A comprehensive comparison of trainwell vs. Ladder
Looking for a reliable workout solution to guide you through your fitness journey? We've got you covered! Trainwell (formerly CoPilot) and Ladder are among the most popular programs, as they allow you to work out from anywhere at any time. How do you choose the right one? Here, we compare all the vital features you need to consider before picking an online personal training app.
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What is trainwell?

Trainwell is a user-focused fitness solution that personalizes every aspect of your fitness journey, offering 1-on-1 remote personal training service that pairs every member with a real, cerrtified human trainer to help you achieve your goals and make fitness a permanent fixture in your life. The personal fitness app was developed in 2018, initially leveraging artificial intelligence to track workout data. However, it has evolved over time to incorporate human expert trainers for better and more personalized fitness training. After all, there's only so much AI can do.

When you sign up, we ask you to complete a short quiz to help us better understand your story and fitness goals. Based on this quiz, we find the best trainer for you. The trainer creates a customized workout routine, provides one-on-one training and nutrition coaching, and monitors your progress through the trainwell app, all at competitive pricing.

What is Ladder?
Ladder is a fitness app that focuses primarily on strength training. It provides weekly workout programs that are typically 30-45 minutes long and specific to each "team." A Ladder team is a group of members assigned to a single coach based on similarities in their goals and fitness levels.
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Best features of trainwell and Ladder
Trainwell is a top choice for individuals with a wide range of fitness goals because of its unique features. Ladder also has some noteworthy features.
Trainwell
Popular
Personalized training programs: Your trainer pushes you closer to your goals by using data-driven insights from your initial quiz and tailoring fitness routines to your individual needs.
Adaptable workout plans: Trainers adapt and adjust your training plans based on your progress and feedback to help you achieve better results.
Trainer expertise and accessibility: Trainwell's trainers are highly qualified and accessible to you via live calls and video and text messages, ensuring 24/7 training support.
User-friendly interface: The trainwell app is designed to provide great user experiences through seamless navigation and features like leaderboards to show you where you stand in your fitness journey.
Dedicated certified personal trainer: Unlike Ladder, which assigns you to groups with pre-defined, non-personalized workouts, trainwell pairs you with a dedicated trainer who tailors fitness plans just for you.
Ladder
Structured workout programs: Users are grouped into "teams" based on fitness level and goals.
Community: Because of its team-based workouts, users can build communities to participate in group workouts.
Qualified trainers: Certified coaches with specialties in strength training create Ladder’s workouts. 
Progressive overload: The app follows a series schedule, where you gradually increase your training stimulus for several weeks, followed by a deload week. 
trainwell vs Ladder At-a-glance
FeatureTrainwellLadder
PersonalizationPersonalized training programs tailored to your goals, equipment, and progressStructured workout programs grouped by fitness level and goals (‘teams’)
Trainer expertiseCertified trainers accessible via live calls, video, and text for 24/7 supportCertified coaches design workouts but offer limited direct, ongoing interaction
Community & interfaceUser-friendly interface with leaderboards to track your progressTeam-based workouts build community; progressive overload structure with scheduled deload weeks
Pricing & tracking$149/month with advanced tracking, leaderboards, and personal-best achievements$29.99 (PRO) or $44.99 (ELITE) per month with basic, manual progress monitoring
A man holding his phone working out on a yoga mat
Trainwell is the clear winner for personalization

Our trainers use the data you provide during signup to create custom workouts that not only address your goals but also factor in your access to equipment and gym membership. Whether your goal is weight loss or bodybuilding, and whether you have access to a gym and equipment or not, your trainer creates the most suitable exercise routine. To top it all off, they offer continuous one-on-one support and adapt plans based on your progress, allowing you to continuously better yourself.

Trainwell's personalization success is evident from the numerous real, non-sponsored customer testimonials — we have helped many people with ADHD or medical conditions that require special attention incorporate fitness into their everyday lives.

Ladder offers basic customization and personalization
While you're grouped with people who share similar goals, you don't get the one-on-one attention you may require if you have special needs or are a beginner — the app has "groups" with a "figurehead" trainer and trainers who will answer group chat questions occasionally. The keyword here is "occasionally," which isn't sufficient for many newbies.

Further, all of Ladder’s workouts require equipment like kettlebells and barbells. This means you must first take time to choose the right at-home workout equipment if you don't have gym access.
A woman picking up a kettlebell weight ready to workout
Trainer expertise
Trainwell trainers

Did you know that all trainwell trainers are certified professionals with bachelor's degrees and at least three years of experience? Yes, you read that right. To offer our clients the best services in the field, we have strict qualification requirements and a rigorous hiring process — so rigorous, in fact, that only 3 percent of applicants join our team. Further, we offer top-tier benefits and salaries and employ all our trainers full-time to ensure they provide high-quality, continuous support to our users.

Ladder trainers
Ladder has some knowledgeable fitness coaches with years of strength training experience. However, they don't offer continuous support. Instead, they create weekly workouts for their teams and only interact with members occasionally. Even users on the ELITE Plan (premium package) have a limited number of monthly “Ask Your Coach” questions.
User Experience
A cool device mockup showcasing fitness personal records
Trainwell offers advanced features
At trainwell, we understand that a user-friendly interface is as important as high-quality customized workout plans. So, we've invested greatly in ensuring you have an easy time navigating our app. To enhance the user experience further, we offer advanced features like leaderboards and track your personal best achievements to motivate you. 
Ladder is easy to navigate
Ladder's interface is also easy to use. When you choose a plan and join your team, you can easily navigate the app to find your pre-programmed workouts, demos, and exercise community. However, the fact that the app is only available for iOS devices is a bummer and excludes those who only have access to Android gadgets.
A phone showing a kettlebell swing workout
Pricing and value
If you need some one-on-one guidance and customized plans, trainwell is a more cost-efficient option.
Trainwell pricing includes one-on-one training
Trainwell doesn't just offer one-on-one training; it does so at competitive pricing. For $179 a month, you can access all the app's comprehensive features, unlimited messaging and calls with your trainer, and personalized plans, making it one of the most affordable solutions in the market. That’s not all — when you sign up, you get a 14-day free trial, which includes a 40-minute initial call with your trainer, near-daily support from them, and a custom fitness plan. 
Ladder pricing includes pre-programmed general workouts
Ladder is also relatively cost-effective, with packages going for $29.99 a month (PRO plan) and $44.99 a month (ELITE plan). However, these packages offer limited features and services, like pre-programmed general workouts. So, you may need to spend more money to get other trainers to personalize your workouts. 
Progress tracking and analytics
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Trainwell offers advanced tracking
Trainwell provides advanced progress tracking and analytics to monitor clients' journeys. With an Android Wear OS watch or Apple Watch, you can access our motion tracking technology, which monitors your movement and provides real-time feedback (if it's off or if you're moving too fast). This makes it feel like an in-person experience, as if your trainer is right there with you. Further, the app also tracks your eating habits, muscles worked, and heart rate, allowing trainers to continuously improve your plan. 
Ladder has basic monitoring
Ladder also allows for progress monitoring but at a more basic level. To keep track of your progress, you need to record your reps and weight manually. 
Smart watches with a workout timer and health stats
Start your fitness journey with trainwell
Compared to Ladder, trainwell is better equipped to handle people's unique fitness needs. As a trainwell customer, you receive personalization in every aspect of your training needs. Whether you have workout equipment and a gym membership or not, you'll receive a customized plan that's just for you.

Moreover, regardless of your fitness level and goals, your trainer will be there for you. You can check in with them for support anytime and work through adjusting your program together as you progress through your fitness journey. These are all things you won't find on the Ladder workout app.
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Frequently asked questions

What are the best accountability apps with coaches for remote fitness?

Trainwell pairs you with a certified personal trainer who builds a fully personalized program around your goals and equipment, then checks in with you regularly to keep you accountable. Ladder offers coach-designed team workouts, but coach interaction is limited to occasional check-ins rather than ongoing 1-on-1 support.

Which personal training app is best for someone who keeps quitting workout programs?

Trainwell is built for adaptability: your trainer adjusts your plan in real time based on your progress and feedback, which helps you stay engaged instead of abandoning a rigid program. Ladder’s structured, team-based programs follow a fixed progressive-overload schedule with less room for on-the-fly changes.

What are the best fitness apps with a human personal trainer?

Trainwell connects you with a certified human trainer for every plan, with unlimited messaging and calls included. Ladder’s coaches design the workout programs members follow, but they are not assigned as a dedicated 1-on-1 trainer the way trainwell’s are.

What are the best online personal trainer apps?

Trainwell offers customized online personal training starting at $179/month, including a 14-day free trial with an initial trainer call. Ladder’s online coaching starts at $29.99/month (PRO) or $44.99/month (ELITE), with more limited personalization at each tier.

What are the best personal training apps for working out at home?

Trainwell builds home-friendly plans around whatever equipment you have (or don’t have), with a trainer adjusting your program as you go. Ladder also supports home workouts through its app but relies on pre-programmed general workouts rather than an individually customized plan.