What you pay TrainerRoad for
TrainerRoad costs $21.99 a month or $209.99 a year in the US, with a 30-day money-back guarantee instead of a free trial. For that you get:
- Adaptive Training: upcoming workouts get easier or harder based on how you handled recent ones.
- Plan Builder: a season plan built around your start date, events and training approach.
- AI FTP Detection: an FTP estimate from your rides, so you rarely need a formal test.
- TrainNow: a suggested workout for today when you are not following a plan.
- A large library: more than 4,500 structured workouts, each with a difficulty level.
If those plans are the reason you ride indoors, TrainerRoad is still the most complete option, and no free app below fully replaces it. If you mostly use it to run structured workouts in ERG mode, you have good free choices.
TrainerRoad vs the free alternatives
| App | Price (US) | Controls your trainer | Workouts and plans | Outdoor ride analysis | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrainerRoad | $21.99/mo, $209.99/yr | Yes, ERG | 4,500+ workouts, adaptive plans | Imports rides for its training model | Apps |
| MyWhoosh | Free | Yes, ERG | 700+ workouts, plans by a UAE Team Emirates coach, workout builder | Syncs outdoor rides from Strava into its calendar | Apps, with a 3D world |
| Intervals.icu | Free (optional $4/mo supporter) | No; sends planned workouts to Zwift | Workout builder, library and planner | Extensive | Browser |
| GoldenCheetah | Free, open source | Yes, ANT+ FE-C trainers | Build or import your own | Extensive, on your computer | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| WattsUP | Free during beta | Yes, ERG over Bluetooth | Structured workouts that adjust to your form (TSB) | Extensive: climbs, VAM, one training-load curve | Browser, installs as an app |
TrainerRoad’s price checked October 10, 2026 on its pricing page, before tax. Feature details from the sources below; apps change often, so check before you switch.
MyWhoosh: the most complete free option
MyWhoosh is free, and its money comes from elsewhere rather than subscriptions. It has more than 700 structured workouts, training plans written by UAE Team Emirates coach Kevin Poulton for road racing, time trials, criteriums and triathlon, a custom workout builder, and ERG control. It can also import workouts planned in TrainingPeaks and, since April 2026, TrainerDay.
The trade-off: it is built around a 3D world with avatars and racing. If you want that, it is the obvious pick. If you would rather watch a film while a plain workout graph controls your trainer, it can feel like more app than you need.
Intervals.icu: free planning and the deepest analysis
Intervals.icu is free, with an optional $4-a-month supporter tier. It tracks fitness, fatigue and form, has a workout builder and a calendar, and charts every ride in detail. It does not control a trainer itself: since December 2024 it sends planned workouts to Zwift automatically, but Zwift costs $19.99 a month, so that route is not free.
GoldenCheetah: free and open source, for tinkerers
GoldenCheetah is free, open-source software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Its Train view can control ANT+ FE-C smart trainers and run workouts you build or import, and its analysis is among the most detailed anywhere. It suits riders who like configuring things; the interface is dense and there are no ready-made plans.
Where WattsUP fits
WattsUP is free during its beta, with no locked features and no card. It runs in the browser and installs like an app, connects to your trainer over Bluetooth and runs structured ERG workouts whose intensity adjusts to your current form (TSB). The other half is outdoors: import FIT, GPX or TCX files and it splits every climb into ramps with grade and VAM, then puts indoor and outdoor rides on one fitness and fatigue curve.
What it does not have: TrainerRoad’s years of plan data and event-based Plan Builder, or MyWhoosh’s game world. On a Mac, Bluetooth trainer control needs Google Chrome, because Safari does not support Web Bluetooth.
How to choose
- You want a plan that thinks for you: stay with TrainerRoad, or try it with the 30-day guarantee.
- You want free workouts and plans and don’t mind a game: MyWhoosh.
- You plan your own training and love charts: Intervals.icu, with an app that runs the workouts.
- You want free, open-source desktop software: GoldenCheetah.
- You want quiet ERG workouts and outdoor ride analysis in one free place: WattsUP.
Not sure what your training zones should be in a new app? The free FTP calculator and power zones calculator work with any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free version of TrainerRoad?
No. TrainerRoad costs $21.99 a month or $209.99 a year in the US (checked October 2026). Instead of a free tier it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it and ask for a refund.
What is the best free alternative to TrainerRoad?
It depends on what you use TrainerRoad for. For structured workouts and training plans with full trainer control, MyWhoosh is free and has more than 700 workouts, though it comes wrapped in a 3D game world. For planning and analysis, Intervals.icu is free but does not control your trainer itself. WattsUP is free during its beta and runs ERG workouts in the browser while also analysing your outdoor rides.
Can I get adaptive training like TrainerRoad’s for free?
Not the same thing. TrainerRoad’s Adaptive Training changes upcoming workouts based on how you handled past ones, and its Plan Builder schedules a season around your events. Free apps offer parts of this: Intervals.icu tracks fitness and fatigue and has a planner, and WattsUP adjusts workout intensity to your current form (TSB). None of them replicates TrainerRoad’s full plan engine.
Will a free app work with my smart trainer?
Almost certainly. Modern smart trainers from Wahoo, Tacx, Elite, Saris, JetBlack and Zwift use open standards (Bluetooth FTMS and ANT+ FE-C), which MyWhoosh, GoldenCheetah and WattsUP use to set ERG power. WattsUP runs in the browser, so on a Mac you need Google Chrome for Bluetooth trainer control.
How much does TrainerRoad cost compared with Zwift?
TrainerRoad is $21.99 a month or $209.99 a year; Zwift is $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year (US prices checked October 10, 2026). See the Zwift alternatives guide for the full table of indoor apps.
Sources
- TrainerRoad pricing (checked October 10, 2026)
- JOIN: TrainerRoad review, features and price (May 2025; JOIN makes a competing app)
- BikeRadar: MyWhoosh complete guide (updated May 2025)
- BIKE Magazin: MyWhoosh 5.7 adds Strava and TrainerDay connections (April 2026)
- Zwift Insider: Intervals.icu joins Zwift’s Training API (December 2024)
- GoldenCheetah on GitHub (free, open source)
WattsUP is not affiliated with TrainerRoad, MyWhoosh, Intervals.icu or GoldenCheetah.