How to Build a Fitness App Like Peloton – Your On-Demand Fitness Companion

Sarah, a fitness entrepreneur, wants to launch a fitness app. 

But every time she starts planning, the same questions keep hitting her-
“How do I build something as engaging as Peloton – without a massive budget?”

“What features actually matter if I want to compete?”

“How do I keep users from dropping off in a crowded fitness market?”

“How do I monetize this without relying only on subscriptions?”
Most founders and fitness creators feel stuck at this exact point.

That is when Sarah came to us.

With our experience building real-world fitness apps – like Balanced Being – we helped her turn her idea into a sleek, high-performing platform with live classes, AI recommendations, wearable integrations, and a community that keeps users coming back.

The best part – she did not need Peloton’s budget to do it.

If you are asking the same questions or want to build a fitness app like Peloton that users love, engage with, and happily pay for, you are in the right place.

We’ll break down:

• Must-have features with the development process
• How to design for retention?
• Tech stack
• Realistic cost breakdown

And how to build it faster with SolGuruz

Let’s get started.

Let’s Look Into the Business Model for Peloton App (And Why Build Something Similar?)

Peloton didn’t win because it offered workouts.

It won because it delivered community, accountability, and personalization – all wrapped in studio-quality content for the audience.

Catering directly to the users worked in favor of Peloton. 

Here’s the Peloton formula that works:

• Community + Coaching

Live classes + instructor personalities + real-time engagement.

• Immersive Content

On-demand libraries, flexible schedules, world-class production.

• Gamification

Leaderboards, streaks, achievements, badges.

• Real-Time Tracking

Calories, cadence, heart rate, resistance, and more.

• Personalization Powered by Data

Customized workout plans + smart recommendations.

If your app can deliver even 60% of this experience, you can capture a rapidly growing market of fitness lovers.

But there is a challenge – people who want to get fit but cannot go directly to the gym due to time crunch, affordability, or reach. They need a solution that can cater to them remotely or anywhere they are. 

And if you are a fitness freak, then you are disciplined. (You don’t like to break your fitness journey. Do you?)

A custom fitness app development company can help you develop such apps. Fitness apps like Peloton help them keep up their fitness. Be it their home or any other place. 

Start With a Step-by-Step Guide to Build a Fitness App Like Peloton (With Key Features)

To build a high-performing fitness platform like Peloton, you need clarity, structure, and user empathy from Day 1.

 Ask yourself :

• Who exactly are you building this for?
• What motivates them to work out digitally?
• What daily friction stops them from achieving their fitness goals?

With these answers in mind, the development journey becomes smoother, faster, and far more impactful.

Your goal?

Deliver a fitness product that users love, trainers trust, and investors believe in.

1) Understand the Real Fitness Workflow

Every fitness user has a unique routine-some follow structured programs, others hop into live classes, and many want data-driven personalization.

Here are the different people for whom you will be building an app, and what are their pain points?

We have listed them for you: 

User Personas

• Fitness beginners
• Intermediate workout enthusiasts
• Trainers/instructors
• Gym owners
• Performance-focused athletes

Address their pain points:

✔ Beginners feel lost without proper guidance
✔ Busy professionals need quick, easy-to-follow workouts
✔ Fitness influencers need a platform to teach and build community
✔ Gym owners want digital engagement and retention
✔ Athletes want performance metrics and structured training

You must understand the real-world workflow of your users 

To develop a fitness tracking app like Peloton, you must answer these questions :

• Which workouts will the app offer?
• How do trainers upload/manage their content?
• How will users track progress easily?
• Is it motivating for them to look at the metrics like burnt calories?
• Will the app integrate with smartwatches or fitness wearables?
• How will live classes and replays work?
• What causes workout drop-offs or low engagement?

Once you map these workflows, your feature clarity will naturally emerge. This will help you sketch the roadmap for Peloton-like App Development in a better way. 

2) Define User Roles & Map Features Around Them

A Peloton-style app must serve multiple user personas – each with their own goals and workflows.

Building role-specific features boosts adoption and long-term retention. 

Persona → Feature → Why It Matters

Persona	Feature	Why It Matters
Fitness User	Personalized workout recommendations	Removes decision fatigue; boosts engagement
Fitness User	Live + on-demand class access	Anywhere-anytime convenience
Fitness User	Real-time performance tracking	Progress motivates users
Trainer	Class scheduling & content upload	Consistent engagement with followers
Trainer	Workout insights dashboard	Understand user performance
Gym Owner	Branded studio & member analytics	Digital extension of gym business
Admin	Subscription management	Smooth monetization
Admin	Push notifications & reminders	Reduce drop-off and missed workouts

Pro Tip: Conduct quick interviews with 8–10 real users to validate these feature priorities. Don’t build based on assumptions.

3) Design a Clean, Motivating, Video-First Interface

A fitness app must be convenient, visually appealing, and motivating.

Users interact with your app during workouts, so a distraction-free design is essential.

UX/UI Features by Persona

Persona	Feature	Why It Matters
Fitness User	Mobile-first workout screens	Most workouts happen on the phone
Fitness User	Dark mode for night workouts	Better focus and readability
Fitness User	Easy class filters (duration, intensity, trainer)	Saves time; boosts engagement
Trainer	Simple video upload experience	Makes content creation effortless
Trainer	Real-time class chat controls	Helps manage live sessions
Owner/Admin	Analytics dashboard	Tracks revenue, engagement, and retention

Pro Tip: Include offline downloads for users working out in gyms, remote areas, or low-network zones.

4) Build the MVP First (The “Peloton Lite”)

You don’t need to start big like Peloton. What you need is great features that work up the engine.

You can always add the glitter and shine later once you get full-fledged funding. 

We suggest consulting an MVP development service for the feature discussion and how you can build fast to impress the investors. 

Your MVP’s purpose should be simple:

“Prove that your platform can motivate users, deliver quality workouts, and increase retention.”

Essential MVP Features:

• User onboarding + fitness goal setup
• Live video streaming (basic)
• On-demand workout library
• Workout categories + filters
• Trainer/instructor profiles
• Subscription + payment support
• Basic progress tracking
• Push notifications + reminders
• Wearable integration (phase 1: calories, steps, heart rate)

This is the foundation that brings your product to life.

Add Advanced Features (Post-MVP Expansion)

Once your MVP is validated, add features that elevate your product and differentiate it from competitors.

Advanced Features Table

Feature	What It Adds
AI-Powered Workout Plans	Custom plans based on goals, fatigue, and progress
Computer Vision Form Correction	Guides users in real-time to avoid mistakes
Smart Wearable Syncing	Real-time metrics from Apple, Garmin, and Fitbit
Gamified Leaderboards	Boost motivation and community engagement
Performance Analytics Dashboard	Personalized insights and recommendations
AR Fitness Mode	Immersive workout experiences
Social Features	Groups, challenges, community feed
Trainer Marketplace	Let’s trainers monetize content

Recommendation: Always prioritize features that increase engagement or increase revenue.

Add automation and intelligence at a later stage. 

5) Secure the Platform – Compliance & Data Protection First

Fitness apps handle sensitive health and biometric data.

Security cannot be an afterthought.

Key Security Features by Panel

Panel	Feature	Purpose
All Users	Role-based access control	Prevent unauthorized access
Admin	Detailed activity logs	Clear audit trail
Backend	Encrypted APIs	Protect personal & health data
Payments	PCI-DSS compliant gateway	Safe subscription billing
Data Layer	GDPR / HIPAA compliance	Health data privacy

You must comply with:

• GDPR
• HIPAA
• SOC2
• Regional data laws

6) Pilot Test with Real Fitness Users

Before launch, test your MVP with a small group of 15–20 fitness enthusiasts + 2–3 trainers. Get their feedback. 

Quality testing is not just about fixing bugs; it is more about how the app is going to behave with the end-user. 

It is advisable to work with a QA automation service where you can get self-healing automation and reduce flaky scripts. 

Track:

• Are live classes smooth under low network conditions?
• Do video replays load instantly?
• Are users completing workouts or dropping off?
• Do push notifications help engagement?
• Are metrics syncing correctly with wearables?

These insights shape your next sprint.

7) Iterate Based on Real Data (Not Assumptions)

Once you analyze user feedback, you’ll hear things like:

• “I want playlists synced to my workouts.”
• “Video quality drops on WiFi.”
• “I want a weekly progress summary.”
• “Can we get challenges with friends?”

This iterative loop is what turns a basic app into a Peloton competitor.

This is how real fitness platforms grow strong user retention. Input user feedback into your app to get a strong competitor. 

Tech Stack for Peloton-Like App Development

Component	Tech Stack	Why It Matters
Frontend	Flutter / React Native	It is fast, cross-platform mobile development
Backend	Node.js / Python (FastAPI)	Scalable API-first architecture
Database	PostgreSQL / MongoDB	Handles structured fitness + media data
Streaming	AWS IVS / Agora / Twilio	Ultra-low latency video
Real-Time Updates	WebSockets / Firebase	Live chat, leaderboards, metrics
Authentication	OAuth / JWT	Secure login & role handling
Wearables	HealthKit / Google Fit / Fitbit SDK	Sync real-time metrics
Notifications	Firebase Cloud Messaging	Engagement + reminders
AI Models	TensorFlow Lite / OpenAI	Personalization + form correction
Deployment	Docker, AWS/GCP, CI/CD	Stability + scalability
Compliance	GDPR, HIPAA	Readiness for global scaling

If you want to build smarter, implement cross-platform app development with Flutter or React Native. It makes sure:

• One codebase
• Faster delivery
• Lower cost
• Uniform experience on iOS & Android

What is the Cost to Develop a Fitness App Like Peloton?

When working on a fitness app, our clients ask us the question, “How much does it cost to develop a fitness app like Peloton?”

Build Type	What’s Included	Estimated Cost (USD)	Timeline
MVP (Core Build)	Live classes, on-demand library, profiles, payments, progress tracking	$10,000 – $30,000	3–4 months
Mid-Level App	Wearables, leaderboards, analytics, trainer dashboard, AI recommendations	$40,000 – $70,000	5–6 months
Enterprise Fitness Platform	Advanced AI, computer vision, AR, marketplace, global scaling	$80,000 – $110,000+	7–11+ months

Also, include some factors that influence the cost, so you understand why the change happens in price and are not kept in the dark. 

Factors influencing cost:

• Region of development
• Team size
• Custom UI/UX or integrations
• Data security/compliance overhead

You can always ask the custom fitness app development company to explain to you in detail what the cost is going to be.

Develop a Peloton-like app (But better)

What the Client Needed

The client wanted to build a unified fitness platform where users could track multiple workout types, stay motivated, and improve their health without juggling multiple apps. They needed:

• A clean, modern mobile app (iOS + Android)
• Support for diverse activity tracking (running, yoga, surfing, strength, meditation, etc.)
• Offline-friendly functionality for remote workouts
• Personalized onboarding to boost engagement
• A scalable architecture for future feature expansion

What SolGuruz Delivered

SolGuruz designed and built Balanced Being, a cross-platform fitness app crafted with an intuitive UX and a strong mobile foundation using Flutter.

Key modules included:

• Multi-activity fitness tracking (walking, swimming, surfing, cycling & more)
• Personalized onboarding flow to help users set goals
• Offline mode for recording workouts without internet
• Wearable & device integration for progress tracking
• Smart dashboards showing activity history, calories, and performance trends

Outcomes & Key Metrics

• 6-month end-to-end delivery from designs to App Store + Play Store launch
• Higher user engagement with goal-based onboarding flows
• Improved workout consistency thanks to offline tracking
• Minimal app bloat by using a single cross-platform codebase
• Future-ready architecture enabling fast feature rollout (AI, coaching, challenges, etc.)

Whether you’re building a fitness platform, wellness app, or a full-scale digital training ecosystem, SolGuruz can help you build a high-performing fitness app tailored to your users – just like we did for Balanced Being.

A Peloton-Style Fitness App Is Your Next Competitive Advantage

Now, fitness is way beyond posting a few workout videos on social media.

People want community, motivation, and a place that helps them stay consistent – not another random app they forget in three days.

You can build something even better than Peloton – because it’s tailored to your audience, their training style, and your business goals.

At SolGuruz, we help you build fitness platforms that actually drive engagement.

From live streaming and wearable integration to AI-powered recommendations and gamification – we make sure your app feels personal, smart, and addictive (in a good way).

Whether you want an MVP in a few weeks or a full-scale fitness ecosystem with AI, analytics, and global scalability, we help you launch faster and grow smarter.

Let’s build a fitness experience your users keep coming back to – not just another app they download and forget.

FAQs

1. How do I build a fitness app like Peloton?

To build a fitness app like Peloton, start by defining your user personas, designing a video-first interface, and building core features like live classes, on-demand workouts, progress tracking, and subscriptions. Then add advanced features such as AI recommendations, wearable integration, and gamification. Partnering with an experienced fitness app development company accelerates the process and reduces cost.

2. What features should a Peloton-like fitness app include?

Some of the must-have features are live streaming, trainer dashboard, progress tracking, wearable integration, community features, and gamification. You can also include advanced features like AI workout recommendations, computer vision form correction, and real-time performance metrics.

3. Do I need AI to build a competitive fitness app today?

Not exactly. You don’t need AI but mobile app developers to build a fitness app. AI can be to your advantage. Features like AI-powered workout plans, smart nudges, form detection, and predictive analytics significantly improve retention and personalization.

4. How do fitness apps like Peloton make money?

Peloton-style apps make money through subscriptions, freemium plans, class credits, and instructor marketplaces. Brand partnerships and corporate wellness programs are some other ways Peloton earns revenue.

5. Can SolGuruz build a custom fitness app like Peloton?

Yes. SolGuruz has hands-on experience building fitness apps. We have built fitness platforms with live workouts, multi-activity tracking, offline support, wearables, and personalized user journeys.