Compare indoor cycling apps
DirtWatts vs Zwift, Rouvy, Biketerra and more.
Most trainer apps are built for the road and do it well. Here's how they stack up for mountain bikers, including where they beat us.
Prices and features checked October 2026. US list prices before tax.
One app at a time
DirtWatts vs your current app
Most riders don't switch. They keep their road app and add DirtWatts for dirt days. Each page shows what that costs and what each app does best.
Zwift
Designed 3D worlds and a huge online crowd
- Best for
- Group rides, racing and structured training
- Price
- $199.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $249.98 a year
Rouvy
Real-route video with augmented-reality riders
- Best for
- Riding famous real roads and climbs on video
- Price
- $179.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $229.98 a year
Biketerra
Ride any GPX route in 3D, in the browser
- Best for
- Turning your own road and gravel routes into rides
- Price
- $79.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $129.98 a year
MyWhoosh
Free 3D worlds, workouts and racing
- Best for
- Free structured training and racing
- Price
- Free
- With DirtWatts
- $49.99 a year
TrainingPeaks Virtual
Racing-focused 3D worlds, part of TrainingPeaks Premium
- Best for
- Racing and coached training
- Price
- $134.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $184.98 a year
Kinomap
A huge library of rider-filmed videos
- Best for
- Variety: cycling, running and rowing on real video
- Price
- $89.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $139.98 a year
FulGaz
High-definition video of famous roads
- Best for
- Previewing real road courses and famous climbs
- Price
- $125.99 a year
- With DirtWatts
- $175.98 a year
Everything side by side
Eight apps, one table
Scroll sideways on a phone. Where we couldn't confirm a feature on the app's own pages, we say "Not advertised" rather than "No".
- Yes
- Partly
- Coming soon
- No
- Not advertised
| Feature | DirtWatts | Zwift | Rouvy | Biketerra | MyWhoosh | TrainingPeaks Virtual | Kinomap | FulGaz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year | $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year | $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year (single rider) | $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year | Free | Included in TrainingPeaks Premium: $19.95 a month or $134.99 a year | $11.99 a month or $89.99 a year | $14.99 a month or $125.99 a year |
| Free option | Free tier: two featured trails, rotated monthly | 14-day trial on the monthly plan | 7-day trial, then 20 km a month free | Free forever: 6 featured routes, 5 uploads, public events | Everything core is free | 14-day trial, plus the first Tuesday of every month free | 14-day trial | 14-day trial, no card needed |
| What you ride | Real US mountain bike trails, rebuilt one by one | Designed 3D worlds: Watopia every day, plus rotating guest worlds | Filmed real routes with augmented-reality riders | 3D routes built from real-world map data | Designed 3D worlds | A designed island plus real-world routes | 40,000+ geotagged videos filmed by riders | HD video of real roads and race courses |
| MTB singletrack | Every trail is singletrack or dirt, from Park City to Moab, Sedona, Bend and Durango | Dirt and gravel sections, and a short steering-only MTB course | MTB, gravel and downhill routes on video | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Some rider-filmed mountain bike videos | Not advertised |
| Elevation source | USGS 1 m bare-earth lidar | Designed by Zwift | GPS from the filmed ride | Real-world elevation data | Designed by MyWhoosh | Designed, plus GPX for real-world routes | GPS from the filmed ride | GPS from the filmed ride |
| Surface changes resistance | Yes: each trail section carries its surface, so hardpack rolls faster than loose dirt | Yes: dirt sections roll slower, and the bike you choose matters | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Ride your own routes | Coming soon: one US trail request a month, baked from lidar | No | Video upload in beta | Yes: GPX, TCX or FIT, unlimited on the paid plan | No | Real-world routes through GPXplore | Yes: upload your own video and GPS track | No |
| Group rides and racing | Leaderboards and climb segments coming soon; group rides on the roadmap | Yes, around the clock: group rides, races, leagues | Yes: events, races and group rides | Yes: free public events, clubs, hosting on the paid plan | Yes: group rides and races with cash prizes | Yes: races, group rides, USA Cycling esports nationals | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Structured workouts | No. You ride trails | Yes, with training plans | Yes, with training plans | Yes | Yes, with training plans and FTP tests | Yes, synced with TrainingPeaks | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS and ChromeOS. Desktop app on the roadmap | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV | Chrome, Edge or Brave, plus apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV | iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV |
Why riders add it
What only DirtWatts does
Road apps draw dirt as a texture on a smooth ribbon. DirtWatts starts from the ground itself.
Lidar ground, not GPS
Every trail sits on USGS 1 m bare-earth lidar, so there are no fake walls from a watch drifting under trees. The grade you see is the grade your trainer pushes back with.
Surfaces you can feel
Each trail section carries its surface. Hardpack rolls faster than loose dirt, and the trainer's resistance changes with it.
Physics fitted on dirt
Speed comes from a rider model fitted to a real power-meter ride on mountain bike trails, with thinner air at altitude and your weight on every climb.
Fair's fair
Where the others are stronger
DirtWatts does one thing: real mountain bike trails. If you need any of these, keep the app that does them and add DirtWatts for dirt.
- Events and racingZwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy and TrainingPeaks Virtual run busy calendars of group rides and races. Group rides are on our roadmap.
- Structured workoutsEvery other app here runs workouts and training plans. DirtWatts is for riding trails.
- Huge librariesThousands of videos on Rouvy, FulGaz and Kinomap, and any route you upload on Biketerra. We rebuild trails one at a time.
- Every screenMost have apps for phones, tablets and Apple TV. DirtWatts runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, with a desktop app on the way.
- ANT+DirtWatts pairs over Bluetooth only, because browsers can't use ANT+.
- Free and fullMyWhoosh is free outright. Our free tier is two featured trails a month.
The add-on maths
A quarter of the price of a road app.
DirtWatts costs less than a quarter of a year of Zwift or Rouvy. Keep the app you have for road days and add the trails, or ride the two featured trails free for as long as you like.
Comparison questions
What is the best indoor cycling app for mountain bikers?
Most indoor apps are built for road riding, with dirt drawn as a texture on a smooth road. If you want real singletrack, DirtWatts rebuilds real US mountain bike trails from 1 m lidar, with surfaces that change resistance. If you want group rides, racing or workouts, Zwift, Rouvy, MyWhoosh and TrainingPeaks Virtual do those well, and many riders use one of them alongside DirtWatts.
Can I keep Zwift (or another app) and use DirtWatts too?
Yes. That is how most riders use it. DirtWatts runs in Chrome or Edge and pairs with the same Bluetooth smart trainer. Use one app at a time, then switch. The yearly plan is $49.99, so it sits easily next to the app you already pay for.
Why does lidar matter for trail riding indoors?
Routes built from a GPS track inherit its elevation errors: it drifts under trees and spikes on switchbacks, which turns singletrack into fake walls and flat spots. Lidar measures the bare ground every metre, so the grade on screen, and the resistance at your pedals, match the trail.
How current is this comparison?
We checked every price and feature on each app's own pages in the month shown at the top. Prices are US list prices before tax. If we couldn't confirm a feature, the table says "Not advertised" rather than "No". Spot something out of date? Email hello@dirtwatts.com and we'll fix it.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. DirtWatts isn't affiliated with any app on this page.
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