Trainerroad vs. TriDot | MOTTIV

Are you comparing Trainerroad vs. TriDot?

Trainerroad and TriDot are two of the best-known training plan apps for endurance athletes. They will both allow you to train for triathlons, but Trainerroad will also allow you to train for cycling races, while TriDot will also allow you to train for running races.

Each app offers training plans, but the type of athlete they're each best for is different.

The main difference between Trainerroad and TriDot is that Trainerroad is less expensive and primarily for cyclists who want to ride indoors (and want an app to create the training for them.) Training with TriDot can be quite expensive and is built largely for triathletes who want to get a training plan from an app.

In this article, we'll discuss the pros and cons of Trainerroad and TriDot, and we'll answer the following questions you might have:

• What are the main features of Trainerroad and TriDot?
• What are the pros and cons of Trainerroad and TriDot?
• How much do Trainerroad and TriDot cost?
• Are Trainerroad and TriDot good for beginners?
• What athletes should consider Trainerroad vs TriDot?

BONUS: We'll also discuss our app MOTTIV which is a great alternative to Trainerroad and TriDot if these two apps don't sound quite right for you.

Trainerroad vs. TriDot vs. MOTTIV Summary

Trainerroad Review

Trainerroad Overview

Trainerroad is a web and smartphone-based app geared towards cyclists, but triathletes and duathletes can also create plans on the app. Athletes can train for multiple races at a time, and their workouts are personalized to them.

Trainerroad uses AI to determine a cyclist's strengths and weaknesses and creates training plans designed to create a well-rounded athlete.

Trainerroad is the only app in this article that can connect directly to an indoor bike trainer to control the resistance so you can follow their prescribed workouts.

Trainerroad Pros

1. Connections: Trainerroad connects to a lot of devices and apps directly. If you plan on doing most of your training indoors on a bike trainer and want an app to control the trainer for you, Trainerroad will do exactly that.
2. Adaptive training: Trainerroad uses your workouts to develop a profile of your athletic abilities, then recommends training based on that profile. It's unclear whether this generates improved performance, but it's a neat feature.
3. Hard workouts: Many people love how difficult most of the Trainerroad workouts are. You'll feel like you're getting a solid workout every time you follow one of their recommended workouts (although this is also a con for many people).
4. Easy to use: Most people can quickly pick up how to build plans inside the Trainerroad app.
5. Stats: Users can easily track their stats without having to understand much about the app.

Trainerroad Cons

1. No free version: Trainerroad doesn't offer a free version.
2. Burnout: Trainerroad workouts are very hard and many people report getting faster initially on their training program but start to experience burnout and plateau after six months.
3. Poor running support: There aren't any running race-specific plans in Trainerroad, and running workouts can not be sent to fitness devices to follow along. This is not great if you're a runner, triathlete, or duathlete.
4. No strength or mobility training: Strength training is one of the most significant performance enhancers endurance athletes can do, and mobility workouts will help athletes avoid developing tightnesses and physical limitations during training. Trainerroad doesn't include any strength or mobility training in their plans.
5. No nutrition guidance: Pairing the right nutrition with every workout will make the workouts much more effective. Trainerroad doesn't provide any nutrition recommendations at all.

Trainerroad Ease of Use

Trainerroad is easy to use because it is designed for the end user. It is also very cohesive, as opposed to Tridot which feels like several different apps smashed into one interface.

The TR user experience can be complicated for people completely new to setting up training, but most people will get the hang of it within a few days.

One thing Trainerroad doesn't provide is much information about how or why the training is designed the way it is. Athletes are left to trust the training is correct or figure it out for themselves. However, Trainerroad has a very active forum community to help with support.

Who is Trainerroad Best For?

Trainerroad is best for cyclists who want a training plan designed by artificial intelligence that addresses an athlete's weaknesses. It is also great for athletes who do most of their training indoors on a bike trainer and want an app that will control the trainer for them.

Trainerroad Pricing

• No free plan
• Paid: $19.95/month, $185/year

TriDot Review

TriDot Overview

TriDot is a computer and smartphone-based app that creates training plans for running races and triathlons. The app creates detailed workouts to prepare for triathlons from Sprint to IRONMAN race distances, and running races from 5k to marathon (but there's a catch with the running races).

TriDot offers performance metrics to monitor your progress and a neat score where you rank out of 100 in your swim, bike, and run skills.

The TriDot platform is primarily focused on triathlon training, and while the company has recently launched RunDot, they still aren't supporting running races fully (more on this below).

That said, compared to Trainerroad, TriDot training is much better for triathletes who also want to dabble in some running races.

TriDot Pros

1. Integrations: TriDot connects with many devices and apps, such as Garmin, Polar, Strava, Wahoo, Rouvy, Trainerroad, and Suunto.
2. Offers premium training options: Athletes who use higher priced plans on TriDot can add features like strength training, find a 1-on-1 coach to work with, or even use RaceX to get a race strategy plan.
3. Performance metrics: TriDot tracks your performance statistics; the swim, bike, and run scores are a nice bit of motivation to give you incentive to keep training regularly.
4. Minimal user interface: Once you learn how to use TriDot, the layout is visually attractive and feels modern.
5. Plans and schedules can be customized: Training plans aren't strictly template training plans. Users can customize their calendar and weekly training schedule.

TriDot Cons

1. Expensive: TriDot doesn't have a free version and will cost at least $99/month if you want to add more than three races at a time and get strength training in your plan. The lowest-priced plan is $14.99, and athletes can only train for one Sprint or Olympic triathlon on this plan (so if you want an IRONMAN training plan, for example, you have no choice but use the $99/month plan.)
2. No running plans (pretty much): Running plans are clearly not given as much importance as triathlon plans for athletes. Even when you sign up with what TriDot calls their run training app, RunDot, you just get kicked over to TriDot. Athletes can't add 5k or 10k races as their most important race of the year.
3. Adding races: Adding races can be confusing for athletes, and the process has noticeable limitations. Adding a race requires users to get redirected to RaceX, and adding races that aren't in the TriDot database is difficult.
4. Questionable tactics: TriDot has used some "questionable" communications tactics. They have used a marketing tactic where athletes would have to apply to become a TriDot athlete, even though every single person who applied got accepted. During the winter of 2022-23, they teased free use of the app if athletes took part in a study, which came across as just a way to hook athletes into using the app with a long free trial. And recently, they've "launched" RunDot, which was touted as their running-specific training app, but when you sign up, you'll just get redirected to the normal TriDot app.
5. Odd user experience: Some odd things happen when using TriDot. For example, when you try to load your future calendar, the app will look like you're loading the future weeks, but it just keeps loading your current week. There are several experiences like this that are noticeable when you first start using the app.
6. Confusing setup: Generally, there are a lot of different offerings that can make it confusing to use the app. Should you use RunDot, why is RaceX a separate app? And why do you need RaceX to add a race to your TriDot account? Which of the five different pricing options should you use? When I sign up, it says I'm on the Mark Allen plan, which costs $149/month, but I didn't choose it, so why am I on the most expensive plan?
7. Set up requires time to learn: There are a number of areas of the app that aren't easy to use. For example, learning how to change your weekly training schedule or even add a race takes several minutes to figure out how to do.

TriDot Ease of Use

When you first sign up for TriDot, figuring out all the nuances of using the app will take time. It won't be intuitive and will take some time to learn.

After a day or two with the app, most users should be able to use TriDot. They just have to understand how to work around some of the limitations.

Who is TriDot Best For?

TriDot is best for triathletes with a bigger budget. TriDot users should be athletes who don't want strength training in their plans and want a training plan created for them.

TriDot Pricing

• No free plan
• Paid: at least $14.99/month, but really the full version that people will want costs $99/month

BONUS: MOTTIV Review

MOTTIV Overview

MOTTIV is an app that can be used on the web or in their smartphone (mobile) app that creates a personalized training plan for athletes looking to prepare for any combination of running races, triathlons, cycling events, duathlons, and swimruns.

Athletes just need to enter the dates and distances of their races, how much time they're able to train, and their current fitness abilities to receive a personalized training plan that gets them ready for all of their races at the same time.

Of course, we're biased, but we believe MOTTIV excels at keeping athletes on track to reach their goals. Getting a training plan is one thing, but having the support and motivation to stick to that plan is far more important. MOTTIV keeps you motivated throughout the training process so you always know you're on track and your goals are within reach.

MOTTIV Pros

1. Ease of use: MOTTIV is designed for athletes who want a training plan that's done for them and easy to follow. All you need to do is input some data, then be ready to show up willing to work and follow your personalized training plan every day.
2. Unlimited training plans: Whether you have one race or 20 races to train for, MOTTIV can create a training plan that gets you ready for all of them. Premium members can add as many races as they want at no additional cost.
3. Strength & Mobility: MOTTIV strength and mobility workouts are full-length videos you can follow along with to make sure you're doing the movements in the workouts correctly.
4. Nutrition guidance: Eating the right thing before, during, and after your workouts will make every workout you complete much more effective. Every single workout in the MOTTIV app has nutrition recommendations that are personalized to you.
5. Progress stats: MOTTIV tracks and displays all your workout training data and progress stats. You don't need to learn how to work the app or where to find stats to know if you're on track or not. MOTTIV easily shows you if you're headed in the right direction with your training sessions.
6. Motivation: MOTTIV has some really excellent features that help keep you on track with your training plan because we all need a little support sometimes.
7. Cost: MOTTIV provides all your endurance, strength, and mobility training, personalized workout nutrition, and stats tracking, all in one place for one flat fee. Getting all these services separately would cost well over $60/month.

MOTTIV Cons

1. Workout complexity: Some people find our workouts hard to understand when they first start using the app.
2. Device connections: Although MOTTIV supports full workout synchronization with Garmin, as well as connections with Trainingpeaks, Zwift, Strava and more, our list of possible connections isn't as robust as Trainingpeaks.
3. Lack of flexibility: While most people want a training plan they can simply follow and get great results, some people want one they can customize themselves to add, subtract, and change workouts as they see fit. While you can easily move workouts around in MOTTIV, it is designed for you to follow along as closely as possible to get the best results.
4. Slow interface: MOTTIV hasn't been around for as long as Training Peaks or Trainerroad, so some screens may take a few seconds to load while the app is being fully optimized.

MOTTIV Ease of Use

MOTTIV is designed to be the easiest app for endurance athletes to use. All you need to enter to create a personalized training plan are your race dates and distances, how much time you can train, and your current fitness abilities.

In addition to it being easy to create training plans, the MOTTIV app has features throughout the app that tell you why and how to perform every aspect of your training, so you're never left guessing.

Who is MOTTIV Best For?

MOTTIV is best for athletes looking for a holistic training plan to follow that includes: endurance workouts, strength training, mobility workouts, and nutrition guidance.

If you are the type of person that wants to know what to do and want a little guidance so you know you're on track and doing it right, then MOTTIV is for you.

MOTTIV Pricing

• Free plan
• Paid: $19.99/month, $179.99/year

Trainerroad vs. TriDot vs. MOTTIV: Which One is Better?

When comparing Trainerroad, TriDot, and MOTTIV, the answer to which one is better is like most things: it depends.

If you're primarily a cyclist and you're looking for an app that you can connect to an indoor bike trainer to guide every single workout, then Trainerroad is a great option.

Of course, we're biased, but we can not recommend TriDot because you can get more for free at MOTTIV than you get paying $14.99/month with TriDot. In fact, when you pay just $19.99/month for MOTTIV, you still get more than you'd get for $99/month on TriDot.

If you're looking for a holistic training plan app that can create a personalized training plan for multiple races at a time, and keeps you motivated to stay on track to reach your goals, then MOTTIV is the app for you.