ROUVY vs. Zwift: Which App is the Right for You? (2025)

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Looking to choose between ROUVY and Zwift? This comparison dives into their key differences, pros, and cons. It will help you decide which app will better fit your fitness goals and personal preferences. I tested both platforms to uncover what they offer and how they compare.

ROUVY vs. Zwift Summary

The biggest distinction between these indoor cycling apps is the environment you ride in. Zwift’s team created a completely virtual world, while ROUVY uses real-world footage from various worldwide locations and adds virtual elements such as avatars. I summarized the essential features in the following table.

Zwift vs. ROUVY: Features Comparison

Let’s now dive deeper into the individual features of Zwift and ROUVY.

World: Real vs. Virtual

For many people, graphics are one of the most crucial aspects when choosing an indoor cycling app, and I am no exception.

ROUVY offers thousands of real-life routes from famous and lesser-known places, augmented with virtual objects like avatars. Their library is easy to filter based on name, distance, duration, ascent, etc. You’ll always find the route that suits you best.

ROUVY’s diversity of routes is one of its greatest strengths. There are so many to choose from that you probably won’t have time to try them all! Plus, you can compare your times with pro athletes on routes from events like La Vuelta, IRONMAN, and more.

In contrast, Zwift has multiple virtual worlds, such as Watopia, London, Paris, Richmond, and more. However, only three worlds are available simultaneously, with Watopia permanently open and the other two rotating on a schedule. As a result, the number of routes available in each world is limited, and Zwift’s routes can become repetitive.

The visual experience is entirely different from ROUVY, as you can see in the following screenshots:

The problem with ROUVY is that its virtual world requires a lot of data. It’s similar to watching a YouTube video that needs to be downloaded as it plays. If your internet connection is slow, you may experience lag. In contrast, Zwift is more optimized for lower data usage, offering better stability and fewer performance issues in areas with slower internet speeds.

Winner: ROUVY

Multiplayer & Social Interactivity

Both apps offer multiplayer, allowing you to connect with other riders and organize group rides.

Zwift routes thrive thanks to a larger community and fewer routes. You always meet somebody. In contrast, while ROUVY is also popular, you won’t encounter as many people on the routes, except on the most popular ones. You may feel lonely.

BONUS TIP: Are you tired of your static indoor training? Check out my article on cycling rocker plates that can make your indoor cycling experience more comfortable and engaging.

Unfortunately, ROUVY lacks an in-game chat feature, so you’ll need to use third-party apps to communicate. This is a downside compared to Zwift, which offers a built-in chat system. ROUVY also doesn’t include in-app gestures like waving, so you can’t greet others directly. Although ROUVY introduced the ROUVY Companion app, it still doesn’t have a chat feature.

In contrast, Zwift has its own smartphone app, Zwift Companion, which adds extra functionality. It lets you chat with other users, give kudos, search for events and clubs, and more, making Zwift’s social features more integrated and convenient.

Winner: Zwift

Races & Events

Both Zwift and ROUVY allow racing and hosting events. However, due to their larger communities, Zwift races are more popular. Dozens of races are held daily. Racing in ROUVY is not as popular, and crowded races are relatively rare.

On the other hand, ROUVY offers a diverse selection of official and unofficial races and events that cater to a wide range of preferences. They promote their official races and events more actively, which results in more participants. Unofficial races, however, are usually less crowded.

Winner: Zwift

Workouts: Both Apps Should Satisfy You

Both ROUVY and Zwift are suitable apps for structured training.

In ROUVY, you can browse workouts and filter them based on difficulty, length, etc. Recently, they also added a workout builder and virtual partners. You can create a workout based on your needs or upload your own from other apps like TrainingPeaks. The virtual partners can keep you company and motivate you to maintain a certain tempo.

Zwift has a more comprehensive selection of structured workouts and plans. As in ROUVY, you can create using the workout builder or upload them.

In addition, Zwift offers pace partners that can help you maintain a constant tempo during your workout. Due to its larger selection of workouts and plans, Zwift is the winner for structured training.

Winner: It’s a draw

PRO TIP: Use a fan while training indoors to stay cool and comfortable during your workouts.

Gamification: Game vs. Real Videos

One area that distinguishes Zwift from ROUVY is their approach to gamification.

Zwift is a game that utilizes numerous gamification elements, such as collecting drops, achieving goals, finishing routes, and building equipment. These elements provide extra motivation for indoor training.

ROUVY was pretty much gamification-free (not counting the poorly designed challenges) until the end of 2021. However, they launched a new ROUVY Career at the beginning of 2022. It consists of 80 levels that you complete by collecting coins. You get them by riding (regardless of the type of ride you do). You can then spend these coins on new gear and customize your avatar like in Zwift. However, the choice is more limited.

Completing levels also earns you extra rewards from ROUVY’s partners, such as TrainingPeaks (a 30-day premium account for free), Elite (a discount on nutrition-related products), etc.

Although ROUVY’s career is not as comprehensive as Zwift’s yet, this update is a giant leap forward that makes ROUVY more attractive to a wide range of people.

Another difference worth pointing out is the lack of power-ups in ROUVY. Zwift’s power-ups are a clever way to make your in-app experience more entertaining and engaging.

Winner: Zwift

User Friendliness

ROUVY and Zwift provide similar user-friendliness or how easy the apps are to use. However, I don’t like either user interface. ROUVY went through a redesign in 2023, but I still don’t like it. The colors are still too dark, and some elements do not act consistently.

In contrast, Zwift underwent a complete redesign in 2022. It’s no longer full of confusing buttons, and its user-friendliness has improved. It feels more intuitive, and its roads don’t take as long to load as ROUVY.

Winner: Zwift

Platforms Availability

ROUVY and Zwift are available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Apple TV.

Winner: It’s a draw

Total Score: ROUVY (1), Zwift (4), It’s a draw (2)

Pricing

Zwift costs $19.99/month or $199.99/year, while ROUVY is available for $14.99/month or $144/year and also has group plans, which can push the price down to $6.6/month. Thus, ROUVY is much cheaper than Zwift and offers excellent value for money.

ROUVY and Zwift Alternatives

For those looking for indoor cycling apps similar to ROUVY, FulGaz is the closest option. It also uses real-world footage from different locations worldwide. However, unlike ROUVY, it doesn’t use augmented reality, providing an uninterrupted view of the footage.

If you prefer an alternative to Zwift, MyWhoosh is a good option. It also offers a virtual world, but it’s free, and its graphics are less cartoonish. On the other hand, MyWhoosh doesn’t have the same level of motivation mechanisms to keep you motivated during your rides. I also recommend checking out indieVelo.

The following table summarizes all the indoor cycling apps I tested and my scoring.

The Winner

Price-wise, ROUVY offers better value for money. And despite Zwift winning most direct feature comparisons with ROUVY, I can’t claim it’s a better app for everybody.

Both of these apps are different and target slightly different types of users. While Zwift is more of a “game” you play with friends where you challenge each other, ROUVY allows you to explore beautiful places worldwide that you wouldn’t be able to visit otherwise or relive your memories from places you visited. See my detailed scoring below.

My Zwift rating at a glance:
Ease of Setup 5/5 | Engagement 5/5 | Community 5/5 | Routes 3/5 | Training 4/5 | UX 3/5 | Platforms Availability 5/5 | Price 3/5 | OVERALL 4.1/5

My ROUVY rating at a glance:
Ease of Setup 5/5 | Engagement 4/5 | Community 3/5 | Routes 5/5 | Training 4/5 | UX 3/5 | Platforms Availability 5/5 | Price 4/5 | OVERALL 4.1/5
More about this indoor cycling apps scoring.

Therefore, I recommend trying both apps during the trial version and deciding which suits you better.

ROUVY vs. Zwift: FAQ