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The best health apps on the market take a holistic approach to your nutrition, workouts, and mental health. And we’ve found that the BetterMe: Health Coaching app does just that. This app features healthy recipes, provides personalized fitness routines, and offers mindfulness exercises.
But the question is, is it done well? Our BetterMe review will take a look at the positive aspects and at some of the things we’d like to see improved. At the end, we’ll tell you who we recommend BetterMe for and where to find other apps that might suit you better.
We’ve Tested More Than 60 Fitness Apps
Your friends at Garage Gym Reviews take testing, scoring, and reviewing fitness equipment and programs seriously. We develop an in-depth testing methodology for every type of product we test and score a variety of categories on a scale of 1 to 5.
For our BetterMe review, GGR Head of Content and Certified Personal Trainer Nicole Davis put the app to the test. During her testing process, she scored categories like cost, ease of use, trial period, accountability, instruction, workout variety, and progression.
BetterMe App
BetterMe: Health Coaching App
Product Highlights
- Pilates app
- No equipment required
- Nutrition features
- Step tracking
- AI-powered personalization
- Features mindfulness exercises
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Option to message a coach
- Accountability features
- Beginner-friendly
- Affordable base price
Cons
- No community or leaderboards
- Limited options for progression
- Negative customer reviews on cancellation policy
Bottom Line
The BetterMe app is Pilates-focused workout app aimed toward beginners. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.
A Quick Look at BetterMe
BetterMe launched in 2017 with the goal of helping people create sustainable healthy habits. The brand now offers a fitness app, a mental health app, corporate wellness plans, and an apparel line.
It’s worth noting that many customer reviews report that the BetterMe workout app is a scam. Some customers even say their credit cards were charged after canceling on their iPhone or Android. While our tester didn’t experience problems with canceling, it’s worth pointing out that more than one customer review mentions this issue.
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Before You Buy
- For workouts, the app features mostly Pilates and bodyweight-focused movements. Our tester says there is also a limited number of dumbbell workouts.
- BetterMe can be found in Google Play and the Apple App Store, and it can be used on Apple Watches.
- BetterMe also has a mental health-specific app (called BetterMe: Mental Health), which is separate from the one we’re reviewing.
Is BetterMe Worth It?
When it comes to price and overall value, Nicole scores the BetterMe app at 3 out of 5 stars. Pricing is $20 per month, which is pretty average, but there are premium features and in-app purchases that can add up.
For example, Nicole used the chat feature to talk with a BetterMe coach and it cost $3.99 to send a message. She also noticed that fitness and wellness challenges required additional payment.
“If you’re a beginner and want to focus on Pilates workouts, it’s probably worth it,” says Nicole. “However, when you add on the cost of challenges and talking to a coach, you’re looking at $30 or $40 per month, which may not be worth it.”
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Great for:
- Beginner exercisers
- Creating healthy habits
- Use as a fitness and calorie tracker
Not recommended for:
- Anyone looking for the best weightlifting apps
- People who want to focus on cardio
- Folks who prefer 1:1 coaching
BetterMe App Specs
| Pricing | $19.99/month |
| Trial period | 7 days |
| Subscription options | Weekly, monthly, or 3-month plans |
| Type of training | Pilates, bodyweight, strength, mindfulness |
| Equipment demands | Bodyweight, dumbbells |
| Available on | iOS and Android |
Using the BetterMe App
GGR tester Nicole is a casual runner and weight-training enthusiast. She’s also a personal trainer and has worked with clients of all fitness levels, including pre- and postnatal clients.
That said, she’s no stranger to folks having a hard time keeping up with healthy lifestyle habits. “In theory, the BetterMe app seems great with food tracking, step counting, and workouts all in the same place,” says Nicole.
“However, it doesn’t seem to be successful yet,” she adds. “I only focused on the workout part of this app, but I read a ton of scathing reviews on the nutrition function.”
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Pricing and Subscription Options
BetterMe: Health Coaching offers a 7-day free trial. You’ll have the option of paying for a weekly, monthly, or 12-week plan. We noticed the pricing on the BetterMe website is different from the Apple App Store. For example, if you’re signing up on the website the 4-week workout plan is $38.95 without a free trial, but there was a discounted first month (plus, we found it odd this method has you pay via PayPal). In the App Store, it’s only $19.99 with a free trial.
The BetterMe monthly subscription will auto-renew until you cancel in your account settings or through your device’s settings. As we mentioned earlier in this review, there are in-app purchases for challenges and sending direct messages to a health coach. Both the trial period and pricing earn a middle-of-the-road 3-star rating from Nicole.
Setup and Ease of Use
After Nicole downloaded the BetterMe: Health Coaching app, she took an extensive quiz about fitness goals (weight loss, improve well-being, build muscle, etc.) and other health and wellness interests including meal plans, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, and workout plans.
She was also quizzed on mobility issues, daily schedule, sleep schedule, activity levels, diet type, and what her “dream body” looks like. “I like that it guides you through the quiz then populates a plan just for you to follow, but the quiz seemed too long for my liking,” says Nicole.
Nicole gave the setup process as well as the app’s ease of use a 4-star rating. Based on how you answer the quiz, you’ll have daily workouts populated based on your goals and fitness level.
“The app has a workout library, so you can go off-plan if you want to,” says Nicole. “But you can’t filter workouts, you can only filter by workout type: yoga, sofa yoga, wall Pilates, Pilates, and ‘busy mom’ workouts.”
She notes you may have to do a bit of digging through the app if you want to, for example, do a core-specific workout. “But once you look around things are clearly labeled,” she says.
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Coaching and Instruction
When you’re ready to complete a workout, you’ll have a video to follow along with, showing all the exercises, offering coaching audio, and providing rest periods. “The cuing and instruction is pretty good,” says Nicole, who scored the coaching category 4 out of 5 stars.
She notes not to expect on-demand workout videos like you’ll find in iFIT or Peloton, but a video compilation of the app’s library of exercises. It’s AI-powered but Nicole reports it’s well done. “You follow along with the entire video, but it’s not like a Peloton class where the instructor is doing the workout with you,” says Nicole.
RELATED: Peloton vs iFIT
Accountability and Community
When it comes to accountability, you’ll be able to schedule your workouts and opt to receive push notifications for additional encouragement. As we’ve mentioned previously, you can participate in fitness challenges and engage in conversations with a BetterMe coach for an additional cost.
Although Nicole wasn’t impressed with the added costs, she likes that these features are available. Overall, she scored accountability 4 out of 5 stars. “I submitted a question and a BetterMe coach responded back in one day. It seemed like they knew what they were doing, but my questions were not complicated or too in-depth.”
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Equipment Demands and Workout Variety
You may like knowing that you won’t have to go out and buy the best home gym equipment on the market to utilize the BetterMe app. Nicole says the app offers mostly bodyweight exercises, some workouts requiring a wall, and a limited number of strength workouts that can be done with dumbbells. For equipment demands, Nicole gives the app a 5-out-of-5-star rating because it’s accessible whether you have a home gym or not.
If you’re looking for an app with a ton of variety and different styles of training (like iFIT, Peloton, or Nike Training Club), this is probably not the best app for you because it only scored 3 out of 5 stars in this category. “This is predominantly a Pilates app,” says Nicole. “You will find a face yoga section, though.”
Speaking of variety, when we test apps, we’re also looking for some amount of progression. Variety is great, but you’ll need to come back and practice certain exercises and skills to make progress. Nicole scored the app 3 out of 5 stars in the progressive overload category because without paying for the added challenges, it doesn’t appear as though the app progresses exercisers into more challenging movements.
BetterMe App vs Aaptiv
Aaptiv
Aaptiv
Product Highlights
- Audio-guided workout app
- Over 2,500 workouts
- New workouts each week
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Audio-based classes
- Thousands of workouts
- New classes each week
- Goal-based programs
- Free trial for annual plan
Cons
- Fewer coaches than competitors
- No information on nutrition
- Must sign up for annual plan to get the free trial
Bottom Line
Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.
BetterMe versus Aaptiv is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but we haven’t tested many Pilates-specific apps with the addition of calorie counting and meal planning. However, if you’re interested in an app focused on strength training and meal planning, we suggest reading our CENTR app review.
Aaptiv is a beginner-friendly workout app also powered by AI to create customized workouts based on your fitness level and goals. The main difference is that Aaptiv offers more than Pilates. You’ll be able to choose from cardio, strength, yoga, Pilates, and mobility workouts. Another notable difference: Aaptiv doesn’t have a nutrition feature.
Former GGR tester and personal trainer Amanda Capritto reported that the Aaptiv workout programs offer 4 to 6 weeks of simple progressions. “They’re definitely basic programs, but would suffice for a beginner,” she says. That said, if you’re looking for a program that offers progression (at no extra cost) check out our in-depth Aaptiv Fitness app review.
| BetterMe: Health Coaching | Aaptiv | |
| Price | $19.99/month | $14.99/month or $99.99/year |
| Type of training | Pilates, bodyweight, strength, mindfulness | Endurance, mobility, strength, yoga, Pilates, rowing |
| Equipment demands | Bodyweight or dumbbells | Bodyweight, dumbbells, cardio equipment |
| Available on | Android and iOS | Android and iOS |
Customer Experience
Nicole signed up for BetterMe through the App Store and was able to cancel her subscription in her phone’s settings. If you sign up via the website, you may have to log in to your account settings to cancel your subscription.
If you have issues with your account or cancellation, there is only one method to contact the brand (which we don’t appreciate): via email at support@betterme.world. Because of this, Nicole scored BetterMe 3 out of 5 in the customer experience category.
Customer Reviews
The reviews on the BetterMe app are all over the place. There are multiple reviews stating the app is a scam or complaining about poor customer service. But there are also tons of glowing reviews and happy customers.
On Trustpilot, the app has a 3.9 average rating, while it has a 4.7-out-of-5-star average rating on the App Store.
Final Verdict of Our BetterMe Review
Nicole wanted to get on board with the BetterMe app’s all-in-one platform for nutrition, workouts, and mindfulness, but it missed the mark. Between the funky pricing variations, in-app purchases, and harsh customer reviews it’s not an app she recommends to most exercisers.
Instead, Nicole recommends reading our best beginner workout app roundup for our top picks for newbies that feature strength training, yoga, and running apps.
Full Rating
BetterMe
The BetterMe app is Pilates-focused workout app aimed toward beginners. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.
Product Brand: BetterMe
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 19.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
3.5
BetterMe Review: FAQs
How much does the BetterMe app cost?
Our tester paid $20 for a monthly subscription. Costs vary depending on subscription length and if you sign up on the BetterMe website or in Google Play or the App Store.
Is BetterMe a good program?
From our experience, BetterMe is a beginner-friendly workout app catering to newbies or folks with limited to no home gym equipment. Reviews, however, are very mixed, so we recommend considering your goals and needs before purchasing this app to determine if it’s a good fit for you.
How do I cancel the BetterMe subscription?
If you signed up through Google Play or the App Store, you can cancel your subscription in your phone’s settings. You can also cancel your subscription in your account settings by navigating to the “help” tab and then “manage subscriptions.”
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The best health apps on the market take a holistic approach to your nutrition, workouts, and mental health. And we’ve found that the BetterMe: Health Coaching app does just that. This app features healthy recipes, provides personalized fitness routines, and offers mindfulness exercises. But the question is, is it done well? Our BetterMe review will take a look at the positive aspects and at some of the things we’d like to see improved. » Read more about: BetterMe Review (2024): Our Experience Using This Pilates App » Read more
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