Comparison

pliability vs Variable Resistance Training

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

pliability

Enhance flexibility, mobility, and recovery with guided stretching routines. This app offers personalized programs, progress tracking, and integrates with fitness devices to help users move better and prevent injuries.

Highlights
  • 1,700+ guided stretching routines
  • Customized mobility training programs
  • Instant start, no equipment required
  • Mobility Test for personalized assessment
  • Short, effective workouts (12-20 mins)
  • Offline video downloads
  • Integrates with WHOOP, Garmin, Apple Health
Features
Read full description

Improve flexibility, recover faster, and move better with pliability - the Official Stretching Partner of HYROX and the mobility app trusted by elite athletes. pliability is your daily stretching, mobility, and flexibility coach. Guided routines help you loosen tight hips, relieve back pain, increase range of motion, and build consistent recovery into your training - for athletes, weekend warriors, and anyone who sits too much. ■ WHY ATHLETES CHOOSE PLIABILITY + Trusted by Tia-Clair Toomey, Laura Horvath, Jake Dearden and thousands of gyms worldwide + Official Stretching Partner of HYROX + Featured by Runner's World, Men's Health, Well+Good, and Inc. Magazine + 1,700+ guided stretching and mobility routines + Programs built by world-class coaches and physical therapists ■ WHAT YOU GET + Daily stretching routines, 12–20 minutes each + Targeted sessions for hips, back, shoulders, hamstrings, and neck + Recovery flows to reduce muscle soreness after workouts + Deep flexibility programs - splits, backbends, overhead mobility + Yoga-inspired mobility flows for every level + No equipment required - start instantly ■ PERSONALIZED TO YOU + Recommended sessions built around the areas you care about, refreshed every week + Set your session length before you start: short, medium, or long + Ask in your own words: "15 minute hip opener before a run" + Save favorites and build your own sessions ■ BUILT FOR EVERY ATHLETE + HYROX, CrossFit & functional fitness + Running, cycling & endurance sports + Weightlifting & strength training + Golf, swimming & combat sports + Yoga, Pilates & general wellness ■ MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS (iPhone + iPad) Our Mobility Test uses advanced on-device technology to measure your active range of motion. + Personalized 3-minute assessment + Detailed report with custom stretching recommendations + Track improvement over weeks and months ■ TRAIN ANYWHERE + Stream on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or AirPlay + Download any routine for offline sessions + Short sessions fit any schedule ■ CONNECTS TO YOUR DATA + Syncs with WHOOP, Garmin, and Apple Health + See how mobility work affects your recovery scores + Build smarter recovery into your training load ■ MIND-BODY FOCUS + Breathwork and mindfulness cues in every session + Calm your nervous system while you move + Build a stretching habit that actually sticks Ready to move better? Download pliability and start your 7-day free trial. Get the full library of stretching, mobility, yoga, and recovery routines - trusted by HYROX, CrossFit champions, and athletes who train for performance. Stretch. Move. Recover. pliability move more human.™ Terms of Service: https://pliability.com/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://pliability.com/privacy-policy/

About

Variable Resistance Training

This app offers advanced tracking for resistance band workouts, automatically calculating resistance and progression based on your saved equipment. It also supports tracking weights and calisthenics, providing detailed analytics and a video library for exercise demonstrations.

Highlights
  • Automatic band resistance calculation
  • Dynamic resistance progression generation
  • Weight and calisthenics tracking
  • Full video exercise library
  • Detailed analytics and progress charts
  • Customizable rest timer
  • Superset functionality
Features
Read full description

The most advanced resistance band training app is here. Track bands, weights, calisthenics, and sliding bench trainers - all in one app with an intuitive, user-friendly interface. Automatically calculate band resistance and generate a resistance progression based on your saved equipment. Train smarter, see real progress, and stay consistent every session. Unlike generic fitness apps, Variable Resistance Training is the only app that combines true VRT tracking with weights, calisthenics, and sliding bench trainers, making it a complete solution for all strength and bodyweight training. Revolutionary Automatic Band Progression: - Add your bands (or any combination) to your Saved Equipment List - The app automatically generates a dynamic progression list from lowest to highest resistance, showing exact band or stacked band combinations for each resistance level - Band prestretch values are automatically calculated based on your equipment dimensions, giving you an additional difficulty indicator - Tap + / - during your workout and the app instantly updates resistance and selects the correct band or stacked combination, removing all guesswork - Works with any bands - Flexible, intuitive design makes adding/removing exercises, sets, and progression adjustments effortless Track Weights, Calisthenics, & Sliding Bench Trainers: - Standard bodyweight exercises (no equipment needed) - Assisted calisthenics using bands for support - Weighted exercises alongside your VRT workouts - Sliding bench trainers including level and added resistance Other Key Features: - Band Video Library – Clear demonstrations for VRT exercises - Robust Equipment Library – Pre-loaded with data from leading band systems, fully compatible with any resistance band or product - Custom Exercises & Programs – Build your own routines or adapt existing ones easily - Advanced Logging – Track sets, reps, RPE, resistance levels, and workout history - Customizable Rest Timer – Set and adjust rest periods for each exercise or set, with flexible options to match your workout pace - Detailed Analytics – See progress charts and track performance over time - Supports All Training Styles – Resistance bands, weights, calisthenics, and sliding bench trainers - Smarter Progression – Measure your true training load, remove guesswork, and make consistent gains - Superset Functionality – Link exercises and autoatically switch between them for seemless set tracking - Extremely User-Friendly UI – Effortlessly navigate workouts, progressions, exercises, and sets with flexible controls Why choose Variable Resistance Training? - Only app with true prestretch-based resistance tracking - Only app with automatic band progression from saved equipment - Only app that tracks bands, weights, calisthenics, and sliding bench trainers - Only app that combines powerful features with an extremely user-friendly, flexible interface for effortless tracking Whether your goal is building muscle, improving mobility, or training at home, Variable Resistance Training gives you the most versatile, accurate, and complete strength tracking system available for training with various modalities. Note: A subscription is required to continue using Variable Resistance Training after your 1-month free trial. Terms of Service: https://vrt-app.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://vrt-app.com/privacy-policy/ https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

pliability4 screens
Variable Resistance Training4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: pliability at 4.8 against Variable Resistance Training's 4.0. pliability also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. pliability sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Variable Resistance Training sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

pliability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pliability has 10K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pliability ships an update every 5 days, Variable Resistance Training every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
pliability versus Variable Resistance Training: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpliabilityVariable Resistance Training
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (10K ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews40.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings10K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size265 MB97 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerpliability, LLCAndrew Soumbos

Customer experience

pliability

All ratings10,071 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral1.0%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews556 reviews
Positive40.8%
Neutral9.0%
Negative50.2%

Variable Resistance Training

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

pliability

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to cancel subscription easily
  • Recurring charges even after cancellation
  • Mobility assessment not accurately detecting issues
  • Syncing issues between app and website
  • Airplay and Chromecast functionality not working reliably

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to mute or adjust volume of voiceover and music separately
  • More personalized and adaptive mobility programs based on assessment
  • Integration with Apple Health and other fitness tracking platforms
  • Improved navigation and search functionality
  • Offline mode for routines

Variable Resistance Training

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

pliability

Subscriptions2
  • Athlete Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Athlete Annual Subscription7 Days trial$179.991 Year
3 purchases

Variable Resistance Training

Subscriptions2
  • VRT Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • VRT Annual1 Month trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • VRT Lifetime Pro$149.99

Questions

Is pliability free?
pliability is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Variable Resistance Training free?
Variable Resistance Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, pliability or Variable Resistance Training?
pliability is rated higher. pliability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Variable Resistance Training averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do pliability or Variable Resistance Training have ads?
Both pliability and Variable Resistance Training show ads.
Which is updated more often, pliability or Variable Resistance Training?
pliability ships an update every 5 days, and Variable Resistance Training every 6 days. Most recently, pliability was updated on October 13, 2026 and Variable Resistance Training on October 10, 2026.

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