Training IRL isn’t the only way to build a thriving fitness business anymore.
Virtual personal training has become a core part of how fitness businesses operate, and the numbers are catching up.
According to the 2026 State of the Personal Training Industry Report by ABC Trainerize, roughly 1 in 2 coaches now run hybrid as their primary delivery model, making it the most common way trainers work today. For context, the same data show ~32% operating online-only and ~14% operating in-person-only.
And the financial case for going digital is holding strong: full-time personal trainers running independent businesses or working in premium settings regularly earn well above the national median, especially those who’ve built scalable online or hybrid offerings.
Here, we’ll break down the basics of remote personal training, the pros and cons relative to other types of training programs, and the 9 best remote personal trainer apps, so you know which ones are a good fit for you. So let’s go!
Key Takeways
- Remote personal training has moved from niche to mainstream; roughly half of all coaches now run hybrid as their primary model.
- The biggest advantages of remote personal training are flexibility, accessibility, and scalability, for clients and trainers alike.
- Not every client is a fit for remote training, and that’s worth knowing before you commit to a model.
- The best remote personal training platforms right now: Kickoff, Fyt, ABC Trainerize, My PT Hub, Girls Gone Strong, Fitbod, FlexIt, Playbook, and Trainwell.
Table of Contents
- What Is Remote Personal Training, Exactly?
- 5 Pros of Remote Personal Training
- Cons of Remote Personal Training
- 9 Remote Personal Training Platforms Worth Trying in 2026
- ABC Trainerize
- Kickoff
- Fyt (Find Your Trainer)
- Trainwell
- My PT Hub
- Girls Gone Strong (GGS)
- Fitbod
- FlexIt
- Playbook
- What to Look For in a Remote Personal Training Platform
- What’s Next?
What Is Remote Personal Training, Exactly?
Remote personal training involves training at a distance, delivering programming, sessions, and support through an app while they train at home, at a local gym, or wherever works for them
Your clients are on the other side of a screen, so you can’t physically guide them through exercises. You’ll have to be descriptive or demonstrate moves on your side of the camera.
There are two main models of remote personal training:
- Live(stream) training: Real-time virtual sessions via video call, where you coach clients directly as they work out.
- Hybrid training: a blend of live touchpoints and app-based delivery, combining in-person or virtual sessions with ongoing digital support like programming, check-ins, and habit tracking.
📖 Read More: Hybrid Personal Training: The Best of Both Worlds for Clients and Trainers
5 Pros of Remote Personal Training
For clients, the biggest benefit of remote personal training is the flexibility. If you prefer 6:00 AM workouts, you can find someone two time zones ahead to amp you up and correct your form. Or, if you need quiet late-night workouts, you can find a trainer who offers virtual classes through an app like ABC Trainerize.
#1: Train on your terms
Clients increasingly want fitness that fits their life, not the other way around. The Les Mills report points to a broader cultural shift toward JOMO (the joy of missing out), where people prioritize self-care and intentional scheduling over external pressure.
Remote training is a natural fit for that mindset: no fixed class times, no commute, no gymtimidation.
#2: More accessible than ever
Moving the overhead of a physical space makes coaching more affordable to more people, at more price points.
#3: A global client base
Without geography as a constraint, trainers can work with anyone, anywhere. That’s a core reason remote personal trainers tend to earn more than those offering in-person-only services.
#4: Scalable products, not just sessions
Remote training pushes coaches to build systems: templated programs, video libraries, and on-demand content. Thousands of personal trainers have created courses through our platform, turning a one-time effort into recurring revenue.
📖 Read More: How to Build and Sell Low-Touch Habit Programs with ABC Trainerize
#5: A skill set that compounds
Learning to coach on camera and deliver clear written cues makes trainers sharper communicators across every format, in-person included
That being said, remote training isn’t a replacement for in-person coaching; it has expanded what coaching could be.
Cons of Remote Personal Training
Remote personal training isn’t a perfect fit for every client.
Some clients need (or want!) the social reinforcement that comes from in-person training. That’s a real benefit to training IRL, and no technology advances will fix that for this class of clients.
Many remote personal training apps (like ABC Trainerize, it’s true!) do come with community features like Groups that help you connect your clients and provide some community reinforcement.
Sometimes getting out of the house is the point. For clients who work remotely, a trip to the gym might be exactly what they need.
Virtual personal training isn’t the perfect fit for every trainer, either.
Many remote personal trainers often rely on social media to get new leads. So, if you’re someone who wants to keep your digital footprint small, in-person training might be more comfortable for you.
Per-hour training rates tend to be higher in gyms or studios than online, so if you have a jam-packed in-person roster, sticking to what’s winning might be smart.
9 of the Best Remote Personal Training Platforms in 2026
Not all remote training platforms are built the same, and they’re not all built for the same person. Some are marketplaces that bring clients to you. Others are professional tools that help trainers run their own independent brands. Here’s how they break down.
The Industry Leader – ABC Trainerize
Yep, that’s us! Best for growing businesses that need deep automation, habit coaching, and community-building tools all in one place. Pricing runs from free (1 client) up to $250+/month at the Studio level.
What sets ABC Trainerize apart is how much it handles beyond just workout delivery:
- Nutrition plans
- Habit tracking
- In-app messaging
- Groups
- Member management features like booking, scheduling, and billing
- Custom Branded App
It’s the difference between stitching together five tools and actually running a business.
Kickoff
Kickoff is good for clients who want daily accountability without breaking the bank, and for trainers looking to coach 50+ people without burning out.
Pricing starts at around $95/month for clients. The model leans heavily on text-based check-ins and small, consistent touchpoints rather than live video, which is exactly what makes it scalable.
Clients stay accountable through frequency, not duration, and trainers can manage a high volume of relationships without their calendar taking the hit.
Fyt (Find Your Trainer)
FYT is good for trainers who want to work both in-person and virtually without managing two separate lead pipelines. Sessions start at around $29.
Fyt works like Yelp but for personal trainers. It operates as a directory-first matchmaker: clients answer a few questions, get matched with vetted trainers nearby, and can book a session in person or on Zoom, depending on the day.
If you’re building a hybrid practice and want new clients coming to you rather than chasing them on social media, it’s worth having a profile here.
Trainwell
A good option for clients who want the accountability and personalization of a dedicated human coach, Trainwell’s services are delivered entirely through an app.
At around $179/month, Trainwell sits at the premium end of the marketplace category, and it earns that price point.
What’s put Trainwell firmly on the map in 2026 is its integration with Peloton‘s personal training feature. For trainers, it’s worth knowing about because that motivated, tech-comfortable, and “willing to pay for quality” audience is exactly the kind of client remote coaching is built for.
My PT Hub
Best suited to independent trainers with large client lists who want predictable, flat-rate pricing that doesn’t penalize growth. Plans run from around $25–$55/month.
My PT Hub covers all the core bases, such as workout delivery, nutrition, progress tracking, and client management. Their platform becomes especially compelling on value once your roster starts hitting triple digits, and per-client pricing on other platforms starts adding up fast.
Girls Gone Strong (GGS)
Best for women seeking evidence-based, empathetic coaching, and for trainers looking to add respected specialist certifications to their credentials. Cohorts are small and premium-priced, often by application only.
GGS isn’t trying to be a tech company; it’s a coaching movement with a clear point of view on how women should be trained, and that specificity is precisely what makes it valuable for the right audience.
Fitbod
Best for the self-directed lifter who doesn’t want a human trainer but wants a program that actually adapts to them. Around $15.99/month or $95/year.
Fitbod earns its place in the hybrid space because a growing number of trainers now point clients toward it for off-days and travel workouts. So it intelligently fills the gaps between sessions, without requiring any extra programming on the trainer’s end.
FlexIt
Best for clients who want the accountability and real-time form correction of in-person training without leaving home. Pay-as-you-go options available, with per-session rates that vary by trainer.
Unlike a static app-based program, FlexIt puts you live with a certified trainer who can see and correct your every rep, offering a genuinely different experience from following a pre-written plan and the right fit for clients who need that direct feedback loop to stay safe and on track.
Playbook
Best for trainers with an established social following (influencers) who want to turn their content and personality into a scalable product. Around $15/month for users, with a revenue-share model for creators.
Playbook is less about 1-on-1 coaching and more about selling a program (more like a “digital product”) and the trainer behind it. If you’ve already built an audience that trusts your approach, Playbook gives you a clean, purpose-built platform to monetize it without needing to build your own infrastructure from scratch.
📖 Read More: How to Become a Fitness Influencer
What to Look For in a Remote Personal Training Platform
Not all platforms are built equal. Whether you’re a client looking for the right fit or a trainer building your remote business, these are the features worth paying attention to:
- A solid workout library with on-demand content accessible anytime, anywhere
- Built-in communication tools for regular check-ins and real-time feedback
- Progress tracking that goes beyond logged workouts — habits, steps, water intake, and nutrition all matter
- Community features like Groups to stay connected and accountable between sessions
- AI-assisted workout and meal planning that adapts as goals evolve
- Scheduling, booking, and integrated payments in one place — no extra tools, no chasing invoices
- Automated check-ins that keep clients on track without adding to a trainer’s workload
So, What’s Next?
Now that you know the landscape, you’re probably thinking about where you fit in it, or how to level up what you’re already doing.
If you’re a trainer ready to take your coaching remote, ABC Trainerize is built for exactly that. Our dashboard is straightforward and comes packed with everything you need to deliver remote training services — nutrition plans, online training programs, habit coaching, automated check-ins, and more. With a fraction of the admin effort, you can deliver a world-class coaching experience your clients will actually stick with. Not sure how? Start here!
