Best Peloton alternatives for indoor cycling

The Peloton brand is as synonymous with interactive interactive exercise bikes as Garmin is to bike computers. It goes to show how popular the brand has become, and following a rather aggressive marketing campaign where smiley, happy, sweaty riders were projected on to our TV screens, it's now firmly a household name. 

That's not to say that the brand are the only one's at it, in fact there is a healthy and growing number of options, and this page is dedicated to helping you find the best Peloton alternatives. 

There's a healthy growing number of choices when it comes to buying the best exercise bike, but if you need a little more accountability, variety and all round entertainment to keep you motivated to riding at home, then an exercise bike with a on-line support platform is a great option. 

If you've landed on this page, the chances are you're already pretty familiar with the Peloton concept, and it's virtual workout classes. If you're still wondering at this stage is the Peloton indoor exercise bike and app worth it? Then head over to the page dedicated to reading all about, or for the more avid reader, with Zwift Vs Peloton: which is best for your at-home workouts?

This guide aims to give you a better understanding of some of the best Peloton alternatives, be it for function, availability or price. Having ridden and rated the bike, we're in a good place to compare these bikes, but head over to our Peloton indoor training bike review to see exactly what we thought of it at the time. 

Although there are many brands offering just basic exercise or spin type bikes, we've limited this guide to those which offer an experience closest to what Peloton its offers.

The main points being: the inclusion of structured sessions and a more holistic exercise experience through an all-in-one package that includes an integrated screen. 

All your questions, and price comparisons are answered further down the page, but first here's our pick of the best peloton alternatives for indoor cycling including what they're good at and where you might need to compromise. 

There are a few models from the brand Echelon, with the Smart Connect EX5s being the most comparable as a Peloton Alternative as it includes dumbbells and a pivoting HD touchscreen. 

At around a $1000/ £1000 cheaper than Peloton (see pricing table below) it's a great option for anyone looking to save some money on the initial outlay, and although the monthly subscription is less, it's still a commitment to be aware of and important to factor in when costing up your option. 

However, it's worth noting that each Echelon membership allows for up to a total of five users, which can make it a much more affordable option when it comes to a household of bike riders. 

Similarly to Peloton, there is a mix of live and on demand classes, the ability to train to the latest music (this is a big deal in terms of getting you through a workout to bearable tunes). There are a mix of on and off bike workouts to choose from, but be aware, the as standard dumbbells will probably need upgrading / an additional set being purchased in order to meet a full household's needs.  

According to the brand, the on-line community is growing  rapidly, with regular competitions, leader boards and goals to go for. There's also the ability to monitor and track your performance by sync'ing with third party fitness apps, such as Apple Health and Fitbit, and there are apparently some hacks to allow you to connect to the likes of Zwift or Rouvy - but, these are unsupported, so we couldn't possibly comment. 

The level of interaction on the NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle is huge, and certainly an out and out contender for one of the best Peloton alternatives on the market. 

Price wise, it's not only a cheaper bike, but also around $10/ £10 a month cheaper subscription too (check price comparison table below for all the details), a great value for money option if you add all five users that one membership allows. 

What we really love about the S22i bike, is that the resistance is remotely controlled by either the trainer on a live/ on demand class, or the route you're riding, meaning that there's no cheating! So if you really want to get fit and see improvements, then this is the smart exercise bike for you.

We're also impressed at the possibility of being able to upload your own routes and training via the iFIT app or integrated Google Maps, perfect for reccy'ing a route you are training for, or just mirroring inside to keep out of the rain. Oh and it's compatible with the best clipless pedals too - making road bike to home bike cycling much more aligned. 

The 22" smart HD touchscreen rotates to allow you to workout off the bike, while Bluetooth connectivity allows you to keep the sound system wireless too. 

It goes without saying that all stats are tracked, so you can see progress, although you might see a stall in the upper body strength improvement if you don't upgrade the dumbbells - as you will quickly outgrow them. 

The MYXFitness MYX II Plus really is the complete home gym smart bike package. It's less interactive than the other Peloton alternatives on this page, with all classes on demand rather than live, but there is much more focus on a whole body workout. 

The exercise bike itself is slightly more than just a standard spin bike, with in-workout data (heartrate, speed and cadence) displayed, you also get a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor too.

The membership to the on-line platform, accessed via the touchscreen tablet that the MTX II Plus comes with,  provides access to all the classes MYXFitness say there are thousands to choose from with more added each week. However it is a pricy $39/mo plus tax, making it the same, if not more than Peloton's option.

The bike design does allow for more adjustability than Peloton, but unlike some of the best Peloton alternatives on here, the membership is per person, meaning that you'll need to take out further subscriptions if more than one rider is using the bike. 

Along with bike, tablet, heart rate monitor you also get a mat for the bike, an exercise mat for you, foam roller, resistance band and a six piece weight set and kettle bell. This is the unique selling point for the MYXFitness MYX II Plus, as you can actually choose your weights, making you work hard from the off and unlikely to need an instant upgrade.  

There's not denying that the Bowflex has been designed as a platform to support the impressive JRNY™ subscription service. 

The bike itself is a belt drive mechanically adjusted spin style unit, with the adjustment index for 100 resistance levels, Bluetooth connectivity, and a couple of 1.5kg dumbbells as standard, which may need to swiftly be upgraded as your performance starts to improve. 

However, as first mentioned, the big story here is the JRNY™ app, which is free for the first year with the bike and covers the whole family for one $19 a month subscription.

This makes the bike incredibly connected, allowing you to either dive in to JRNY's own training and performance platform, which can deliver both on demand and bespoke training, which adjusts as your performance improves. There's also the ability to ride one of the multiple routes from around the world, allowing you to visit and ride places like the Alps from the comfort of your home. 

The bike can also connect with a significant amount of third party apps, such as the Peloton one itself or more performance focused platforms such as Zwift, and even TV style ones, like Netflix. So it's a great Peloton alternative for any households with multiple riders with varying riding goals. 

The downside is that the screen is tiny in comparison to the other options on this page, and you do require your own tablet to access the third party apps.

How to find the best Peloton alternative

Best Peloton alternative US cost comparison data

Best Peloton alternative UK cost comparison data 

*Based on premium model | **per household, up to 5 member profiles in some instances | *** Echelon EX-5s Connected Model | **** Based on JRNY app