A Zwift training plan alternative for riders who also ride outside
Zwift is an indoor cycling app with virtual worlds, group rides and racing. Membership includes thousands of structured workouts and training plans you can follow when it suits you. With a smart trainer in ERG mode, Zwift sets the resistance to hold the target watts.
Torque is an iPhone app for amateur cyclists with about 6 hours a week. It plans the whole week, outside and indoors, around the days and hours you have. For indoor sessions, Torque runs your smart trainer.
Torque and Zwift training plans side by side
| Feature |  Torque | Zwift |
|---|---|---|
| Plans your week for you | Yes | Yes1 |
| Changes the plan when you miss a day | Yes | Not confirmed2 |
| Plans around your work and family days | Yes | Not confirmed2 |
| Sessions in watts and heart rate | Yes | Watts3 |
| Plain-language read of every ride | Yes | Not confirmed2 |
| Rides outside and indoors | Yes | Indoors4 |
| Controls a smart trainer | Yes | Yes |
| Works without a power meter | Yes | Not confirmed2 |
| Price | $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year | $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year |
| Platform | iPhone | PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Apple TV |
| Group rides and racing | No | Yes |
Prices checked October 2026 from their websites. Zwift's prices are for the US.
- 1Training plans are included with membership. You do the workouts when it suits you.
- 2Not described on their website, so we left it blank.
- 3Workouts target watts, and ERG mode holds the target on a compatible trainer.
- 4Outdoor rides can be logged with Zwift Companion.
Choose Zwift if you ride indoors most of the year and want group rides and racing.
Choose Torque if you ride outside as well as in, and want one plan for both.
How Torque plans your week
Torque plans your week around work and family, gives you a few sessions that work, and gets you faster on the hours you have.
- 1
What are you training for?
An event, a winter base, a kind of rider you want to become, or just getting fitter. Torque builds the plan around it.
- 2
See the weeks ahead
Every session for the coming weeks, set to the days and hours you have. Each circle is a session and its load.
- 3
Ride the session
Each session has its time, its power in watts and its heart rate. Ride it outside, or indoors on your trainer.
What Zwift does well
- Riding with others. Group rides and community racing.
- Workouts. Thousands of structured workouts, put together by professional cyclists and coaches.
- ERG mode. On a compatible trainer, Zwift holds the target watts for each interval.
- Wide support. It works with any Bluetooth or ANT+ smart trainer, on a computer, tablet, phone or Apple TV.
When to choose Zwift
- You ride indoors most of the year and want group rides and racing.
- You enjoy riding through a virtual world.
- You want to ride on a big screen, a computer or Apple TV.
- You want thousands of workouts to pick from.
When to choose Torque
- You ride outside as well as indoors, and want one plan for both.
- You have about 6 hours a week and the days change from week to week.
- You want club rides and commutes to count, with the week adjusted to what you rode.
- You want each session in watts and heart rate, and a plain note after each ride.
- You want to pay less: $79.99 a year, against $199.99.
Questions
Can Torque run my smart trainer instead of Zwift?
Yes. Torque runs your smart trainer for indoor sessions and saves the ride.
Does Torque have virtual worlds or racing?
No. Torque plans your training and runs your indoor sessions. It doesn't have group rides or racing.
Does Torque plan outdoor rides too?
Yes. Torque plans the whole week. Ride a session outside or indoors on your trainer, and club rides, commutes and short rides all count toward your fitness.
What does Torque cost?
$9.99 a month, or $79.99 a year. It is free for 14 days, with no card to start.
Try Torque free for 14 days.
Every feature from day one, and no card to start. Torque isn't on the App Store yet. Leave your email and you'll hear the day it is.
Get Torque