Comparison

Treadmill Smart Speed vs TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

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

Head to head
About

Treadmill Smart Speed

This app transforms your iPhone into a Bluetooth speed and incline sensor for treadmills. It broadcasts your running speed and incline, allowing fitness apps like Zwift to track your performance without additional hardware. An Apple Watch app can also stream heart rate and cadence data.

Highlights
  • Broadcasts speed and incline as Bluetooth sensor
  • Works with Zwift and other fitness apps
  • Apple Watch integration for heart rate and cadence
  • Customizable speed presets
  • Metric/Imperial unit selection
  • Background broadcasting
  • Standalone 'Just Run' mode with 3D park simulation
Features
Read full description

Your treadmill, on Zwift. Treadmill Smart Speed turns your iPhone into a Bluetooth running speed and incline sensor. Set the speed you are running on screen and your iPhone broadcasts it, exactly as a footpod would — so Zwift, and any other app that reads a running sensor, sees your treadmill. No footpod, no treadmill upgrade, no extra hardware. GETTING CONNECTED 1. Start pairing in Zwift. Open the pairing screen and choose the run speed sensor slot. 2. Look for this iPhone by its own name. The app cannot change how it appears — to change what Zwift shows, rename the phone in Settings › General › About › Name. 3. Wait for the pill to turn green. It reads Connected once a fitness app is receiving speed. Until then it reads Discoverable. BUILT TO BE READ MID-RUN The screen is made to be read at arm's length, in a dim room, while you are running. The speed being broadcast owns the display, and every control sits in the half a thumb reaches. • A large speed readout with your current pace beneath it • Plus and minus keys that step in 0.1 increments • Six presets you set to your own paces, one tap each • Incline, sent alongside speed • Metric or imperial, chosen separately for speed and for pace • Keeps broadcasting in the background, so glancing at another app does not drop the connection APPLE WATCH The Apple Watch app estimates your speed and cadence from your wrist and reads your heart rate, then streams them to your iPhone. Your iPhone broadcasts the speed, and your heart rate as a heart-rate sensor that Zwift can pair too. Your run is saved to Health as a workout. JUST RUN No app to send the speed to? Choose Just Run at the bottom of the speed source list and your iPhone records the run on its own. Set the speed to match the treadmill's console and run through a 3D park, as a man or a woman. Every kilometre or mile has a gate: run through it for your split, a tap and a burst of confetti. Each run is kept on your iPhone with its time, distance and pace. Match the distance to the treadmill's display afterwards, and export the run as a TCX file to share or save. The last 50 runs are kept, and you can delete any of them. IF YOU BOUGHT THE ORIGINAL APP It stays yours. Everything in this version is free for you, for ever — no subscription, nothing to restore. It is recognised automatically from your Apple Account, on any of your devices. FREE TO TRY Every feature is free for a 10-minute run, with an hour between free runs. When a free run ends, the speed sent drops to zero, and a Just Run run is saved up to that moment, until you unlock. Unlock forever is a one-time purchase with no subscription. Every run is then unlimited, and the unlock is shared with your family through Family Sharing. The price is shown before you buy. Privacy policy: https://appyappster.com/privacy Support: https://appyappster.com/support

About

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

This platform transforms indoor cycling with realistic physics, group rides, and competitive races. Organize rides with friends or join esports events, all while following structured training plans. Customize your avatar and gear for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Realistic physics with drafting and cornering
  • Organize group rides with friends
  • Participate in esports cycling events
  • Follow structured training plans
  • Centralized workout hub
  • Avatar and team kit customization
Features
Read full description

Transform your indoor rides with the virtual and esports cycling platform thoughtfully designed for a realistic experience! Follow your own training plan, easily organize a group ride with friends, or race for real with a wide selection of event types - all in TrainingPeaks Virtual. Feel confident with consistent updates and frequently added new features, keeping you in sync with the fast-paced world of cycling and virtual training. Unlock stronger rides on your trainer, no road required. Key Features: Real-World Physics: In TrainingPeaks Virtual, tactics matter. Experience a more realistic ride with proprietary real-world physics, including drafting, cornering, braking and line choice. Lightning-Fast Syncing: With TrainingPeaks Virtual as part of the TrainingPeaks ecosystem, you’ll never waste time finding or transferring your data. Hop on your trainer and ride! Centralized Workout Hub: Find all your workouts where you want them, when you want them. Easily select from an open-world ride following multiple terrain types, apply one of many default structured training rides, or access your planned workouts from your coach. Reach fitness goals by following every step of your structured training with power and pace targets, workout previews, and more. Race with Credible Results: Participate in esports from home. TrainingPeaks Virtual offers a wide selection of event types, including team racing, keirin, elimination and more. DS Mode helps your team strategize, and unparalleled sub-millimeter accuracy guarantees results the whole team can see and trust. Build Community: Join or create realistic group rides with dynamic features to keep your team riding together. Don’t have a crew to ride with? Choose your goal and join a group of Racebots to keep you motivated. Customize, apply team kits, and configure your avatar: Explore robust customization features to look however you want. From your avatar’s bike, hair and skin tone to your team kit or branded event, the options are limitless. Download TrainingPeaks Virtual and experience the difference a seriously dialled virtual training platform can make. Plan with your coach, customize your experience, and develop your race tactics and skills. Hop on the trainer and level up your indoor rides today!

Screenshots

Treadmill Smart Speed4 screens
TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling at none against Treadmill Smart Speed's 1. TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling also leads on rating (3.8 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (126 vs 25). Treadmill Smart Speed's advantage is review sentiment (53% vs 35%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price and ads 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. Treadmill Smart Speed sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling has 126 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Treadmill Smart Speed's written reviews are positive against 35% of TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Treadmill Smart Speed ships an update weekly, TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Treadmill Smart Speed versus TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTreadmill Smart SpeedTrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (25 ratings)3.8 (126 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.4% of reviews — better35.1% of reviews
Number of ratings25126 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB924 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAppyAppster LtdindieVelo Ltd

Customer experience

Treadmill Smart Speed

All ratings24 ratings
Positive58.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive53.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative43.1%

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

All ratings125 ratings
Positive64.8%
Neutral9.6%
Negative25.6%
Written reviews111 reviews
Positive35.1%
Neutral21.6%
Negative43.2%

User reviews

Treadmill Smart Speed

From 25 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works with Zwift
  • 💰 Affordable alternative
  • 🏃‍♀️ Enables Zwift running
  • ✅ Solves treadmill speed issues
  • 💡 Good for budget-conscious users

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connection issues
  • 🐛 Speed not detected
  • 🐛 Laggy updates
  • 🐛 Accelerometer mode unreliable
  • 🐛 Disclaimer pops up frequently

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

From 126 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent option
  • 🚀 Legit competition for Zwift
  • 🚀 Realistic and additional pedaling metrics
  • 👍 Perfect for Training Peaks subscribers
  • 👍 Automatically loads sessions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with devices
  • 🐛 Crashes and stability problems
  • 🐛 Clunky and unintuitive UI
  • 🐛 ERG mode issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent power readings

Bugs and requests

Treadmill Smart Speed

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • Problems reported with Zwift connectivity
  • Doesn't show up on Bluetooth in Zwift
  • Slow response time from armband mode
  • Speed not detected in Zwift
  • Intermittent information transmission
Show 19 more
  • Hefty lag in updating speed on Zwift
  • Accelerometer mode largely useless
  • Disclaimer needs to be tapped away every time
  • Armband doesn't work
  • Does not transfer right speed
  • Connected to Zwift but not working
  • Doesn't connect to Zwift
  • Not working out of a sudden
  • Disconnects every time
  • Bluetooth connectivity with Zwift issue
  • iPhone Speed Sensor doesn't work
  • Apple Watch app says 'not Connected to iPhone'
  • No data transmitted to Zwift
  • Doesn't work
  • No support from link
  • Can't get any feedback on iPhone
  • App did not work
  • Will not pair with Zwift
  • New update won't allow update on iPad Pro

Requested features

7 requests
  • Improve response time for armband mode
  • Allow app to work in background
  • Develop for Zwift bike with Power (Watt)
  • Make app available in more countries
  • Provide instructions for Apple TV connection
Show 2 more
  • Forward other BLE sensors (heart rate, cadence) for Apple TV
  • UI polish

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Workouts showing as free ride
  • Take a Break functionality not working as expected
  • Inability to navigate on Apple TV
  • Disconnects and crashes on various devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Strava integration
  • Companion app for phone
  • Better ERG mode
  • Ability to cancel workouts
  • Option to view just numbers without virtual cycling
Show 2 more
  • Elevation profiles for routes
  • Beginner-specific training plans

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Treadmill Smart Speed

One-time1
  • Unlock forever$9.99
None

TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Treadmill Smart Speed free?
Treadmill Smart Speed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling free?
TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Treadmill Smart Speed or TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling?
TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling is rated higher. Treadmill Smart Speed averages 3.4 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling averages 3.8 from 126 ratings.
Do Treadmill Smart Speed or TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling have ads?
Neither Treadmill Smart Speed nor TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Treadmill Smart Speed or TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling?
Treadmill Smart Speed ships an update weekly, and TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling monthly. Most recently, Treadmill Smart Speed was updated on November 11, 2026 and TrainingPeaks Virtual Cycling on November 4, 2026.

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