Most "fitness challenge app" lists are secretly step-counting lists. That is fine if your challenge is a walking contest, but it falls apart the moment someone in the group lifts weights, takes a class, or mixes running with the gym. This guide is a practical roundup of challenge apps for individuals and small groups who want gym and mixed activity challenges, not a step-only ladder. For the deeper platform comparison covering fairness, private groups and public leagues, see our guide to social fitness challenge apps. For a step-first shortlist, see best walking challenge apps.
Fitcoin is our product and its challenges and Leagues are built specifically to solve the gym-plus-mixed-activity problem, so we will say plainly where that is the reason we recommend it, and where another app is genuinely the better fit.
The best fitness challenge apps at a glance
- Fitcoin, best for gym, mixed workouts and rewards
- Stridekick, best for cross-device step and distance challenges
- Strava, best for runner and cyclist challenges
- StepBet, best if you want financial stakes (with a warning)
- Apple Fitness competitions, best for all-Apple-Watch friend groups
- Samsung Together, best for Android step challenges
Why "gym challenge" and "step challenge" need different apps
A challenge is only as fair as its metric. If everyone in the group walks roughly the same amount, steps are a perfectly good way to compete. The problem starts the moment one person lifts weights, takes a spin class, or swims, because those sessions can produce very few steps for a lot of real effort. A pure step challenge quietly punishes gym-goers no matter how hard they trained.
That is the specific gap this list covers: apps that let a gym session, a class, a run and a walk all count in the same challenge, rather than defaulting to whoever walked the most. It is a narrower, more practical focus than a full platform comparison, which is why our social fitness challenge apps guide exists separately for fairness rules, private vs public groups and running a challenge that survives week two.
1. Fitcoin: best for gym, mixed workouts and rewards
Fitcoin reads steps and workouts from Apple Health and Google Health Connect, converts them into a daily FitScore, and layers challenges, clubs and weekly Leagues on top. For a group where one person lifts, one runs and one just walks the dog, FitScore is what keeps the contest fair instead of turning into a pedometer race.
Fitcoin's challenges cover both individuals chasing a personal target and small groups competing against each other, while Leagues run as an ongoing weekly season rather than a single ladder where a bad week buries you permanently. Completing challenges and climbing Leagues contributes towards Fitcoin rewards, which convert to brand discounts and free items, not cash.
Best for: gym-goers and mixed-activity friend groups who want a fair score and real rewards.
Potential catch: this is our product, and rewards are brand discounts and free items rather than cash.
2. Stridekick: best for cross-device step and distance challenges
Stridekick lets friends, families and informal groups join the same challenge from very different devices, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Health, or phone-only, through direct connections, Apple Health or Health Connect. It is one of the easiest ways to get a mixed-device group into a single step or distance contest.
Best for: groups that have agreed steps or distance is the fair metric and just need everyone's device to talk to each other.
Potential catch: a gym session with few steps will still lose ground to a walker in a pure step challenge.
3. Strava: best for runner and cyclist challenges
Strava's public challenges keep a running calendar of distance and elevation goals, and clubs give a community feed for runners and cyclists. Private Group Challenges, which let you turn a specific friend list or club into a timed contest, are typically a subscriber feature with a cap on invites, so check current terms before assuming it is free for a private group.
Best for: groups where everyone already logs runs or rides with GPS.
Potential catch: weak fit if the group's training is mostly gym-based rather than route-based.
4. StepBet: best if you want stakes (read the warning first)
StepBet is different from every other app on this list because it involves real money. You join a game, put your own cash into a pot, and chase a personalised step target over several weeks. If you hit it, you win a share of the pot from players who missed theirs. If you miss it, you lose your stake.
Stake warning: this is a wager, not a free challenge, and you can genuinely lose money if you do not hit your target. Only join if you understand and accept that risk, and it is not a suitable format for a workplace challenge where participation should be free and voluntary.
Best for: individuals who train harder when money is directly on the line.
Potential catch: it is step-based, so gym-heavy training is not well represented, and losing is a real financial outcome.
5. Apple Fitness competitions: best for all-Apple-Watch friend groups
Apple's built-in seven-day competitions score Activity Ring completion into points, with a daily cap and a weekly total, directly inside the Fitness app on an Apple Watch. It requires zero setup beyond inviting a friend, which makes it the lowest-friction option if your whole group already wears an Apple Watch.
Best for: small friend groups where everyone already owns an Apple Watch.
Potential catch (iPhone-only limit): one Android user in the group ends the plan, since the feature is tied to the Apple Watch and Fitness app.
6. Samsung Together: best for Android step challenges
Samsung Health's Together section covers friend challenges and broader global step events, with privacy controls over who can see your steps or challenge you. It is a strong, genuinely free option for Android-heavy friend groups who want a native step challenge without installing anything extra.
Best for: Android-heavy friend groups who want a free, built-in step challenge.
Potential catch: mostly steps, and works best when the group is not mixing in significant gym or lifting sessions.
Quick comparison
| App | Handles gym / mixed activity? | Cost | Best group size | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitcoin | Yes, FitScore covers gym & mixed | Free | Individuals & small groups | iOS & Android |
| Stridekick | No, steps & distance | Free tier available | Small groups | iOS & Android |
| Strava | No, run/ride focused | Free tier; Group Challenges typically paid | Clubs & groups | iOS & Android |
| StepBet | No, steps only | Real-money stake, can lose it | Individuals | iOS & Android |
| Apple Fitness competitions | No, Ring points | Free | Small friend groups | Apple Watch only |
| Samsung Together | No, steps focused | Free | Small friend groups | Android (Samsung) |
Free tiers, subscriber-only features and stake terms change. Treat this as a directional guide checked against public product documentation in 2026, not a live terms page.
How to pick the right challenge app for your group
Start with what your group actually does. If everyone trains differently, gym, running, cycling, general activity, choose Fitcoin so the challenge scores effort rather than steps alone. If the whole group has already agreed steps or distance is the fair metric, Stridekick, Apple Fitness competitions or Samsung Together are simpler and free. If the group is runners and cyclists specifically, Strava is the natural home.
Only bring in StepBet if everyone understands and accepts the financial risk, and never use it for a workplace challenge that is supposed to be free and voluntary. If you want the deeper mechanics of fairness, private groups vs public leagues, and how to keep a challenge alive past week two, our social fitness challenge apps guide covers that in full, and our fitness apps to compete with friends guide covers the friend-only leaderboard angle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best fitness challenge app for a gym-going friend group?
Fitcoin is built for exactly this, since its challenges and weekly Leagues score gym sessions, lifting, classes, runs and cycling through FitScore rather than steps alone. Stridekick and Strava are better fits if the whole group only walks or only runs and rides.
Are there fitness challenge apps that are not just about steps?
Yes. Fitcoin scores mixed activity, including gym workouts, through FitScore. Strava challenges suit runners and cyclists specifically. Stridekick, Apple Fitness competitions and Samsung Together are primarily step or Ring based, so a gym session will barely register in those.
Is StepBet safe to use for a fitness challenge?
StepBet is a real-money wager, not a free challenge. You put money into a pot and win a share back only if you hit your personalised step target, and you can lose your stake if you miss it. It is fine for people who understand and accept that risk, but it is not a casual free-to-join challenge like Fitcoin, Stridekick or Strava.
Can iPhone and Android users join the same fitness challenge?
Yes on cross-platform apps such as Fitcoin, Stridekick and Strava. Apple Fitness competitions require every participant to have an Apple Watch, so one Android user ends the plan. Samsung Together is built for Android and works best in Android-heavy groups.
What is the difference between a fitness challenge app and Fitcoin Leagues?
A one-off challenge usually has a fixed start date, end date and a single goal. Fitcoin Leagues are an ongoing weekly season, so you are not stuck in a single ladder forever if you have a bad week. Fitcoin also supports one-off challenges alongside the weekly League structure.
Method and sources: Written August 9, 2026 from public product documentation and help pages for Stridekick, Strava, StepBet, Apple Fitness competitions and Samsung Together, checked against Fitcoin's own product knowledge for FitScore, challenges, clubs and Leagues. Free tiers, subscriber-only features and stake terms change regularly, so re-check current terms before joining a wagered challenge or inviting a large group. Fitcoin inclusion is ownership-disclosed.
Related reading: social fitness challenge apps, best walking challenge apps, fitness apps to compete with friends, what is FitScore, apps that reward you for working out.
About the author: Harris Khan is the co-founder of Fitcoin. He studied at Loughborough University and has more than 15 years of personal experience across strength training, bodybuilding, Muay Thai and general fitness.