I‘m sure you‘ve seen ads or heard about the FitOn app promising free workouts. In an era when streaming, gaming, and seemingly everything comes with a monthly cost, it‘s natural to be skeptical. Believe me, I was too!
But as someone who has used many fitness apps and studied consumer tech trends, I can tell you that FitOn is a rare exception – it actually provides a robust fitness experience at no cost.
After testing it myself and researching how and why they offer so much for free, I can definitively say: Yes, FitOn is 100% free! Read on and I‘ll explain everything about this fitness app, how it works, who‘s behind it, and why the free model has driven their meteoric growth.
A Quick Overview of FitOn
In case you‘re not familiar, FitOn offers thousands of free video workout classes covering yoga, HIIT, strength training, dance, boxing, pilates, barre, and more. You can choose classes based on your goal, fitness level, time available, trainer, or area of focus.
Workouts range from 5 minutes to an hour, so you can fit in exercise anytime. No equipment is required for many classes. While the app is free, they also offer some optional paid content including specialized programs and challenges.
FitOn was founded in 2017 by Lindsay Cook (Forbes 30 Under 30) and Landon Hamilton with the mission to make fitness fun and accessible to everyone. Since launch it‘s seen insane growth – over 2 million members use FitOn to crush their goals every month!
So how does it work and what‘s the catch? Let‘s take a look under the hood…
FitOn Makes Money Like Many Free Apps – Through Ads
Like many free apps and websites nowadays, FitOn utilizes an ad-supported model to generate revenue rather than charging subscriptions. Here‘s how it works:
The workouts themselves are completely ad-free so you can focus on your training.
Before accessing new content or in natural breaks between exercise sets, short 5-15 second video ads will play.
The ads are from relevant brands in health, fitness, nutrition, apparel, etc.
This allows FitOn make money by serving non-disruptive ads at strategic points when you‘re accessing new classes or between sets. The founders chose this method so users could enjoy workouts seamlessly while allowing FitOn to monetize the free content.
FitOn also earns commissions by promoting relevant products to help users on their fitness journeys. For example, after a yoga class they may recommend where to buy affordable yoga mats. I find these recommendations helpful and only for products that benefit users.
Revenue from ads and commissions is used to pay for content creation, operational costs, and expanding the workout library. Importantly, FitOn does not sell your personal data or share it with third parties.
Just How Fast Has FitOn Grown Thanks to the Free Model?
Since launching in 2017, FitOn‘s growth has been astronomical thanks to eliminating fees as a barrier to entry. Just look at some of these crazy stats:
Over 30 million people have downloaded the FitOn app so far.
It has over 2 million monthly active users who workout regularly.
Users have completed over 1 billion workouts in just a few years!
It was named Google Play‘s Best App of 2020.
The pandemic and shift to at-home workouts further fueled FitOn‘s growth with new offerings like live streaming classes.
Strategic partnerships, like exercise classes through the NHS healthcare system in the UK, have expanded their global reach. Investors have taken notice, with FitOn raising over $7 million dollars just last year.
It‘s clear the free model has tapped into massive demand by removing monetary barriers to entry. Next, let‘s discuss why it‘s worked so well for their growth.
Why Offering Workouts for Free Has Worked So Well for FitOn‘s Growth
There are good reasons beyond altruism that FitOn has chosen to offer so much premium content for free:
It increases accessibility – By eliminating fees, FitOn taps into fitness-minded demographics who can‘t afford expensive gym memberships or equipment. This helps achieve their goal of making fitness available to everyone.
Drives adoption – Zero cost reduces barriers to entry for new users to try the app. This allows FitOn to scale rapidly through word-of-mouth recommendations.
Enables data collection – Collecting user data, while respecting privacy, provides valuable insights into their audience. These trends help improve the app experience.
Provides a competitive edge – Standing out by offering a totally free experience builds brand goodwill and trust in a crowded fitness app market.
While the free model means less revenue per user, the exponential growth in FitOn‘s member base proves it has paid off tremendously so far.
Is FitOn Really 100% Free? Here Are the Only Exceptions
Based on their success using ads to monetize free users, FitOn does seem to offer a legitimately free workout platform. However, there are some minor limitations to be aware of:
No offline access – You‘ll need an internet connection to stream classes. But they optimize data usage so many workouts use minimal data when streaming.
Limited tracking features – You‘ll have access to basic tracking and stats. But for full analytics and progress dashboards you‘ll need their paid "Pro" version.
6 month content limit – Free users can only access the newest 6 months of workouts. However, with hundreds of classes added monthly, this still provides an extensive and constantly updated library.
Outside of those small caveats, the entire core FitOn experience is accessible free of charge. For most users, the free version should provide more than enough variety and value to meet your fitness goals!
Similar Apps to FitOn That Won‘t Cost You a Dime
One upside to the popularity of free fitness apps is there are now lots of options to choose from. Here are some top alternatives I recommend checking out if you‘re looking for free workouts:
Nike Training Club – Features premium workout programs, training plans, tracking, and motivation features. Recently partnered with Netflix to stream workouts too!
Asana Rebel – Yoga, HIIT, pilates, barre and stretching classes for all levels. Free version has limited tracking and programs.
Blogilates – Wildly popular for energetic dance/pilates fusion workouts. Also has a huge free YouTube library.
Keelo – Uses AI to adjust workout intensity to your fitness level. Free tier has limited tracking and classes.
Openfit – Features celebrity trainers like Autumn Calabrese. Free version provides limited access to live and on-demand workouts.
The options above all provide great free alternatives covering a variety of fitness genres and features.
The Bottom Line: FitOn Delivers an Honest, Zero-Cost Fitness Experience
Here‘s my verdict after closely evaluating FitOn – it offers an incredibly robust, high-quality fitness app 100% free. The free version has no catches and provides tremendous value to anyone looking to get in shape with minimal limitations.
For those wanting more advanced tracking or specialized programs, their inexpensive "Pro" upgrade may warrant the spend. But the free experience can absolutely stand on its own for most people.
By using ads and partnerships to fund free content, FitOn has removed financial barriers to exercise and achieved meteoric growth. Despite many streaming and app services relying on subscriptions these days, FitOn delivers an honest, zero-cost fitness experience with no strings attached.
So if you‘re looking to get fit while keeping more money in your wallet, I highly recommend giving FitOn‘s free workouts a try. Their top-notch instructors and classes make it easy and enjoyable to reach your fitness goals on your own schedule.
In an era of endless subscriptions and fees for digital services, it‘s refreshing to find a fitness app like FitOn that actually lives up to its promise of providing premium workouts completely free of charge. Give it a download and see the value for yourself – I firmly believe you‘ll be impressed!
