The 5 Best Peloton Alternatives Worth Buying in 2021

Best Peloton Alternatives

When it comes to spin bikes for home workouts, Peloton has become the household name. But for many people, the high cost just makes the machine unobtainable — even with its recent 20% price cut. Thankfully, there are plenty of great Peloton alternatives available that offer a much more affordable price point or better features in some cases.

Simply put, Peloton isn’t the only smart bike in the game anymore. And you don’t have to shell out $1,500 for a Peloton Bike or $2,500 for their Bike+ — not to mention the $40/month app subscription cost on top of that — to get a great indoor bike for your home.

In the guide below, we’ve reviewed and ranked a number of the best Peloton alternatives available today, including options for every budget. We’ll go over options that include a built-in screen like the Peloton as well as those that have tablet mounting capabilities, which can save you a lot of money while still allowing you to get the Peloton experience by accessing great streaming workouts while using a quality indoor cycle.

Here are the best Peloton Bike alternatives to consider for your home gym in 2021.

 

What are the Best Peloton Alternatives?

Here are our top picks for the best Peloton Bike alternatives and competitors:

 

Best Overall Peloton Bike Alternative: MYX Fitness Bike

myx fitness bike

If you’re looking for a true premium Peloton competitor that boasts all of the same features and then some, the MYX Fitness Bike is what you need.

MYX is the same spin bike used by Equinox/SoulCycle, and now you can get it in your home.

This spin bike has a 21.5-inch touchscreen that you can swivel for floor workouts and weightlifting, its own streaming workout platform, Bluetooth connectivity, personalized heart rate zone training, dual-sided pedals, and a whole slew of other great features.

There’s a reason the MYX is used in top gyms around the world. Its quality and durability are really second to none.

MYX has partnered with Openfit to give you unlimited live and on-demand workouts for all fitness levels (and well beyond just cycling workouts!) at $29/month. That’s cheaper than Peloton’s $39/month fee. We also feel like the classes and training have more of a one-on-one feel as opposed to the big class feel of Peloton.

The MYX II Bike is $1,399, and the MYX II Plus Bike is $1,599, making this a slightly more affordable Peloton alternative that doesn’t skimp on quality in the slightest. It’s certainly not the cheapest option on this list, but it is the best.

Key Features:

  • High quality, sleek 21.5-inch touchscreen
  • Rotating screen lets you get off the bike for floor workouts
  • Access thousands of workouts from world-class trainers with new sessions added each week
  • Tons of in-workout data, including heart rate, speed, cadence, and distance
  • Customized heart rate zone training to fit your unique needs and goals
  • More affordable than Peloton with just as many features

Click here to shop the MYX Fitness bikes.

 

Also Great Peleton Alternative: Echelon EX5

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If you already have a tablet, you can get replicate the Peloton experience by getting a high-quality indoor spin bike like the Echelon EX5 and save a chunk of change.

At a reasonable price point of just over $1,100, the Echelon EX5 (and the upgraded version EX5S) is a smart, cheaper Peloton alternative. It includes a two-week free trial so you can see how smart stationary bike workouts fit into your lifestyle.

The EX5 includes a mount where you can place your tablet and use it as a screen to access all of the great workouts on the Echelon Fit app. By not having a built-in LCD screen and instead allowing you to use your own tablet, this cuts costs and makes it a more affordable choice than the Peloton.

As for the Echelon EX5 vs. Peloton, both are great indoor bikes, and with the Echelon Fit app, you can get the same kind of quality workout you would on the more expensive Peloton.

Key Features:

  • Easily mount your tablet to stream the Echo Fit app,  Peloton app, or other workouts
  • 32 levels of silent magnetic resistance
  • Extra-large cushioned seat for supreme comfort
  • Scratch-resistant frame
  • Access tons of live and on-demand workouts by joining the Echo Fit app
  • 100% money-back guarantee

 

Best Built-In Screen: Echelon EX5s

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We just talked about the Echelon EX5 as a great indoor bike, but if you’re someone who doesn’t have a tablet or you just really want a bike with a built-in monitor, Echelon offers a higher-level model that’s closer to a true Peloton clone.

The upgraded Echelon EX5s model — runs about $1,500, same as the regular Peloton Bike but $1,000 less than the Bike+ — has a nice 22-inch rotating HD display, and the overall footprint is very compact, allowing it to work with the space you have at home whether it’s a whole gym or just a corner of your bedroom.

You can access a host of live and on-demand cycling fitness classes for all levels of riders, helping you take your training to the next level. Membership runs $40 a month — same as Peloton — but you can save by purchasing an annual or two-year membership.

The EX5s has a resistance knob with 32 levels of quiet magnetic resistance, allowing you to easily change the intensity of your workout on the fly.

Key Features:

  • 22-inch rotating HD screen
  • Two power ports for charging your phone or tablet while you work out
  • 32 levels of silent magnetic resistance
  • Scratch-resistant design
  • Cushioned, adjustable seat for a comfortable ride for all
  • Membership offers access to tons of live and on-demand workouts playing right there on your bike’s HD display
  • 100% money-back guarantee

 

Best Cheap Peleton Alternative: Sunny Health & Fitness Indoor Bike

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At around $650, less than half the price of a Peloton bike,  this alternative can be a great fit for your lifestyle, exercise routine, and most importantly, wallet.

While the Sunny Health and Fitness cycle isn’t a smart bike and it doesn’t have integrated media access, it can still work for you and help you take your training up a notch.

The digital display does record your speed, cadence, distance, calories, race, and time. It also has integrated pulse sensors that can give you more data on your workout. Just use your tablet, phone, or smart TV to access workouts on the Peloton app or even just on YouTube and you have a budget-friendly alternative to the Peloton bike.

Another thing we love about this bike is it’s super quiet. The belt drive, magnetic resistance system is very smooth, offers quick resistance changes, and is practically silent, making it a great choice for those who work out in the home and don’t want to disturb others.

Key Features

  • 13 levels of magnetic belt drive resistance
  • Digital display shows speed, cadence/RPM, distance, calories, time, and a number of other data points
  • Super quiet operation
  • Very affordable compared to more expensive bikes, like the Peloton

 

Another Great Budget Option: Schwinn IC3

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Another budget-friendly option for those who want to get into riding the stationary bike at home is this Schwinn IC Bike.

It has an integrated media holder and an oversized holder for your water bottle. That means you can mount your device on the bike and use it like a screen while you stream cycling workouts, mimicking the Peloton experience at a fraction of the price.

You can experience the 40-pound flywheel that’s powered by a silent belt drive. Feel the burn with infinitely variable resistance to get the most of your workout.

Comfort is also a big deal with this bike. The seat is fully adjustable and ventilated to help keep you cool while you ride.

Key Features:

  • Smooth, quiet operation
  • Easily mount your smart device (tablet, phone) and stream workouts
  • Wireless heart rate monitoring
  • Sturdy, durable design
  • Very affordable Peloton alternative

 

Can You Use The Peloton App On Other Bikes?

It really doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have; you can still use the Peloton app and get the Peloton Digital Membership for $13 a month with no Peloton hardware required. This cheaper membership obviously doesn’t unlock some of the built-in hardware features of the Peloton bikes, but it allows you to access some great online workouts on your phone, tablet, or TV. You can sync your workouts with some fitness trackers too. Download it on your device and ride.

It’s also worth pointing out there are other great apps beyond just the Peloton app that you can use to access workouts, including the MYX/Openfit app at $29/month or even YouTube has some free indoor cycling workouts.

Technically these apps can be used with whatever bike you have (you could even use a regular bike connected to a trainer, like these women’s bikes under $500), but you might need to buy a mount for your tablet to make the entire experience seamless. Unless, of course, you have your bike set up in front of your smart TV.

If you do need a mount, we recommend this universal handlebar mount from Amazon.

 

Those are our recommendations for alternatives to the Peloton bikes. If you have any more questions, be sure to ask in the comments. And if you’re looking for another piece of equipment to up your workout, check out our Assault AirBike review.