Tacx Training™ vs RideByHeart
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tacx Training™
Transform indoor cycling into immersive outdoor experiences with virtual routes and real-time data. Train with adjustable resistance, track performance, and connect with other cyclists. Offers free and premium features for personalized fitness.
- Immersive virtual routes
- Real-time performance data
- Auto-adjusting trainer resistance
- Garmin Connect integration
- Virtual GroupRides
- Offline video route access (Premium)
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RIDE INDOORS, FEEL OUTDOORS Connect your Tacx™ smart trainer with the Tacx Training app to turn indoor sessions into immersive rides. Tackle steep Alpine and Pyrenean climbs or conquer the cobblestones of Roubaix right from your living room. New routes around the world are added every month. TRAIN WITH REAL DATA, IN REAL TIME When paired with a compatible Tacx smart trainer and other accessories, you can see speed, power, cadence, and heart rate data on screen while your trainer resistance auto-adjusts for realistic climbs and descents. Connect with a Tacx Alpine gradient simulator for an even more immersive climbing and descending experience. INTEGRATE WITH OTHER GARMIN PRODUCTS When you finish a workout in the app, the data automatically uploads to the Garmin Connect™ app to update performance stats, inform training plan workout recommendations, and more. Your Garmin Connect workouts are automatically synced with the Tacx Training app. MOTIVATION THAT LASTS Earn badges by completing challenges, ride with others in real time, or organize virtual GroupRides with your Tacx friends. Download and use the app for free, or upgrade to premium at any time. Free: • Create and perform workouts based on slope, power, or FTP • View and complete your scheduled workouts from Garmin Connect and Garmin Coach • Your rides and workouts automatically sync to Garmin Connect for analysis • View your data across phone, tablet, and desktop Premium: • Gain access to more than 500 high-quality video routes • Download your favorite videos and ride offline • See other live riders and ride with others in real time • Participate in multi-stage challenges • Plan virtual GroupRides with friends Requirements: • Bluetooth 4.0 or later for Tacx Smart trainer connections • Internet is required for video streaming and live features Don’t forget to contact our support team if you have any questions, concerns, or feature requests. Official Garmin app.
RideByHeart
This app offers indoor cycling training with professional-grade workouts, connecting to FTMS-compatible smart trainers and Bluetooth heart rate monitors. Enjoy structured workouts, FTP-based power training, and heart rate zone training with automatic resistance adjustments, all without a subscription.
- Subscription-free training
- FTMS-compatible smart trainer support
- Bluetooth heart rate monitor integration
- FTP-based power training
- Heart rate zone workouts with automatic resistance
- Real-time metrics (power, cadence, speed, HR, calories)
- Workout recording and TCX export
- Direct Strava upload
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Indoor cycling training without the subscription. RideByHeart connects to any FTMS-compatible smart trainer and Bluetooth heart rate monitor for professional-grade workouts. TRAIN YOUR WAY No subscriptions. No accounts. No forced updates. Free during the introductory testing phase. (In future ... if free app is unsustainable we might ask for a one time pay, train forever) SMART TRAINER SUPPORT • Tested and verified: Wahoo KICKR • Should work with any FTMS-compatible trainer: - Tacx Neo, Flux, and Flow - Elite Direto, Suito, and Justo - Saris H3 and M2 - Other Bluetooth FTMS trainers Note: App uses the standard FTMS protocol. While tested on KICKR, it should work with all FTMS-compatible trainers. Feedback welcome! FEATURES • Structured workouts • FTP-based power training • Heart rate zone workouts with automatic resistance (You choose an HR zone to train and the trainer resistance will adjust to keep your heart-rate in that zone) • Real-time metrics: power, cadence, speed, heart rate and calories • Workout recording and TCX export for Strava • BIAS control for mid-workout adjustments • Import custom workouts via .zwo files • Direct Strava upload for completed workouts • Expanded structured workout library
Screenshots
Verdict
Tacx Training™ and RideByHeart both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of RideByHeart's written reviews are positive against 42% of Tacx Training™'s. RideByHeart also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Tacx Training™'s advantage is ratings volume (16K vs 7) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Tacx Training™ against 4.7 for RideByHeart. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tacx Training™ has 16K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Tacx Training™'s written reviews are positive against 80% of RideByHeart's.
Tacx Training™ ships an update every 3 weeks, RideByHeart weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tacx Training™ | RideByHeart |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (16K ratings) | 4.7 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.9% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16K — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 363 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin | jithu joseph |
Customer experience
Tacx Training™
RideByHeart
Bugs and requests
Tacx Training™
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inconsistent power and speed readings
- Inability to resume paused rides
- Connectivity issues with Bluetooth sensors
- Calibration problems with trainers
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to download videos for offline use
- More detailed performance analytics
- Integration with other fitness apps (e.g. Apple Health)
- Better customization options for data screens
- Audio cues and prompts during workouts
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- Ability to create and edit custom routes
RideByHeart
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Tacx Training™
No in-app purchases
RideByHeart
No in-app purchases









