Best group fitness challenge apps for 2026

Written by the MoveTogether Team

Most fitness apps are built for one person looking at their own numbers. The ones worth using with a group of friends are the ones that add a shared leaderboard, low-friction comparison, and a reason to check in on each other every day: the same social mechanics researchers flag as core to keeping people active in mobile health apps (npj Digital Medicine systematic review).

An honest shortlist for 2026. We put ourselves on it (we'd be weird to leave MoveTogether off our own site), and a few of the others are apps MoveTogether reads data from rather than competes with.

Researchers studying fitness apps from a group perspective, beyond individual sharing, found that group role-model inspiration and cross-group rank comparisons can significantly lift participation when members feel they are showing up for the team (Liu et al., Decision Support Systems, 2024). The paper's authors describe that as practical guidance for fitness app developers building group leaderboards, not only solo tracking screens.

1. MoveTogether: best for mixed-device friend groups

Built specifically for competing with friends who don't all wear the same thing. Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, WHOOP, Oura, Strava, Polar, or just an iPhone all land on the same live leaderboard, with Percentage of Goals scoring to keep it fair when goals and devices differ. Move Leagues add a recurring weekly cohort that resets every Monday, and Coach Monudges whoever's slacking. MoveTogether is available on iOS and in public beta on Android.

Pros

• Mixed-device live leaderboard: Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, WHOOP, Oura, Strava, Polar, or iPhone on one board
• Percentage of Goals scoring keeps competition fair when goals and devices differ
• Move Leagues add a recurring weekly cohort that resets every Monday
• Coach Monudges whoever's slacking
• Available on iOS and in public beta on Android

Cons

• Android is still in public beta, so the experience there is less mature than on iOS
• Built as a competition layer on top of the trackers you already use, not a full replacement for each device's native app
• Some group features may sit behind paid tiers. Check current pricing before committing a big group

2. Apple Fitness (built-in): best if everyone has an Apple Watch

If your whole group is on Apple Watch, Apple's built-in Activity competitions are free and frictionless. The catch is they're one-on-one only: each competition has exactly two participants, with no group leaderboard (Apple Watch User Guide: Share your activity), and they don't work for anyone outside the Apple Watch ecosystem. We wrote a full guide on how to run an Apple Watch group competition if that's your blocker.

Pros

• Free and built into Apple Watch. No extra app to install
• Frictionless Activity ring competitions for Apple Watch owners
• Low setup overhead when your whole group already lives in the Apple ecosystem

Cons

• One-on-one only: each competition has exactly two participants, with no group leaderboard
• Doesn't work for anyone outside the Apple Watch ecosystem
• No path to a mixed-device friend group where Garmin, Fitbit, or Android users share one board

3. Stridekick: best for cross-tracker step challenges

Stridekick has been doing device-agnostic step challenges for years and supports a wide range of trackers (Stridekick: connect any wearable), so groups on different wearables can compete on steps. If your group's whole interest is step counts and friendly streaks, it's a solid, established pick.

Pros

• Device-agnostic step challenges across a wide range of trackers
• Long-running, established option for groups that only care about step counts
• Good fit for friendly streaks and steps-only competitions without switching wearables

Cons

• Steps-first: less suited if your group wants ring closes, active minutes, or rotating metrics
• Competes on one number rather than normalized goal-based scoring when daily targets differ

4. Strive: best for variety of challenge types

Strive runs multiple kinds of group challenges: steps, distance, active minutes, and more (Strive fitness challenge types) for families, friends, and workplaces. Good if you want to rotate the metric you compete on rather than always racing the same number.

Pros

• Multiple challenge types: steps, distance, active minutes, and more
• Lets you rotate the metric you compete on instead of always racing the same number
• Works for families, friends, and workplaces that want format variety

Cons

• Rotating challenge types means changing the win condition, less ideal if your group wants one consistent metric all season
• Geared toward format variety rather than one always-on leaderboard with a single scoring method

5. StepUp: best free, casual step competitions

StepUp keeps it simple and social: walking challenges with leaderboards and group chat (StepUp group leaderboards and chat), aimed at friends, family, and office groups. A low-commitment option if you just want to make daily steps a bit more fun.

Pros

• Simple, social walking challenges with low setup friction
• Leaderboards and group chat built in
• Low-commitment pick for friends, family, and office groups that want casual step competition
• Free tier available for casual competitions

Cons

• Walking and steps focused: not built for ring closes or broader activity scoring
• Casual scope: less suited if your group wants recurring leagues or multi-metric formats

The five apps at a glance

How to pick

The same npj Digital Medicine systematic review cited above also reported that users' preferences for social features were “mixed: some felt more motivated by social support and competition, while others expressed concerns about comparison,” leading the authors to conclude that a one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient. Match the app to how your group wants to compete before you worry about feature lists.

• Everyone's on Apple Watch and you want free: Apple's built-in competitions (accept the one-on-one limit).
• Mixed devices, real group leaderboard: MoveTogether.
• Steps-only, big groups: Stridekick or StepUp.
• You want to vary the metric: Strive.

If your friend group is split across devices, as most friend groups are, given how fragmented wearable brand adoption is (Parks Associates wearables research), the device-agnostic option is the one that gets used, because nobody gets left off the board. Group-based programs also tend to show higher adherence than solo ones (group exercise and social support research). Exercise scientist Deborah Feltz summarized the underlying mechanism when reporting on virtual workout partners: “Our results suggest working out with virtually present, superior partners can improve motivation on exercise game tasks” (Michigan State University via ScienceDaily). That's the whole reason MoveTogether exists, and why many people run it alongside the tracker app they already love (How-To Geek on mixed-device competition).

Frequently asked questions

How do you start a group fitness challenge?

Pick one metric everyone understands (steps, active minutes, or ring closes), choose an app that supports your whole group's devices, set a start date, and invite people before debating edge cases. Most challenges die in week two from confusing rules, not lack of enthusiasm, so keep the win condition obvious on day one. For format ideas mapped to scoring methods, see our guide on group fitness challenge ideas.

Can friends on different wearables compete in the same challenge?

Yes, but only if you pick the right app. Apple's built-in Activity competitions only work one-on-one between Apple Watch users. Apps like MoveTogether, Stridekick, and StepUp are built for mixed-device groups where Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, WHOOP, Oura, Strava, and Polar can share one leaderboard. That's the main reason device-agnostic apps exist. Most friend groups aren't all on the same tracker.

Does everyone need the same fitness app?

No. Each person keeps the tracker or app they already use. MoveTogether reads from Apple Health and dedicated integrations for Google Health/Fitbit, Garmin, WHOOP, Strava, Polar, Oura, and Ultrahuman. Stridekick and StepUp work similarly for step-based challenges. The point is one shared leaderboard, not one shared device ecosystem.

What's the best free option for a group fitness challenge?

If your whole group is on Apple Watch, Apple's built-in Activity competitions are free and frictionless (with the one-on-one limit). For mixed-device groups, MoveTogether, Stridekick, and StepUp all offer free tiers for casual competitions. Check each app's current pricing before you commit a big workplace or family group.

Does MoveTogether work on Android?

MoveTogether is available on iOS and in public beta on Android, so friends on either platform can join the same leaderboard. Apple Health remains the iOS on-device path; Android users can check Data Sources in the app for the providers available to their account.

Third-party app names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Positioning reflects each app's publicly stated focus and may change. External statistics and product claims are linked to their original sources.