Zwift has announced a new annual membership scheme promising “12 months for the price of 10”.
Previously, membership to Zwift, one of the most popular indoor cycling apps, was only available on a monthly basis, for £12.99 / $14.99 / €14.99 (unless you got a year’s subscription bundled with a smart trainer, such as the Zwift Hub).
Now, though, users can sign up for a full year for £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99.
This represents a saving of £25.89 / $29.89 / €29.89 compared to a year charged on a monthly basis.
Better value, less flexibility
As well as being cheaper overall, Zwift says new users can sign up for an annual membership with a “30-day money-back guarantee”.
This means that if you change your mind within the opening 30 days, you’ll be able to get a refund.
Existing monthly members can switch over to an annual membership, but are not eligible for the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Zwift notes that existing users who have subscribed via the Apple app store need to cancel their existing subscription and then subscribe via Zwift.com to switch to an annual membership.
Monthly memberships will still be available, offering what Zwift calls “the most flexible way to Zwift”.
With a monthly membership, you can pause your Zwift subscription during months when you’re not planning to use it.
If, for example, you only use Zwift during the winter, you can pause your membership during the warmer months of the year and then reactivate it at a later date.
The trade-off is that it works out as more expensive if you have an active membership for more than 10 months of the year.
How does Zwift’s price compare to the competition?
The addition of an annual membership plan brings Zwift’s pricing in line with Wahoo’s SYSTM, one of its largest competitors in this space.
Wahoo SYSTM costs $14.99 per month, or $149 a year. New users can sign up for a 14-day free trial, but as of 31 October 2023 Wahoo SYSTM no longer includes the now-defunct virtual indoor cycling app, Wahoo RGT.
TrainerRoad – another of Zwift’s key competitors – costs a little more, at $19.95 per month or $189 per year.
In contrast to Zwift, TrainerRoad’s app is defined by a laser focus on training and a lack of gamified features such as virtual climbs or power-ups.
