Zwift has introduced a more expensive Zwift Plus subscription tier that offers two new ways to develop your fitness: first, there’s Zwift Coach, which provides personalised training plans, and then there’s Zwift Video, which allows you to ride along to high-definition video routes. Zwift Plus is available now for £26.99 (or €29.99/$29.99, depending on where you’re based) per month.
Zwift Coach: “Training that adapts to you”
Zwift Coach is designed to help you get the most fitness from your riding time through personalised training plans that are fully integrated with Zwift.
“Simple to set up, Zwift Coach adapts when life gets in the way, leveraging the full variety of Zwift’s content library to deliver a personalised plan you’ll want to stick to,” says Zwift.
“Zwift Coach combines a training model grounded in peer-reviewed sports science with anonymised power and heart rate data from millions of Zwift riders. It pairs that with your goal, your recent fitness and the way you like to ride to decide what you should do next, and how hard.”
Getting started involves answering a few questions and setting a goal, and Zwift Coach takes it from there.
“The result is a personalised training plan built around your goal, your schedule, your experience, and your ride preferences,” says Zwift.
“Instead of building a training plan solely around ERG-based workouts, Zwift Coach delivers a plan that leans into the variety Zwifters love. The majority of Zwifters (63%) participate in a variety of activities, while just 13% of Zwifters exclusively complete structured workouts. Your Zwift Coach plan will leverage Zwift’s content library of thousands of workouts, built by world-class coaches, alongside routes, RoboPacers, and even events. The result is a plan tailored to meet your goals but one that feels fun and motivating to complete, because the best workout is the one you actually do.”
Zwift says that once you have it set up, Zwift Coach pre-workout guidance will keep you informed of what you need to do and why, appearing on the updated Zwift Companion app home screen and in-game alongside the prescribed activity.
Once you have completed your activity, you can access coach feedback immediately via a ‘Coach Analysis’ tab on the activity report screen. You can also see the same feedback within the Zwift Companion app later in the day.
But we all know how it goes. You set up an ambitious goal plan, convince yourself that this is finally your big year, and then real life intervenes, so what if you miss a session or want to do another activity rather than the one planned?
“Whether you’re planning an outdoor activity with friends on the weekend or went a little too hard during Tour of Watopia, Zwift Coach will prompt you to adapt your plan and auto-adjust to keep you on track toward your ultimate goal,” says Zwift.
In other words, your virtual coach should be a little more understanding than that one mate who insists every ride needs to be a threshold session.
Zwift Video: riding real roads from the indoor trainer
The other big addition is Zwift Video, which introduces high-definition footage of real-world cycling routes to the platform and is also available only through Zwift Plus. Essentially, it sees your avatar ride on video routes – so similar to the Rouvy platform that Zwift acquired last year, but with distinctly Zwift features.
> Zwift announces “strategic acquisition” of rival indoor cycling app Rouvy
There are 21 routes from six countries at launch, with a total distance of 385km (240 miles). This includes France’s Col du Galibier, Mallorca’s Sa Calobra, and Glen Etive in the Scottish Highlands. Zwift plans to add regular new routes and destinations starting in the new year.
“All routes have been carefully curated to deliver a wide variety of terrains and environments, from Alpine climbs to rolling desert roads,” says Zwift. “Meticulous detail has been paid to filming to capture each route in the best possible way and to ensure the smoothest playback experience for Zwifters.”
If that sounds a lot like Rouvy, Zwift is keen to emphasise continuity with the existing Zwift platform.
It says, “Built for Zwifters who want more, Zwift Video will feel like a very familiar place to ride [with] PowerUps, Segment Leaderboards, HoloReplays, Drops, XP, alongside Zwift artwork, from road art and arches to the iconic Zwift Blimp. Pack dynamics and road textures also retain the same ride characteristics as Zwift’s graphics-based worlds.
“All Zwift Video routes are lappable, giving you full control of every ride. Match any workout to any route, compete with yourself across segments with HoloReplay, or simply drink in more of the scenery with another lap.”
Zwift Plus subscribers can take part in the Globetrotter Challenge right away, where you can unlock a Globetrotter kit and gain bonus XP by completing 10 of the routes by 1st February 2027.
Organised events and MeetUps will launch in the coming months.
How much does Zwift Plus cost?
Zwift Coach and Zwift Video come together as a Zwift Plus package priced at £26.99/€29.99/$29.99 per month, whereas a standard subscription currently costs £17.99/€19.99/$19.99 per month. You can choose to pay annually for either subscription to get 12 months for the price of 10. There’s no suggestion of any changes or price hikes to the standard subscription.
What if you’re already a Zwift subscriber? A limited-time offer allows you to opt in and receive a month’s free upgrade to Zwift Plus. If you’re new to Zwift, you’ll receive a 14-day trial of all Zwift Plus features.
If you already spend plenty of time on Zwift, the appeal will depend on how much use you expect to get from the adaptive coaching and video routes. Those who enjoy structured training but struggle to stick to rigid plans may find Zwift Coach particularly useful, while riders growing tired of the familiar virtual worlds have a fresh collection of real roads to explore.
Whether those additions justify the extra subscription cost will ultimately depend on how often you use them. But if your turbo sessions could do with a little more scenery – and your training plan a little more flexibility – Zwift Plus is aiming to offer both.
9 thoughts on “Zwift introduces premium Zwift Plus subscription option with personalised coaching and real-world video routes”
I think Zwift have missed a trick here. They could have included a motorist road rage option. Cyclists could maybe gain 25 extra experience points for every close pass or 100 points for being attacked and having their skull fractured by a mad Scottish driver (like the nutcase in yesterday’s video).
Instead of “Ride On” messages, there could be a voice recording of Richard Madeley shouting “You lycra clad louts should have number plates!”.
Hmm, Zwift owns Rouvy, Zwift starts offering what Rouvy offers but for £9 more. Doesn’t take a very cynical crystal ball to see Rouvy either getting more expensive, losing features or simply being discontinued “To avoid duplication” in the not too distant, something I suspect has always been Zwift’s plan. Rouvy bought Bkool and shut it down, telling members to transfer to Rouvy, then Zwift bought Rouvy…when Rouvy bought Bkool they said it would continue as a standalone platform, that lasted all of four months before they announced the shutdown.
@Rendel Harris I was a long time Zwift user, then moved over to Rouvy about eight months ago. I have enjoyed the real routes, as well as the more grown up feel and extensive training content, but Zwift Plus would definitely tempt me back. Sadly that £27 monthly price tag is a no go for me.
@Hollis Jones Yes, I did a Rouvy trial this month and thought it was far superior to Zwift, probably will switch. I hadn’t tried it for years but they’re really nailed the video routes with the augmented reality, especially in removing the traffic so you don’t get that absurd thing of pedestrians and cars in slow motion when you slow down. Judging by the routes mentioned above – Glen Etive, Sa Calobra, and the Galibier, all available on Rouvy, it looks as though Zwift has just lifted Rouvy’s videos and rebadged them for 50% extra.
@Rendel Harris Yep, I’m pretty confident the sale was them wanting an ‘easy’ way of improving Zwift without having to do all the leg work.
@Hollis Jones
I’m not sure the Rouvy acquisition was a shortcut, it’s been reported by DC Rainmaker and ZwiftInsider (both respected sources) that Zwift started this over two years ago, and the videos are completely different films (albeit similar locations).
If there’s a conspiracy theory to be had, it could be that the acquisition was a cheap way out of a lawsuit.
I feel that this is the way platforms are heading now but this would only appeal to me if i could take a session outside rather than being chained to the turbo for all of them.
@Rapha Nadal I believe there other platforms such as TrainerRoad that would let you do that, although you’d need both the (standard) Zwift subscription and a subscription to TrainerRoad on top, which comes to a higher total.
I know Zwift does now let you sync with Garmin etc. so it does “know” about your outside bike rides, although it’s unclear how thoroughly integrated this is (e.g. if you manually recreate the recommended workout outside, is that recognized as being equivalent training?) That said, whilst in general I much prefer riding outside, indoor training does have distinct advantages for structured training – you can just focus on hitting the target power and not have to worry about traffic/traffic lights/potholes/hills etc.
@OnYerBike I also find Zwift is a best bet if you want a very easy recovery ride on a windy day.
A lot of my cycling is on the fens, where wind is a huge factor, making it difficult to keep power at a low level.
An indoor ride on a flat course like Tempus Fugit or similar is perfect – as long as I ride to my power level and don’t try to catch other riders.