fitbyfrmGet The iPhone Beta

Updated September 30, 2026

Best Fitness Challenge Apps for Friends, Compared

The best app depends on your group. Strava suits runners and cyclists, StepBet suits people who want money on the line, and Stridekick, StepUp and Pacer suit step competitions. FitbyForm suits a few friends doing varied daily challenges with photo proof.

FitbyForm is our own app, so read this with that in mind. We have kept what we say about other apps general and checkable on their own sites. Apps change often: check each one for current features and pricing. Last reviewed September 30, 2026. Other app names are trademarks of their owners. FitbyForm is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any of them.

The Apps

FitbyForm (Our App)

Best for: Small groups of friends doing varied challenges with daily proof.

Small Circles of friends, daily check-ins with optional photo proof, and challenges beyond steps: strength, food, water, sleep and habit runs. Step goals count only steps synced from Apple Health or Oura. Rally handles club events, and food logging is built in. It is iPhone only and still a free TestFlight beta.

Strava

Best for: Runners and cyclists who want to record activities and follow a big community.

Strava records runs and rides with GPS and has a large social feed and clubs. Its group challenges let you compete with friends, for groups of up to 25 people. It is built around recorded activities rather than daily habits like water, food or sleep.

StepBet and WayBetter

Best for: People who are motivated by putting money on the line.

WayBetter runs games like StepBet where you put money in, hit your activity goals over the game, and the people who finish share the pot. Money is a strong motivator for many people. The groups are usually large games of strangers rather than a few friends.

Stridekick

Best for: Step competitions with friends who use different trackers.

Stridekick is built for step challenges and competitions with friends, and it connects to a range of fitness trackers, so a group does not need to share one device.

StepUp

Best for: Simple step competitions and leaderboards with friends on iPhone.

StepUp is a step competition app: add friends, compare step counts and compete on leaderboards. It keeps the focus on steps.

Pacer

Best for: A free-to-start pedometer with groups, on iPhone and Android.

Pacer counts steps, tracks walks and has groups and challenges. It works on both iPhone and Android, which matters if your friends are split across phones.

Where FitbyForm Is Different

  • Small Circles. Built for a few close friends, not a leaderboard of strangers. How accountability works.
  • Photo proof. A daily photo your Circle can see and react to.
  • More than steps. Strength, food, water, sleep and long habit challenges. See the challenges.
  • Device-verified steps. Only steps from Apple Health or Oura count toward a goal. How steps are verified.
  • Rally for clubs. Post runs and events, collect RSVPs and run a club challenge. Run clubs.
  • Food logging built in. Photo, text and barcode logging, plus a meal planner. Food.

Where Others Are Stronger

  • FitbyForm is iPhone only. Pacer and Stridekick work for groups split across iPhone and Android.
  • FitbyForm does not record GPS runs or rides. Strava does, and has a far bigger community.
  • FitbyForm has no money stakes. If a cash pot is what gets you moving, StepBet is built for that.
  • FitbyForm reads Apple Health and Oura only. Steps from other watches count only if they reach Apple Health.
  • FitbyForm is a beta. Expect rough edges while it heads to the App Store.