TriDot vs. Wahoo SYSTM | MOTTIV

Are you comparing TriDot vs Wahoo SYSTM?

TriDot and Wahoo SYSTM are two apps that endurance athletes will certainly hear about. TriDot will allow you to create personalized triathlon and running plans, while Wahoo SYSTM (that's not a typo, it's actually spelled SYSTM) doesn't have run-specific plans. However, it is a less expensive option for cycling and triathlon training plans.

While each app offers training plans, and these two apps are probably the most comparable apps on the market, the type of athlete they're best for is different.

The main difference between TriDot and Wahoo SYSTM is that TriDot is more expensive and designed for triathletes first and runners second. Wahoo SYSTM is less expensive and is designed for cyclists first and triathletes second.

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

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

BONUS: We'll also be discussing our app MOTTIV, which is a really good alternative to TriDot and Wahoo SYSTM if these two apps don't sound quite right for you.

TriDot vs. Wahoo SYSTM vs. MOTTIV Summary

TriDot Review

TriDot Overview

TriDot is a computer app 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 distance 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.

TriDot is primarily focused on helping triathletes, and while the company has recently launched Rundot, they still aren't supporting running races fully (more on this below.)

Compared to Strava, TriDot is much better for athletes who want a training plan that's created for them to prepare for triathlons and running races.

TriDot Pros

1. Integrations: TriDot connects with a lot of 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 choose to 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, and the swim, bike, and run scores are a nice bit of motivation to give you incentives to keep training regularly.
4. Minimal user interface: Once you download and 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. TriDot users can customize their calendars and weekly training schedules.

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 also get strength training in your plan. The lowest-priced plan is $14.99, and on that plan, athletes can only train for one Sprint or Olympic triathlon, nothing more.
2. No running plans (pretty much): Running plans are clearly not given as much importance as triathlon training 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 has noticeable limitations. Adding a race requires users to get redirected to RaceX, and adding races that aren't in their database is difficult.
4. Questionable tactics: TriDot has used some "questionable" communications tactics in the past. They used to use 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 the app. 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 a number of odd user interface experiences like this that are noticeable when you first start using the platform.
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 just 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 that plan, 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 where how to use the app isn't easy. 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, it will take some time to figure out all the nuances of using the app. It's not going to be intuitive and will take some time to learn.

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

Who is TriDot Best For?

TriDot is best for triathletes who don't want strength training in their plans and want a training plan created for them.

TriDot Pricing

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

Wahoo SYSTM Review

Wahoo SYSTM Overview

Wahoo SYSTM is a computer app and smartphone-based training platform. It used to be called the Sufferfest app, which provided challenging cycling workouts paired with motivating videos you could watch during the workout.

Wahoo SYSTM now has training plans for all different cycling races, duathlons, and triathlons. There are no running-specific training plans in Wahoo SYSTM. Athletes can add strength training, yoga, and mental preparation to their training plans.

Paid Wahoo SYSTM members also get free access to Wahoo RGT, which is kind of like Zwift, where you can ride in a virtual world with other athletes or by yourself.

Like Trainerroad, Wahoo SYSTM doesn't strictly use FTP (Functional Threshold Power) to create workouts. Instead, it creates a profile of each athlete's abilities using a "4 Dimensional Power" or 4DP test.

Compared to Zwift, Wahoo SYSTM is much better at creating a training plan for cycling races, triathlons, and duathlons. Wahoo SYSTM also has helpful motivational and informational videos to help you with your training.

Wahoo SYSTM Pros

1. Integration with Wahoo Products: Wahoo SYSTM connects Wahoo products very well, allowing you to load up bike workouts and have the app control the trainer for you.
2. Four Dimensional Power: Wahoo SYSTM develops a profile of your athletic abilities and then recommends training based on that profile. It's still uncertain as to whether this actually generates improved performance, but it's a pretty cool feature.
3. Motivational videos: Many people love how Wahoo SYSTM has motivational videos playing while your workout is taking place; they often find this more engaging than the virtual world of an app like Zwift or Rouvy.
4. Bonus content: Wahoo SYSTM offers a lot of bonus content, like following along with a pro for a week or other content that's just fun to watch.
5. Strength and Yoga workouts: Strength and mobility are extremely important for athletes for both performance and health. Wahoo SYSTM is one of the few apps that, like MOTTIV, offers many strength and mobility videos that you can follow along with.
6. Price: $14.99/month or $149/year is a great price for training plans.

Wahoo SYSTM Cons

1. No free version: Wahoo SYSTM doesn't have any free version.
2. Limited plans: Wahoo SYSTM plans are based on templates, and they're not extremely personalized. You also can't load up several races at once and create a cohesive training plan for all races. There also aren't any running-specific training plans.
3. Not fully "finished": Wahoo SYSTM kind of feels like a less good Trainingpeaks, and Wahoo RGT feels like a less good Zwift. It's taken Trainingpeaks and Zwift many years to make their apps as good as they are. Wahoo is trying to build bike trainers (Wahoo Kickr), fitness watches, a training plan app (SYSTM), and a virtual world app (RGT) all at the same time, which means attention is fragmented across products.
4. Questionable personalization: Many aspects of Wahoo SYSTM feel very strange to use. For example, during your sign-up process, the app will say it's creating a personalized plan for you even though you haven't given it any information. There are many odd instances like this where it feels like the app is trying to convince me that it's creating a personalized experience, but it's clear that it's not.
5. User interface: Wahoo SYSTM can't be used over a web browser. Clicking certain things in Wahoo SYSTM tries to open the app again, even though it's already open. Setting up training plans is a very odd experience with prompts like "Choose Strength Level. Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5." What do those levels even mean?! There are a lot of instances where the app leaves users confused about how to use it.
6. Uncertain future of Wahoo: Wahoo recently had to go into bankruptcy protection and be repurchased by the founder and a group of investors. This usually spells big changes for a company, so who knows what the future holds for Wahoo.

Wahoo SYSTM Ease of Use

Wahoo SYSTM will be fairly easy for people to use once they work their way through some of the peculiarities of the app that we mentioned in the Cons list above.

While the app is fairly minimal, without a lot of places where users will get confused, there's still a noticeable learning curve users go through to get used to some of the odd aspects of the app.

The offering of Wahoo SYSTM and Wahoo RGT is also confusing because you get access to both services, but they aren't integrated at all, so you require downloading multiple Wahoo apps to use the entire product line.

One thing Wahoo SYSTM doesn't have is much information inside the app and the workouts as to how and why the training is designed the way it is, so athletes have to simply trust that it's correct or figure it out for themselves. For example, swim workouts in Wahoo SYSTM might just say "100 drills", but what drill should you do?

Who is Wahoo SYSTM Best For?

Wahoo SYSTM is best for cyclists who want a training plan that is created based on your unique cyclist profile. It is also great for athletes who do most of their training indoors on a Wahoo bike trainer and they want an app that will control the trainer for them.

Wahoo SYSTM Pricing

• No free plan
• Paid: $14.99/month, $149/year

BONUS: MOTTIV Review

MOTTIV Overview

MOTTIV is an app that can be used on the web or in a mobile smartphone 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, and they'll receive a personalized training plan that gets them ready for all 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 you need to stick to that plan is far more important. MOTTIV keeps you motivated throughout the training process so you always know that 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 a little bit of data, then be ready to show up willing to work and follow the plan every day you have training scheduled.
2. Unlimited training plans: Whether you have one race of 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 that you can follow along with to make sure you're doing the right thing.
4. Nutrition guidance: Eating the right thing before, during, and after your workouts will make every single 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 and progress stats for you. 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 what you need to know to know if you're headed in the right direction.
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 training, strength training, mobility training, personalized workout nutrition, and stats tracking, all in one place for one flat fee. Getting all these services separately elsewhere would cost well over $60/month.

MOTTIV Cons

1. Workout complexity: Some people find that our workouts can be hard to understand when they first start using the app.
2. Device connections: MOTTIV currently offers full workout synchronization with Garmin, as well as connections to many other popular apps and devices (eg: Trainingpeaks, Strava, Zwift, etc.) But, our list of possible connections isn't as robust as Trainingpeaks.
3. Lack of flexibility: While most people want a training plan they can follow and get great results, some people want a training plan they can customize themselves to add, edit and subtract workouts as they see fit. MOTTIV is designed for you to follow along as closely as possible to get excellent results.
4. Slower interface: MOTTIV hasn't been around for as long as TriDot or Wahoo, so some screens take a few extra seconds to load.

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're able to 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 who are looking for a holistic training plan that includes endurance workouts, strength training, mobility workouts, and nutrition guidance.

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

MOTTIV Pricing

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

TriDot vs Wahoo SYSTM vs MOTTIV: Which One is Better?

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

It's tough for us to recommend TriDot, given that you can get more for free on the MOTTIV app for what costs $14.99/month with TriDot. And, you pay just $19.99/month to get more on MOTTIV than what costs $99/month at TriDot.

If you're a dedicated Wahoo device user and want a training plan that includes add-ons like strength training, yoga, motivational videos, and cycling race footage to pump you up while you ride, then Wahoo SYSTM is for you (just be prepared for a little less user-friendly experience).

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.