rather not build your own programme, a coached plan takes the guesswork away. That is exactly what Edge is for. You answer a few questions, your fully personalised plan is ready in 15 minutes, and a real coach is a message away whenever you need to change something or ask what a session should feel like. It is our simple way of making fitness feel good for everyone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best app to track workouts?

The best workout tracking app depends on your goal. If you only run, Strava or Garmin Connect are excellent. If you only lift, Hevy and Fitbod are hard to beat. But if you want one app that tracks running, strength and HIIT together inside a fully personalised plan with a real coach to message, Edge is the strongest all-round pick.

Is there a good free workout tracking app?

Yes. Strava has a free tier, Hevy's free version is generous for lifters, and Garmin Connect is free once you own a Garmin device. Apple Fitness gives you the basics on iPhone as well. Edge is a paid, coached service rather than a free logger, with a free 7-day trial, then from £19.99/month, because you also get a personalised plan and a real coach.

Can one app track running, strength and HIIT together?

Most apps focus on one discipline, so runners often end up with one app and lifters with another. Edge is built to hold them together, tracking running, strength and HIIT inside a single coached plan that also includes mobility, so your whole week is planned in one place.

Do I need an Apple Watch or a Garmin to track my workouts?

Not for every app. Apple Fitness needs an Apple Watch to show its full data, and Garmin Connect works best with a Garmin device. Strava, Hevy, Fitbod and Edge all track from your phone, so you can start straight away without buying any hardware.

How much does Edge cost?

Edge gives you a free 7-day trial, then from £19.99/month. That includes your fully personalised plan across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, and a real coach you can message anytime the plan needs to flex around your life.