Zwift Pricing Guide

Zwift Pricing: What It Actually Costs to Get Started

Zwift pricing questions have gotten complicated with all the subscription debates and hardware recommendations flying around. As someone who signed up thinking it would be cheap indoor training, I learned everything there is to know about why the monthly fee ended up being the smallest part of the equation.

Then I bought a smart trainer. Then a better fan. Then a dedicated screen. Three years later, I’ve spent more on the setup than on subscriptions.

The Subscription

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Zwift costs $14.99 per month. No annual discount, no family plans. You pay that every month you want access.

New users get a 7-day free trial with full access. Enough time to see if you actually enjoy staring at a screen while pedaling.

Equipment You Actually Need

The subscription is the easy part. The hardware is where costs add up.

Smart trainer: $300-1200. This is the big one. You can use a basic trainer with a speed sensor (under $200 total), but the experience is significantly worse. The trainer won’t adjust resistance automatically, hills feel wrong, and the immersion suffers.

A decent smart trainer like the Wahoo Kickr Core runs around $600. The high-end direct drive trainers push $1200. Probably start with something mid-range.

Heart rate monitor: $50-80. Optional but useful for structured training. Zwift uses it to show your heart rate zones.

Fan: $30-100. You will sweat. A lot. Get a good fan. This isn’t optional regardless of what the spec sheet says.

Screen: Whatever you have. Phone, tablet, laptop, or TV via Apple TV. I started with a laptop, upgraded to Apple TV on a big screen, and won’t go back.

Running on Zwift

Same subscription covers running. You need a treadmill and either a foot pod ($50-100) or a treadmill that broadcasts speed over Bluetooth.

Fewer runners use Zwift than cyclists. The experience is less developed, but it works.

Is It Worth $15/Month?

Compared to a gym membership? Comparable or cheaper.

Compared to riding outside? Obviously more expensive than free.

The value depends on how much you use it. If you’re riding 3-4 times a week through winter, $15/month is basically nothing. If you sign up enthusiastically in January and stop by March, you wasted money.

Alternatives to Consider

TrainerRoad: $20/month, focused purely on structured training. No virtual world or racing – just workout after workout. Better for serious training, worse for making indoor riding tolerable.

Rouvy: $12/month, uses augmented reality with real-world video. Different vibe than Zwift’s game-like world.

YouTube: Free. Put on a long ride video and pedal. No interactivity but costs nothing.

My Honest Take

That’s what makes understanding Zwift costs endearing to us indoor cyclists who’ve invested in proper setups. Zwift got me through winter training when I would have otherwise sat on the couch. The gamification works – I actually look forward to completing routes and chasing achievements.

But the total cost of entry is closer to $700-800 when you factor in a decent smart trainer and setup. The $15/month is almost a rounding error at that point.

Start with the free trial before buying equipment. Borrow a friend’s setup or check if your local bike shop has a demo. Make sure you actually enjoy it before investing.