Zurge vs Fitbod
Fitbod generates each lifting session from your equipment and muscle recovery. Runs only count toward fatigue: it has no running plans or paces. Zurge plans both sports in one week and lets you keep the lifts you like.
Choose Zurge if
- You train for a race and want run plans and paces
- You want a stable program you can see ahead, not a new workout each day
- You want planning and logging without a subscription
- You want to approve every change the coach makes
Choose Fitbod if
- You want a fresh lifting workout generated every session
- You like a muscle recovery map to decide what to train
- You use a Wear OS watch
Feature by feature
| Feature | Zurge | Fitbod |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting | ||
| Program style | A plan you can see ahead, progressed week by week | A new workout generated each session |
| Your own routines | 633 exercises plus your own, swap any lift | Saved routines and edits |
| Progression and PRs | e1RM, heaviest set, volume and rep PRs from 1 to 30 reps | Suggested weights and PRs |
| Per-gym equipment | Machine settings and weights saved per gym | Gym equipment profiles |
| Running | ||
| Running plans | 5K to marathon, base building, back to running, run-walk | No |
| Pace guidance | Pace range plus effort, set from a recent race or hard run | No |
| Runs from other apps | From Apple Health, with route, splits and heart rate | Strava runs count toward muscle fatigue (iOS, public activities) |
| One plan for lifts and runs | Lifts and runs in one week, placed so they don't collide | No |
| Coach and price | ||
| AI | Chat coach; every change is a card you approve (Zolt Pro) | Generated workouts that learn from your edits |
| Connect to Claude or ChatGPT | Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP apps (Zolt Pro) | No |
| Watch app | Not yet; record runs in Apple's Workout app | Apple Watch and Wear OS |
| Free tier | Plans, logging, goals, PRs and history | A few free workouts, then subscribe |
| Paid price (US) | $39.99 a year for Zolt Pro, which also covers Zolt nutrition | $15.99 a month or $95.99 a year |
In-app run recording is iPhone only. Coach chat and the AI connector need Zolt Pro, $39.99 a year, which also covers Zolt nutrition. Fitbod prices are its current US App Store prices; some existing subscribers pay older, lower rates.
Why hybrid athletes pick Zurge over Fitbod
Runs that are planned, not just counted
Fitbod can read your Strava runs to estimate muscle fatigue, but it will not tell you what to run. Zurge plans the runs: race plans, intervals and long runs with a pace range and an effort for each, and new paces proposed when your runs show you've got faster.
A program you can see
Fitbod builds each workout on the day. That's great for variety and harder to follow for a race build, where you want to see the week ahead. Zurge lays out the whole week, both sports, and progresses loads when you complete your sets.
Start without paying
Fitbod gives new users a few free workouts and then asks for a subscription. In Zurge, plans, logging, goals, PRs and history are free. Zolt Pro, at $39.99 a year, adds the coach chat and covers Zolt nutrition too.
Changes you approve
Zurge's coach never edits your plan silently. Every swap, move or new goal comes as a card, and plan changes can be undone.
Where Fitbod is ahead
Fitbod has years of workout generation behind it, a muscle recovery map, and Apple Watch and Wear OS apps. If you want a new lifting session served up each day and don't follow a running plan, it is a strong pick.
Questions
Does Fitbod have running plans?
No. Fitbod logs cardio and can import Strava runs on iOS to account for muscle fatigue, but it does not create running plans or pace targets.
Is Fitbod free?
Fitbod has no permanent free tier. New users get a few free workouts, then a subscription costs $15.99 a month or $95.99 a year in the US (checked 2026-11-05).
Is Zurge's plan made by AI?
Zurge builds plans with fixed training rules so they are predictable. The AI coach can suggest changes, and you approve each one.
Which is better for a half marathon while lifting?
Zurge, because it plans the half marathon runs and your lifting in the same week and keeps heavy leg days away from key runs. Fitbod only plans the lifting.
How much does Zurge cost?
Plans, workout and run logging, goals, PRs and history are free. Zolt Pro is $39.99 a year in the US and adds the coach chat, the Claude and ChatGPT connector, measurements and progress photos, plus Pro in the Zolt nutrition app.
Sources
- Fitbod on the US App Store (prices and features). apps.apple.com/us/app/fitbod-gym-fitness-planner/id1041517543
- Fitbod help: Strava on iOS. help.fitbod.me/hc/en-us/articles/360040720154-Strava-on-iOS
Fitbod details come from its public website, app store listing and published pricing, checked on Nov 5, 2026. Prices vary by country and change often; check the app before you buy. Fitbod is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the product. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.