Can You Use Peloton Without A Subscription – And Is There Any Point?

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reviewed by Rory McAllister
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For Peloton users looking to scale back their spending on the app, there’s a burning question that needs answering:

Can you use Peloton without a subscription to their costly “All-Access” membership?

It’s certainly a question I’ve found myself wondering in my years of using Peloton, and we have no shortage of readers asking us the same thing.

Yes, you can use a Peloton without a subscription – but what you can do with your Peloton Bike or Tread is significantly limited without an All-Access Membership.

Perhaps you’re considering downgrading or canceling your subscription but you don’t want to sell the bike or treadmill, or maybe you’re only interested in the equipment itself.

Well, what exactly does a Peloton Bike or Tread look like without an All-Access Membership? In this article, we’ll be covering:

  • Can You Use Peloton Without A Subscription?
  • Can You Use Peloton With A Rival Fitness Subscription?
  • Can You Use Peloton Bike or Tread With Only The Peloton App Subscription?
  • Is Using Peloton Without An All-Access Subscription Really Worth It?

Let’s get into the ins and outs of Peloton without subscriptions!

Can You Use Peloton Without A Subscription? (Title Image)

Can You Use Peloton Without A Subscription?

If you own Peloton equipment but don’t have an All-Access Membership here’s what’s available to you:

On a Peloton Bike or Bike+ you can use the “Just Ride” feature, and on a Peloton Tread you can use “Just Run” or “Just Walk”.

Just Ride, Just Run, and Just Walk are basic modes that allow you to use the equipment with a simplified display, including fundamental metrics such as speed, time elapsed, distance traveled, and heart rate.

It’s essentially the same as the default mode on a typical stationary bike, treadmill, or cross-trainer you’d expect to find in the gym.

A woman rides a Peloton bike in her home.
Credit: Peloton

When you begin one of these Just Ride/Run/Walk sessions, you have the option to manually input a preset target (either distance, time, or energy burned), and upon completion, the session will automatically end.


You can also select “No Goal” and end your session whenever you like, and you’ll still be able to see your progress in all of these metrics.

These sessions will be available to view in “Post-Class” and in “Workout History” on your Peloton, and can also be synced with Strava.

If you use a Peloton device without a subscription, you also still get access to two pre-recorded classes.

The two classes available without an All-Access Membership are preselected and subject to change.

You can take them as many times as you like, but metrics will not be recorded or saved to your Rider or Runner Profile.

Neither of these options gives you access to scenic rides or runs. There is no way to access scenic rides or runs using your Peloton equipment without an All-Access Membership.

A man in a red shirt runs on a Peloton Tread.
Credit: Peloton

Can You Use Peloton With A Rival Fitness Subscription?

Yes, you can use a Peloton Bike or Tread with a rival fitness app such as Apple Fitness, Zwift or Trainer Road.

What does this mean exactly?

Well as described above, with Just Ride/Run/Walk, a Peloton Bike or Tread can be used just like any other stationary bike or treadmill.

This means you could use your subscription-free Peloton equipment with free home spin classes that you can stream online without having to pay a monthly fee.

As long as you don’t mind watching ads, you needn’t look further than YouTube for this.

If you do want the subscription-based home spin class experience then you can still use your Peloton equipment for this, provided the subscription doesn’t require a proprietary bike or treadmill.

But bear in mind, without cadence sensors linked to your spin class platform, you’re getting essentially the same experience you’d get with any basic spin bike or treadmill, negating the benefit of that expensive Peloton equipment.

If you’re looking for a deeper experience most home cycling apps including Zwift, Apple Fitness+, and Peloton’s own app (bear with us here) will work with any home trainer, provided you connect compatible cadence sensors to your setup.

Hang on, did you just say Peloton?

A tablet with Peloton classes sits on a table alongside a phone, a newspaper, and a water bottle.
Credit: Peloton

Can You Use Peloton Bike or Tread With Only The Peloton App Subscription?

Yes, you can technically use a Peloton Bike or Tread using the app-only subscription.

There is nothing stopping you from attaching third-party cadence sensors to your Peloton and following along to classes from the Peloton app, streamed to your phone.

The reason some Peloton users might be interested in trying this is that the Peloton app-only subscription is cheaper than the “All-Access” membership that you would normally use with Peloton’s equipment.

But although you’re saving a few bucks each month, you’re also getting a very stripped-back experience from your Peloton equipment.

Let’s dive deeper into the differences between the All-Access membership and the app-only Peloton subscription:

A woman in a pink top follows a Peloton class on her phone while she lifts weights.
Credit: Peloton

Peloton App-Only Vs All-Access Subscriptions

Peloton “All-Access” Membership

A Peloton “All-Access” membership is the full Peloton package.

It costs $44 per month (or £39 in the UK), and is only available in combination with a Peloton Bike or Tread.

With an All-Access Membership, you get every service Peloton currently offers.

If you opt for an app-only Peloton membership, which will not communicate directly with your Peloton Bike or Tread, there are a few tiers to be aware of:

Peloton “App Free” Membership

“App Free” membership has no fee.

  • You are limited to only the free classes offered.
  • You cannot participate in live classes, challenges, or programs.
  • You cannot link with third-party cadence trackers.
  • You can only have one user profile.

Peloton “App One” Membership

Peloton’s “App One” membership costs $12.99 per month (£12.99 in the UK).

  • You are limited to three equipment-based classes per month (spin, tread, or row).
  • You cannot link with third-party cadence trackers.
  • You can only have one user profile.
A cyclist uses Peloton without a subscription, following the class on a regular exercise bike.
Credit: Peloton

Peloton “App+” Membership

Peloton’s “App+” membership costs $24 per month (£24 in the UK).

  • Unlimited access to Peloton classes, including live classes, as well as exclusive classes unavailable to lower-tier members.
  • You can link with third-party cadence trackers.
  • You can participate in programs and challenges.
  • You can only have one user profile.

If you’re looking to approximate the Peloton All-Access experience using third-party cadence sensors, you’ll need to go with an App+ membership.

However, there’s only a $20 (or £15) per month difference between using a Peloton Bike with limited functionality through cadence sensors versus a full All-Access membership.

Peloton has likely identified this potential loophole and structured their pricing so that it really doesn’t make that much sense when sized up against an All-Access membership.

And without the All-Access membership, you’ll miss out on automated resistance and incline through the Target Metrics feature, as well as Scenic Rides and Lanebreak – which in my personal experience are two of the best modes Peloton has to offer.

And while this setup is technically possible, there came a point while mounting $100+ third-party speed and cadence sensors to a $1,445 Peloton Bike that I found myself wondering – probably sensibly – whether it was all worth it…

A woman does weight training in her living room, following a class on the screen of her Peloton Bike+.
Credit: Peloton

Is Using Peloton Without An All-Access Subscription Really Worth It?

What’s best for you is really something only you can answer. However, consider the following.

A Peloton Bike, Bike+, or Tread comes with a hefty price tag when lined up alongside comparable home fitness equipment.

What you’re paying for is access to classes through your equipment, including scenic rides, and data on your workout sessions led by world-class instructors, best experienced live.

Without an All-Access Membership, you cannot access scenic rides or live classes, and your Peloton Bike or Tread becomes much like any other spin bike or treadmill, but for a significantly inflated cost.

If this is the route you’d like to take, then in my opinion you would be better off simply selling your Peloton for another comparable – but more affordable – stationary bike or treadmill.

Have you tried using a Peloton Bike or Tread without the All-Access subscription? Let us know your experiences in the comments below!

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One of BikeTips' experienced cycling writers, Riley spends most of his time in the saddle of a sturdy old Genesis Croix De Fer 20, battling the hills of the Chilterns or winds of North Cornwall. Off the bike you're likely to find him with his nose in a book.

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