Zwift Review: Why Is It so Insanely Popular? (2025)

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In this Zwift review, we’ll pedal through the features of this leading indoor cycling app. I will tell you who Zwift is for and whether you should avoid it. I will also unveil some of its unique motivation techniques and much more.

In addition, I’ll put it in context with other alternatives, so you don’t have to try each app separately—I’ve already done that for you!

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
More about this indoor cycling apps scoring.

Zwift Summary

What is Zwift?
Zwift is an indoor cycling app designed as a game. It features a unique virtual world where you cycle or run with your avatar. You can ride solo, train, connect with other users worldwide, or race. You gain experience and ‘drops’ by riding and accomplishing challenges that you can later exchange for better equipment.

Who is Zwift for?
Zwift is ideal for people who lack motivation for indoor cycling. It has a sophisticated engagement system. The more you ride, the more rewards you get. Thanks to its user base and community, it makes surviving the winter months and indoor training sessions easier.

Who is Zwift not for?
Zwift is not for people who require route diversity and real-world footage. Since it is a game that should motivate you to train more, it is not the best choice for people who generally don’t enjoy playing games.

My Experience with Zwift

I use Zwift mainly in winter, during testing of smart trainers, and for e-racing. Here are my takes on the ease of initial setup, in-game experience, engagement, and more.

Initial Setup

The initial Zwift setup is straightforward. The device you connect to (laptop, computer, smartphone) has to feature Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity to pair with your devices (cadence and speed sensors, power meter, trainer, etc.).

There are plenty of tutorials on how to get started with Zwift, so let me jump straight to the pairing process and my experience.

I didn’t experience any problems when connecting Elite Direto 2, Wahoo KICKR 5, Wahoo KICKR Core Zwift One, or any other smart trainer I tested. Additional accessories, such as an HR monitor or power meters pair easily as well. It takes about one minute to set everything up. It’s super easy.

I recommend using one of these smart bike trainers for Zwift to get the best experience. They will calculate your power and adjust the resistance based on the terrain you ride on. Depending on your bike trainer, these power adjustments are smooth and pretty realistic.

However, you can use Zwift even with a dumb trainer or rollers. You just need a cadence and a speed sensor (so Zwift can calculate your power) OR a power meter.

The table below summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of connecting via four basic technologies. The most commonly used are Bluetooth and ANT+, followed by Wi-Fi and Direct Connect.

PRO TIP: Bike trainer accessories will take your indoor cycling to a new level. A fan will keep you cool, and a trainer mat will protect your floor.

My In-App Experience

Zwift is unique. Their built-from-scratch world will engulf you if you like computer games. Depending on your goals, you can spin your legs, cruise through different worlds, follow structured workouts or training plans, race, ride in groups, etc.

I used Zwift mainly to prepare for the next season. I took the Zwift FTP Test, enrolled in the ‘Active Offseason‘ plan, and started training.

This 12-week training plan is focused on building endurance and requires about 8 hours of training per week. Shorter and medium workouts for up to two hours were fun. I immediately felt better motivated when I saw completed intervals, achievements, and other challenges. The endurance rides above two hours were a true challenge.

I zwifted while watching movies because three-hour rides on an indoor trainer are boring and require much determination. When you ride, the screen shows you all the important information like your power output (eventually, targeted power), HR, speed, time, cadence, etc. Thanks to this information, the workouts are easy to follow.

In the end, I finished all 58 workouts except one or two. So when I saw the following screen, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Zwift also includes racing. Participating in Zwift races is a great way to let off steam and clear your head. Thanks to a vast user base, many races are held daily. You can browse them on Zwift Hacks. These were categorized according to FTP, but in 2024, Zwift introduced the Zwift Racing Score. This score dynamically adjusts based on your current fitness and also your performance in races.(Source) The goal of this score was to make racing more fair and equal. And it seems it suceeded.

Group workouts are another feature worth trying. You can ride with friends (regardless of their location) and train together. Zwift keeps you together in-game even though your FTPs (and watts) differ. Additionally, you can chat via the Companion App.

These interactivity, social, and game elements (more about them later) make Zwift unique and engaging.

Engagement

Zwift is a game, so it frequently uses gamification. You get ‘drops’ for riding and accomplishing routes, training, etc., which you can later use to purchase better equipment. You can also collect achievements, which is another motivational technique.

Naturally, there is also a level structure. You gain experience by riding, completing workouts, challenges, etc., just like getting drops. Every level unlocks certain items (bikes, components, clothes…) that cost drops. There are 100 Zwift levels for cyclists and 30 for runners. So, be mindful of what you buy and when. To spend your drops wisely, check out Zwift Insider’s shopping guide.

Zwift is not far from an MMORPG game like World of Warcraft. It tries to keep you engaged and motivate you to ride more. You basically build your character. Does this motivation work? It depends on your personality. If you are competitive and like games, then yes, it does. But a few of my friends tried Zwift, and these gamification mechanisms didn’t work for them. Instead, they rode outside in winter because the idea of using a trainer did not appeal to them.

Routes

One of Zwift’s most significant downsides is its limited range of routes. They will get repetitive. Please don’t take me wrong. Zwift developers work hard to add new routes. But apps like ROUVY or FulGaz are on another level. They offer hundreds to thousands of routes worldwide. However, these routes are recorded footage of real places, not a virtual world.

You will have access to three maps at a given time. Watopia is available all year round, and the other two maps rotate based on a schedule. These maps include France, Innsbruck, London, the Makuri Islands, New York City, Paris, and more.

TIP: Browse the routes available in Zwift on What’s on Zwift.

Zwift’s graphics are more similar to games, as they are very colorful. In contrast, TrainingPeaks Virtual’s graphics appear more realistic. I prefer Zwift’s graphics, but some people prefer TrainingPeaks Virtual’s graphics.

Training

Zwift also offers an extensive workout and structured plans library. It includes more than 2000 workouts, which you can browse here.

I absolved the Active Offseason, and except for the 3-hour-long endurance workouts, I pretty much enjoyed it. But hand on heart, can structured training be enjoyed at all?

I am sure you will find a workout or plan that will suit your needs. If not, you can build your own using the workout builder.

However, according to coach Dylan Johnson, Zwift training plans have one big problem: They are overly complicated, too high-intensity, lack proper recovery, and are not individualized to meet your personal needs.

This is because they are supposed to keep you engaged. Imagine riding the same tempo for 2 or 3 hours. You appreciate every change. That’s why so many Zwift workouts are so variable.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a more training-oriented app that can even adjust the following training plan based on your past performances, try TrainerRoad. Zwift can’t adjust your training plans (yet).

You can also take advantage of Zwift’s pace partners. They will guide you through routes depending on the difficulty you choose. They are suitable for warmups, cooldowns, intervals, etc.

Another feature worth mentioning is the Zwift workout mode. In this mode, you train with friends at the same effort level. FTP is calculated as a percentage, so everybody rides together through the Zwift world. This means riding faster and getting more drops and XPs, while riding with friends.

I also must mention the Zwift Academy, a collection of structured workouts designed by professional coaches. This eight-week structured training should help you understand the training essentials. Professional teams like Canyon–SRAM and Alpecin-Fenix use Zwift Academy to find new talent. They invite the best riders to a cycling camp. There, they test them further and at the end, one winner is chosen to join their team.

User Friendliness

The earlier versions of the Zwift user interface were difficult to navigate and, in my opinion, too ‘funky.’ So, although I consider myself an experienced technology user, I struggled to find some features.

For example, if my friend hadn’t told me about the ‘Climb Mt. Everest’ challenge, I wouldn’t know where to find it. The following screenshots show Zwift’s old and new dashboards.

The main issues I had with Zwift were its slow interface and long loading times compared to other apps. I was using a 2020 MacBook Pro with 16 GB of RAM, a 5-core Intel processor, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 (1536 MB). Although these specs meet Zwift’s system requirements, the app didn’t perform as expected. It seemed that better graphics were necessary for smoother operation.

Another problem appeared when saving workouts. The app sometimes froze, especially when I connected an external monitor. However, when I used only the laptop screen, everything saved without issues.

After switching to my new MacBook Pro with the M1 Max chip and 64 GB of RAM, all these problems disappeared. Zwift now runs quickly and smoothly.

Platforms Availability

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

I’ve been using it on macOS and iOS. Except for the issues described in the previous section, it worked fine. The Zwift Companion app is a great extension that sets Zwift apart from other apps (more about it later).

Zwift vs. Zwift Companion

Zwift Companion is a smartphone app that extends Zwift’s functionalities. It makes interacting with others, browsing events, and finding clubs easier.

When you are on the roads or in a race, you can chat with others, give them Ride Ons, etc. See the following video for more details.

Remember, you still need the main Zwift app to ride Zwift, but you don’t have to use Zwift Companion.

Zwift Alternatives

There are plenty of Zwift alternatives, but only some are worth it.

• MyWhoosh is the closest alternative to Zwift. The difference is that MyWhoosh has fewer cartoonish graphics, fewer gamification elements, and a less thriving community. On the other hand, MyWhoosh is free. Learn more in my MyWhoosh vs. Zwift comparison.
• ROUVY, unlike Zwift, uses real-world footage of routes worldwide. You move through them with your virtual avatar. Learn more in my ROUVY vs. Zwift comparison.
• TrainerRoad is focused purely on making you a better cyclist—no distractions – only structured training plans. Learn more in my Zwift vs. Trainerroad comparison.
• Wahoo SYSTM displays your ride data with pre-recorded footage. It is a universal app for cyclists, yogis, and people who want to strengthen their mental health. Learn more in my Zwift vs. SYSTM comparison.
• FulGaz, like ROUVY, uses real-world footage of routes worldwide. The main difference is that there is no avatar. You can read this comparison of FulGaz vs. Zwift for more info.
• BKOOL uses a combination of virtual and real-world footage. It has much fewer users and worse graphics/footage quality. For more information, check out my comparison of BKOOL vs. Zwift.

The following table shows my rating of specific areas on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best) for all the indoor cycling apps I have tested.

My Verdict

Do I recommend Zwift?
I recommend Zwift to anyone who enjoys gaming and values social interaction. The app has a well-designed motivation system and a large, active community. If you struggle with motivation, Zwift can help you stay on track. With its many races, group rides, and structured workouts, it makes training easier and more enjoyable, especially during the winter months.

Do I recommend it to everybody?
No. Zwift’s virtual world may not appeal to everybody. Some riders prefer real-world footage and more routes to choose from.

Zwift FAQ