A Tonal alternative that costs nothing
Tonal is an impressive machine, at $4,295 plus $59.95 a month. If what you mostly want is tracked, structured home workouts, your phone and the weights you already own get you most of the way there.
The short answer
Stick with Tonal if…
- You want heavy, adjustable resistance with spotter and safety features.
- You want exact load and volume data without thinking about weights.
- You want a big library of instructor-led classes on a screen.
Try MyRepsCount if…
- You want tracked home workouts without spending thousands.
- Much of your training is bodyweight, which Tonal doesn't count.
- You don't have a wall to mount a machine on, or you train in different places.
Tonal vs MyRepsCount, feature by feature
| Feature | Tonal | MyRepsCount |
|---|---|---|
| Counts reps automatically | ◐ On the machine only | ✓ Camera, 60+ exercises |
| Counts bodyweight exercises | ✕ | ✓ |
| Measures the weight you lift | ✓ | ◐ You log the weight |
| Digital resistance | ✓ Up to 250 lb | ✕ |
| Instructor-led classes | ✓ | ◐ Coach videos with Plus |
| Custom workouts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works without special hardware | ✕ Wall-mounted, professionally installed | ✓ |
| No membership required | ✕ $59.95/mo, 12 months minimum | ✓ |
| Train anywhere | ✕ | ✓ |
✓ yes ◐ partly or paid ✕ no
First-year cost
Tonal prices from tonal.com before tax, accessories, and financing. MyRepsCount works with whatever weights you already own, or none.
Why people switch
The price
Over $5,000 in year one is a lot to pay for tracked workouts. Your phone does the tracking for free.
Bodyweight counts too
Tonal tracks reps on the machine. Pushups, burpees, and lunges don't touch it. MyRepsCount counts them.
Train anywhere
Living room, garage, hotel room, park. Prop your phone up wherever you are.
Where Tonal is better
We make MyRepsCount, so here is the part most comparison pages leave out.
- Real resistance up to 250 lb, adjusted automatically, with spotter features. A phone can't add weight.
- Exact load and volume data from the machine's sensors.
- Training modes like eccentric, burnout, and drop sets.
- A large class library with instructors and multi-week programs.
How MyRepsCount counts your reps
-
Prop your phone up. Floor, shelf, or against a water bottle, with your whole body in frame. -
Train hands-free. The camera tracks your movement on the phone and counts each full rep. No video is recorded or uploaded. - Or log it by hand. Anything the camera can't count goes in the manual log, with weights, rep ranges, and supersets.
More on the free rep counter app and the free workout library.
Tonal alternative FAQ
How much does Tonal cost?
Tonal 2 is $4,295, installation starts at $295, and the membership is $59.95 a month with a 12-month commitment, per tonal.com. Accessory bundles are extra.
Is Tonal worth it without the membership?
Without it you keep basic lifting and weight adjustment, but lose the class library and smart features, per Tonal. The membership is required for the first 12 months.
Does Tonal count bodyweight reps?
No. Tonal counts reps through the machine itself, so moves that don't use it, like pushups or burpees, aren't counted.
What do I need for MyRepsCount?
A phone, and space for the camera to see your whole body. Dumbbells or a kettlebell open up more exercises but aren't required.
Try it free on your phone
Automatic rep counting, the manual log, and Focus app blocking are free on iPhone and Android.
