VO2 Max Trainer vs Croton
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VO2 Max Trainer
Measure your VO2 max accurately and improve endurance with personalized Zone 2 and HIIT workouts. Compete globally on a verified leaderboard and track progress with live activities and widgets.
- VO2 max measurement (Beep, Cooper, Yo-Yo tests)
- Personalized Zone 2 and HIIT workouts
- Ghost racing for tests
- Global leaderboard with verified results
- Live Activities and widgets
- AI coach and training plans
- Heart rate and lactate threshold estimation
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Boost your VO2 max, one of the strongest predictors of endurance performance and of how long and how well you live. Measure your true VO2 max in 15 minutes or less, raise it with Zone 2 and HIIT workouts, and beat the rest of the world on a verified global leaderboard. iPhone and Apple Watch. NEW: GHOST RACE Race a ghost during your Cooper test, Balke test or 1.5 mile (2.4 km) run. Pick your best run, your 12-week goal, the athlete 10 places above you on the leaderboard, the #1 of your age group, an Olympic record, or any VO2 max you choose. The gap shows live in meters or yards, green when you lead and orange when you chase, with voice cues when you pass or get passed. Follow the race on the Lock Screen, in the Dynamic Island and on your Apple Watch, even without your iPhone. The result saves as a normal test, and you can share a "Me vs ghost" card. MEASURE YOUR VO2 MAX - Beep test 20 m and 15 m (bleep test, PACER test, multistage fitness test, Leger shuttle run) - Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery test, levels 1 and 2 (YYIR1, YYIR2) - Cooper test (12-minute run) - Balke test (15-minute run) - 1.5 mile / 2.4 km run test Results are compared with age and sex norms. FIND YOUR TRUE MAX HEART RATE AND LACTATE THRESHOLD The 220 minus age formula can be off by 10 to 20 beats per minute. Run a beep test with a heart rate monitor and the app records your real maximum heart rate and estimates your lactate threshold from how your heart rate responds as the pace rises, with no lab and no blood test. Your Zone 2 and HIIT zones are then built from your own threshold. TRAIN TO IMPROVE IT - Zone 2 training with personal heart rate limits and Apple Watch haptics when you drift out of zone - HIIT and interval workouts: Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, Gibala, 30/30, EMOM, Myoreps - Free mode to log any session - Custom workout builder: work, rest, repeat blocks, warm-up and cool-down - A 12-week training plan built from your current fitness level - An AI coach on the Plan tab that tells you what to do today and why GLOBAL LEADERBOARD WITH VERIFIED RESULTS Compare your VO2 max with athletes worldwide by age, sex, country and job. A score only reaches the leaderboard after anti-cheat checks: GPS, heart rate (Apple Watch or a chest strap), cadence and vehicle detection. Verification badges show how each result was checked. O2 POINTS AND RANKS VO2 max moves slowly, so O2 Points show the work you put in every day. Every minute with heart rate earns points, harder zones earn more, and 80/20 training, following your plan and retesting give boosts. Climb 7 ranks, from Reserve Duty to Norwegian Cyborg. LIVE ACTIVITIES AND WIDGETS Every test, Zone 2 session and interval workout shows on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island: level, time, heart rate and zone without unlocking. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show your next workout, readiness, fitness age, VO2 max progress, Zone 2 minutes, O2 rank and leaderboard position. KNOW YOUR BODY - Training readiness score (1 to 100) from HRV, resting heart rate, sleep and recent load - Fitness age, from your VO2 max and other health markers - Race time predictions from 5K to marathon - Post-workout analysis: effort score, time in each zone, pace, intervals - Editable history with monthly and yearly charts APPLE WATCH AND HEALTH Leave the phone at home: tests, Zone 2 and intervals run on the watch with haptics and audio. Workouts sync with Apple Health, and workouts from other apps can be imported. WHO IT'S FOR Athletes and runners who want to go faster for longer. Soccer, rugby, basketball and hockey players. People preparing for military, police or firefighter fitness tests, PE teachers, students and coaches. And anyone who wants a stronger heart and lungs, a younger fitness age and more healthy years. Built by one independent developer. Questions? Message me in the app. Terms of use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Croton
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Stop guessing. Start progressing. Progressive overload is the only way to get stronger — Milo of Croton proved it 2,500 years ago carrying a calf until it became a bull. The principle hasn't changed. But your app should give you more than one way to do it. Croton gives you 4 different progression strategies — not just one. Whether you're adding weight every session, every week, or using double progression for hypertrophy, Croton adapts to how YOU want to train. FEATURES - 4 Progression Strategies — Linear, double progression, AMRAP-based, or manual - Automatic weight increases — Set your rules, we handle the math - Smart deload logic — Automatic deloads when you stall - Workout builder — Create any workout with 100+ exercises - Session tracking — Log sets with one tap - Plate calculator — Know exactly which plates to load - Rest timer — Customizable between sets BUILT FOR LIFTERS BEYOND LINEAR PROGRESSION Loved StrongLifts but hit a wall? Dealing with an injury or joint issues? Your body doesn't progress in a straight line — your app shouldn't force you to. Croton lets you choose how you progress, not the other way around. Privacy Policy: https://jerfan1.github.io/croton/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Croton at 15.1 against VO2 Max Trainer's 18.6. 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
Both are free to download. VO2 Max Trainer sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Croton sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
VO2 Max Trainer ships an update weekly, Croton every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VO2 Max Trainer | Croton |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kevin Floch | Jahangir Erfan |
In-app purchases
VO2 Max Trainer
- VO2_Weekly3 Days trial$1.997 Days
- VO2_Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- VO2_Annually_Offer$14.991 Year
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- VO2_Annually7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Small tip$4.99
- Medium tip$9.99
- Large tip$19.99
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- VO2_Lifetime_Upgrade2$24.99
- Extra large tip$39.99
- VO2_Lifetime2$49.99
Croton
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$69.99









