Best VO2 Max Training Apps: Compared by What You Need
Run these workouts on your iPhone, or hands-free on Apple Watch. Get PEAKVO2 There is no single best VO2 max training app, because "training VO2 max" covers four different jobs: running guided protocols, timing custom intervals, following a coached plan, and tracking your VO2 max trend. The best app is the one built for the job you need. This page compares the main options by use case, with the type of athlete each fits.
Contents
VO2 max rises when you train near your maximum in structured intervals, so most "VO2 max apps" are really one of a few tools. Match the tool to your goal and the choice gets simple.
Compared by Use Case
| App | Best for | Guided VO2 max protocols | Apple Watch | Price model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEAKVO2 | Ready-to-run VO2 max protocols | Yes (Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, and more) | Wrist-native | Free tier, then from $0.99/mo or $17.99 lifetime |
| Seconds Pro | Fully custom interval timers | No (you build your own) | Yes, wrist alerts | $7.99 one-time |
| Intervals Pro | HIIT and Tabata timers | No (you build your own) | Yes | Free with premium |
| Runna | Coached running plans | Interval and tempo sessions in a plan | Yes, audio cues | Subscription ($19.99/mo) |
| Native trackers (Apple, Garmin) | Tracking the VO2 max trend | No | Built in | Included with device |
Improve your VO2 max
Get PEAKVO2 freeGuided VO2 Max Protocols: PEAKVO2
If you want the proven VO2 max protocols to run themselves, this is the category. PEAKVO2 ships the Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, HIIT 30/30, REHIT 2x20, Norwegian 3x3, and more as ready-to-run workouts on iPhone and Apple Watch, with full-screen phases, automatic transitions, a haptic tap at each switch, and the heart rate zones the protocols depend on. It runs on the wrist without a phone and tracks your VO2 max trend over time, and it includes built-in beep and Cooper field tests. Best for runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes who want structure without programming each interval by hand.
Custom Interval Timers: Seconds Pro and Intervals Pro
If you would rather design your own intervals, a flexible timer is the right tool. Seconds Pro is a long-standing, highly customizable interval timer with Apple Watch alerts and Apple Health saving, sold as a one-time purchase. Intervals Pro offers HIIT and Tabata timers with Apple Watch support. Neither prescribes VO2 max protocols; they give you a blank canvas to build any work and rest structure, which is ideal if you already know exactly what you want to run.
Coached Running Plans: Runna
If your goal is a race and you want a full plan rather than single sessions, Runna builds personalized running plans from 5K to marathon, with pace targets, interval and tempo sessions, and audio coaching to your Apple Watch, on a subscription. The VO2 max work is embedded inside a broader plan rather than offered as standalone protocols.
Tracking the Trend: Native and Dedicated Trackers
Apple Watch (Cardio Fitness) and Garmin estimate your VO2 max automatically from outdoor runs, which is the simplest way to watch the trend. Dedicated trackers add context like resting heart rate and training load. These measure the number; they do not run the training that changes it, so most people pair a tracker with a training app. For more on the wearable estimates, see our fitness tracker comparison and how to improve your Apple Watch cardio fitness.
Pricing Compared
Price often decides it, so here are the actual costs at the time of writing. Models differ more than the numbers: a one-time or lifetime unlock is very different from a recurring subscription.
| App | Model | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| PEAKVO2 | Free tier, then paid unlock | 4 workouts free; $0.99/month, $8.99/year, or $17.99 lifetime |
| Seconds Pro | One-time purchase | $7.99 |
| Intervals Pro | Free with premium | Free tier, optional premium unlock |
| Runna | Subscription | $19.99/month or $119.99/year |
| Apple Watch, Garmin | Included with device | No extra cost |
The takeaway: for a guided-protocol app, PEAKVO2 is the cheapest to own outright. Its $17.99 lifetime unlock is a one-time cost that is less than two months of Runna and a fraction of Runna's $119.99 a year, and the $0.99 monthly is the lowest entry point of any of these apps. PEAKVO2 does not use a time-limited free trial; instead 4 full workouts are free to keep, so you can run real protocols before deciding. If all you want is a bare interval timer with no protocols, Seconds Pro at $7.99 one-time is the cheapest of the timer apps. A coached plan like Runna costs the most, which makes sense for a full personalized program rather than single sessions.
How to Choose
- Want the workout handled for you? A guided-protocol app like PEAKVO2.
- Want to build your own intervals? A general-purpose timer like Seconds Pro or Intervals Pro, or PEAKVO2, which pairs a custom builder with ready-made protocols.
- Training for a race? A coached plan like Runna.
- Just want to see your number move? Your Apple Watch or Garmin already tracks it; pair it with one of the above to actually raise it.
Keep Reading
- The Apple Watch Interval Training App Built Around VO2 Max
- Best Fitness Tracker for VO2 Max: 6 Devices Compared
- Norwegian 4x4 Protocol: Proven HIIT to Raise VO2 Max
- How to Improve Your VO2 Max
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best app to improve VO2 max?
It depends on what you want. For guided VO2 max interval protocols on iPhone and Apple Watch, PEAKVO2 is built specifically for that, with the Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, and more, plus heart rate zones and VO2 max tracking. For a flexible custom interval timer, Seconds Pro or Intervals Pro are strong. For coached running plans, Runna. For tracking your VO2 max trend without running workouts, Apple Fitness, Garmin, or a dedicated tracker.
Is there a free VO2 max training app?
PEAKVO2 includes 4 free workouts, so you can run full protocols like the Norwegian 4x4 without paying and unlock the rest later. Several interval timers also have free tiers. Native tracking from Apple Watch (Cardio Fitness) and Garmin comes with the device.
Do I need an app, or can my Apple Watch measure VO2 max on its own?
Apple Watch estimates VO2 max (Cardio Fitness) automatically from outdoor walks and runs, which is good for tracking the trend. What it does not do is guide the interval training that raises the number. A guided-protocol app like PEAKVO2 handles the training itself, then you watch the estimate climb.
What is the best interval timer app for VO2 max workouts?
If you want a general-purpose timer to build fully custom intervals for any activity, Seconds Pro and Intervals Pro are the flexible, well-regarded choices. If you want ready-made VO2 max protocols (Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, HIIT 30/30) that run themselves with heart rate zones and phase cues on Apple Watch, PEAKVO2 is built for that specific job, and it includes a custom interval builder too.
What is the cheapest interval training app for runners?
For a guided-protocol app, PEAKVO2 is the cheapest to own: 4 workouts are free, and unlocking everything is $0.99 a month, $8.99 a year, or $17.99 once for lifetime, far less than a coached-plan subscription like Runna at $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year. If you only want a bare interval timer with no protocols, Seconds Pro is a $7.99 one-time purchase. Native tracking from Apple Watch or Garmin is included with the device. Start with a free tier and only pay once you know you will keep using it.
What is the best Tabata timer app with heart rate tracking?
If you want Tabata to run itself with your heart rate on screen, PEAKVO2 has Tabata as a guided protocol with full-screen color-coded phases, live heart rate, and automatic transitions on Apple Watch. Plain interval timers like Seconds Pro or Intervals Pro handle the 20-seconds-on, 10-seconds-off timing well but rely on your watch's own app for the heart rate reading. For Tabata plus built-in heart rate guidance, a protocol app is the better fit.
What is the best HIIT app for improving cardiovascular fitness fast?
The fastest cardio gains come from guided high-intensity protocols that keep you near your maximum, so an app that runs the Norwegian 4x4 and similar sessions for you is the strongest tool. PEAKVO2 is built around exactly those VO2 max protocols with heart rate zones and phase cues. Whatever app you pick, the speed of improvement depends on doing two to three hard sessions a week consistently, not on the app itself.
Which fitness app tracks VO2 max trends over time?
Apple Fitness (Cardio Fitness) and Garmin track a VO2 max trend automatically from outdoor runs. Among training apps, PEAKVO2 tracks your VO2 max trend inside the app as you do the workouts, so the number and the training that moves it live in one place. If you only want passive tracking, your Apple Watch or Garmin already does it; if you want to see the trend and act on it, a training app that tracks it is more useful.
Which interval app integrates with Apple Health best?
PEAKVO2 works with Apple Health: your interval sessions are saved as Health workouts with heart rate and activity, and because Health aggregates everything, workouts from your other apps and your Apple Watch appear alongside. Seconds Pro also saves to Apple Health. If deep Health integration matters, look for an app that both writes workouts to Health and reads your wider activity from it, which PEAKVO2 does.
What are the best HIIT apps for tracking progress?
For interval-specific progress, PEAKVO2 tracks your VO2 max trend, a year-in-review activity heatmap, streaks, and totals, so you can see consistency and fitness change together. Coached-plan apps like Runna track pace and plan adherence. Native trackers (Apple Watch, Garmin) track the VO2 max estimate. Pick based on what progress you care about: the VO2 max number, plan adherence, or race pace.