PEAKVO2 vs SmartWOD: Which App Fits Your Training?

Athlete using a fitness app on a phone in a gym Run these workouts on your iPhone, or hands-free on Apple Watch. Get PEAKVO2

PEAKVO2 and SmartWOD are often compared, but they solve different problems. PEAKVO2 is a VO2 max interval training app for iPhone and Apple Watch, built around guided endurance protocols like the Norwegian 4x4. SmartWOD is a CrossFit and functional fitness app: a WOD timer and a workout generator. Pick PEAKVO2 for structured VO2 max training on your wrist; pick SmartWOD for CrossFit-style WODs.

Both are well-made fitness apps, so this is not about which is better overall. It is about which one matches what you are trying to train.

PEAKVO2 vs SmartWOD at a Glance

PEAKVO2 SmartWOD
Primary purposeVO2 max interval trainingCrossFit / functional fitness WODs
What you runEight guided endurance protocolsWOD timer plus a workout generator
Named VO2 max protocolsNorwegian 4x4, Tabata, HIIT 30/30, and moreAMRAP, For Time, EMOM, Tabata timing
Apple WatchWrist-native, runs without a phonePrimarily phone-based
GuidanceFull-screen phases, haptics, heart rate zonesBig-display timer, round counter
VO2 max trackingYes, trend over timeNot the focus
PlatformiPhone and Apple WatchiOS and Android
PriceThree workouts free, then unlock allFree with optional premium

What PEAKVO2 Is

PEAKVO2 is an interval training app for iPhone and Apple Watch, built around VO2 max. It runs eight validated endurance protocols, the Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, HIIT 30/30, Billat 30/30, Ronnestad 30/15, and more, with full-screen color-coded phases, automatic transitions, a haptic tap at each switch, and the heart rate zones those protocols depend on. It runs natively on Apple Watch with no phone needed and tracks your VO2 max trend over time, and it includes built-in beep and Cooper field tests. It is a training app, not a testing service.

What SmartWOD Is

SmartWOD is a functional fitness app for CrossFit-style training, in two parts. The WOD timer handles the common functional formats: AMRAP (as many rounds as possible), For Time, EMOM (every minute on the minute), and Tabata, with a big display and a round counter. The workout generator builds WODs from the equipment you have, drawing on a large library of functional workouts, benchmark WODs, and partner workouts. It is available on iOS and Android, free with optional premium features.

Who Each One Is For

Build your aerobic engine with PEAKVO2

Guided VO2 max protocols, the Norwegian 4x4, Tabata, REHIT, and more, on iPhone and Apple Watch, with heart rate zones, automatic phases, and your VO2 max tracked over time. Three workouts free.

Get PEAKVO2 free

Keep Reading

Cristian Serb

I'm the developer of PEAKVO2. I built it because I was doing the Norwegian 4x4 myself and wanted the timing handled on my wrist so I could just train. I took my own VO2 max from about 41 to 51 with it. PEAKVO2 on the App Store.