The best fitness apps for Android and iPhone

There are hundreds of thousands of apps out there vying for space on your mobile device. It's nearly impossible to keep up with all of them.

We're hoping to make things a little easier for you, starting with the fitness category.

To start, we've compiled a list of the top fitness apps available on Android and iOS. There are common apps you have likely tried before and maybe a few you have never heard of. The best part? All of the apps included on the list can be used for free. Here are our favorite ones.

MyFitnessPal

• Price: Free to download and use; an optional premium subscription is available for additional features for $9.99, £7.99, AU$14.99 a month or $49.99, £39.99, AU$79.99 a year.
• Available on: Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
• Why we love it: MyFitnessPal is the easiest way to track eatings habits. You can scan a barcode or choose from company's database of over 5 million foods to easily track nutrition and caloric intake. MyFitnessPal can also sync with a variety of fitness trackers (Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin, Polar, Under Armour, Misfit and Withings) and popular apps, such as RunKeeper, Strava and MapMyRun.

Jawbone Up

• Price: Free to download and use; sleep tracking requires a compatible fitness tracker, such as the Jawbone Up2.
• Available on: Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
• Why we love it: While you will be required to purchase a Jawbone fitness tracker for sleep tracking, the company's Up app can track activities like steps, distance and calories burned using your iPhone or a compatible Android device. The shining feature is the smart coaching and personalized feedback you receive that help motivate you to reach your fitness goals. Aside from activity tracking, there's food, drink and mood tracking, and you can create teams to compete with others. The software can also connect with a huge selection of third-party apps, such as MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Strava, IFTTT, Nest and others.

Fitbit

• Price: Free to download and use; sleep tracking requires a wrist-based Fitbit fitness tracker. Fitbit also offers a paid premium membership that gives you more insights and feedback on your activities.
• Available on:Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
• Why we love it: Like the Jawbone Up app, the Fitbit app provides an easy way to track daily activities with your smartphone. The app can also be used to log food intake, water consumption and daily weight, but that's not even the best part. Fitness tracking is more fun when you're competing with friends. Fitbit is the name-brand when it comes to fitness tracking, and you likely know someone who either uses the app or owns a device. Competing with friends, family members and colleagues will help keep you motivated to walk that extra mile.

Strava

• Price: Free to download and use; premium membership offered for $5.99, £4.49, AU$9.99 a month or $59.99, £44.99, AU$89.99 a year that adds additional insights.
• Available on: Android and iOS.
• Why we love it: Strava is a running/cycling log, a tracking app and a fitness community all in one. There's also a "Segments" feature shows how you compare to others on certain stretches of road. The key to Strava's success is how many devices and services it is compatible with. Strava can sync with devices from Garmin, TomTom, Polar, the Microsoft Band, Fitbit, Timex, Suunto and more.
• Others running apps to consider: Runkeeper, Runtastic, Endomondo, MayMyRun and Nike+ Running. To learn more about these apps, check out this article.

Nike Training Club

• Price: Free to download and use.
• Available on: Android and iOS.
• Why we love it: The Nike Training Club offers more than 100 free guided workout videos for beginners all the way up to seasoned vets. The app also offers four-week training programs for getting lean, toned or stronger which are available for all fitness levels.

Fitocracy

• Price: Free to download and use; premium subscription available for $4.99, £3.99, AU$7.99 a month or $49.99, £34.99, AU$69.99 a year that adds more insights and features. There's also individual coaching you can purchase for an additional fee.
• Available on: Android and iOS.
• Why we love it: Fitocracy makes fitness fun. The app offers a variety of free workouts to help get you in shape. You can also create your own workout plan using the company's extensive workout database. Fitocracy was inspired by MMORPG games like World of Warcraft. You gain experience points for each successful workout just like you would in a game. You can then work to unlock different achievements, raise your level and even complete workout quests (challenges).

Under Armour Record

• Price: Free to download and use.
• Available on: Android and iOS.
• Why we love it: The Under Armour Record lets you log information on workouts and view all of your daily activity stats. The best part is the software works with nearly every popular fitness tracker. The Record app supports the Apple Watch, Fitbit, Withings, Jawbone, Misfit, Polar and Garmin, along with Under Armour's new Health Box.

Argus

• Price: Free to download and use; premium subscription available for $9, £6.99, AU$13.99 a month or $30, £22.99, AU$46.99 a year that adds challenges, activity insights, and more.
• Available on: Android and iOS.
• Why we love it: Argus is a one-stop shop for tracking activities, workouts, weight and sleep. You can also adds goals for caloric intake, water consumption, sleep, walking and weight. There's no need for a fitness tracker, all of this is done on your iPhone or Android device. It can even measure your heart rate using the flash on your camera.

Spotify

• Price: Free to download and use; premium subscription removes advertisements for $9.99, £9.99, AU$11.99 a month.
• Available on: Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
• Why we love it: Spotify is a great app for listening to music during your workout. Many people aren't aware of a a built-in feature called Spotify Running that can automatically detect your tempo and play songs to match your pace. It will make your runs more enjoyable. You can find the running feature in the Browse section of the Spotify app.

Looking for more specific apps?

Check out this article for workout apps that will get you moving in as little as 7 minutes.

Plus, we created a list of workout and health apps to help you hit all of your fitness goals. You can find the article here.