Challenges App Alternatives in 2026: Motion vs the Challenges App (by FitNow)
Challenges is a polished, free way to turn closing your Apple Watch rings into team and head-to-head contests. If your group is more mixed in fitness, or you're not all on Apple Watch, here's a fair look at how it compares to Motion.
What is the Challenges app (Compete, Get Fit by FitNow)?
Challenges (full App Store name "Challenges - Compete, Get Fit") is a social fitness competition app from FitNow, Inc., the Boston-based developer behind the long-running Lose It! calorie and nutrition app.[1] That pedigree matters: this is a mature, reputable product, not a fly-by-night step app. It currently holds a strong 4.6/5 rating across roughly 5.7K App Store ratings.[2]
The core idea is simple and well executed. You create or join a time-bound competition and earn daily points for activity, then climb a shared leaderboard either solo or in a team. Challenges packages this into two playful formats: Team Throwdowns (teams of four) and Solo Smackdowns (head-to-head or small-group contests).[3] Its signature mechanic is closing your Apple Watch activity rings (Move, Exercise, Stand), with a daily points cap and Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals to chase. People without an Apple Watch can join "Move More" step challenges or, uniquely, "Eat Well" nutrition challenges that tie into Lose It!.
Where Challenges genuinely shines:
- It's free and clean. No cash-staking, no pay-to-play prize pots. Rewards are virtual medals.[4] Some premium upsell may exist via the Lose It! ecosystem, but the core competition is free (as of 2026).
- The Apple Watch experience is excellent. Live team rankings and on-wrist glances make it one of the best ring-closing competition apps in the Apple ecosystem.
- The daily points cap softly levels things. Because output is capped each day, a casual mover and a heavy mover can both "max out," which takes some of the edge off raw competition.
- Good social tooling. Nudges, a challenge wall, reactions, and easy email or text invites make it strong for friend groups, families, and especially workplace wellness teams.
In short, if you and your friends are already moderately active, mostly on Apple Watch, and you enjoy ring-closing and leaderboards, Challenges is a great pick. The fair question is what happens when your group is more mixed, or not all on Apple gear. That's where a different fairness model can help.
Challenges app vs Motion: side-by-side comparison
Both apps avoid money-staking gimmicks, so the honest contrast is the fairness model, device breadth, and how gentle the experience feels (not "gimmick vs no gimmick").
| Dimension | Challenges (Compete, Get Fit by FitNow) | Motion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; no required subscription, no cash prizes (possible premium ties to Lose It!, unconfirmed), as of 2026 | Free to download; optional subscription for extras |
| Friend / group challenges | Yes: Team Throwdowns (teams of 4) and Solo Smackdowns (head-to-head / small group) | Yes: weekly activity battles, friend and team challenges of flexible size |
| How competition is scored (fairness) | Mostly absolute: points for closing rings or hitting step thresholds, capped daily (soft leveling via the cap, not per-person % of personal goal) | Effort-based: each person scored on the % of their own adaptive, history-based goal, so mixed-ability groups compete fairly |
| Trackers supported | Apple Watch / Apple Health (best), Fitbit, Google Fit, phone steps. Narrow, Apple-centric breadth. | Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Google Fit, Samsung Health, Wear OS, or just the phone |
| Platforms | iOS + Apple Watch (full); Android limited to Move More & Eat Well | iOS and Android (full experience on both) |
| Rating | 4.6/5, ~5.7K ratings (Apple App Store)[5] | 4.6/5 App Store |
| Best for | Apple Watch owners and workplace / family groups who enjoy ring-closing leaderboard competition | Mixed-ability groups, beginners, women 40+, and anyone wanting fun, gentle, fair motivation |
When is Motion the better choice?
Challenges is a great fit for an Apple-ecosystem group that's already active. Motion is built for a different situation: when the people in your challenge are at very different fitness levels, when some are nervous beginners or restarting after a break, and when not everyone owns an Apple Watch.
Picture a family or friend group that spans a marathon-running sibling and a parent just getting back to walking. Here's where you'd reach for Motion instead.
Effort-based scoring, not fixed thresholds
Challenges largely scores absolute output (points per closed ring or per ~400 steps) under a daily cap, so the fitter person reliably maxes out and beginners feel they can never win. Motion scores each person on the percentage of their OWN adaptive weekly goal, so a beginner hitting 90% of a modest goal can fairly out-compete an athlete who hit 70% of a hard one. See how it works on our [effort-based fitness goals](/effort-based-fitness-goals/) page.
Your week isn't decided by one un-synced point
In competitive groups, a hard daily cap means everyone bunches at 'perfect scores,' and reviewers report a single lost or un-synced point dropping you far down the board. Motion's percentage-of-goal model spreads results out naturally, so a strong week is rewarded and an off day doesn't sink you.
Fun and encouragement, not just leaderboard pressure
Throwdowns and Smackdowns lean competitive, which can discourage nervous beginners. Motion adds no-punishment [Motmot pets](/digital-fitness-pets/) and [Fit Bingo](/get-fit-bingo/) variety, and celebrates moderation: even a 500-step day counts. It's motivation built on a [supportive community](/supportive-fitness-community/), not pressure.
No Apple Watch required
Challenges is at its best on Apple Watch, and Android or phone-only users get a reduced experience. Motion works on Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Health, Wear OS, Google Fit, or just your phone (see [full tracker compatibility](/full-tracker-compatibility/)), so nobody is left out of the competition because of the device they own.
Set up a fair challenge in 30 seconds
Add your friends or your team and our free builder calculates a fair, personalised target for each person from their own baseline. Share the link. No sign-up, no install, no spreadsheets.
Challenges app FAQs
If you have anything else you want to ask, reach out to us.
Is the Challenges app free?
Yes. Challenges (Compete, Get Fit by FitNow) is free to download and use on both iOS and Android, with no required subscription and no cash-staking or prize-money model (as of 2026). Rewards are virtual Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. Some sources reference premium or upsell paths tied to FitNow's Lose It! ecosystem, so treat any premium tier as secondary. The core competition experience is free.
Can I do step challenges with friends on the Challenges app?
Yes. You can create or join private invite-code competitions or larger public ones, and compete as a team (Team Throwdowns, teams of four) or head-to-head (Solo Smackdowns). Apple Watch users compete on closing rings; everyone else can join 'Move More' step challenges or 'Eat Well' nutrition challenges. If you want a competition where mixed-ability friends compete on a level playing field, an effort-based alternative like Motion scores each person against their own goal instead of a fixed threshold.
What's the best Challenges app alternative?
For most people, Motion is the strongest alternative: it scores each person on the percentage of their own adaptive goal and works on Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Health, Wear OS, or just a phone. If your group needs a tracker-agnostic leaderboard for a workplace program, Stridekick is worth a look. For a free phone-only step counter with global challenges, Pacer is a solid option.
How is Motion different from the Challenges app?
The biggest difference is the fairness model. Challenges mostly scores absolute output (points for closing rings or hitting step thresholds) under a daily cap. Motion scores each person on how much of their OWN personalised, history-based weekly goal they hit, so a returning beginner and a seasoned athlete can compete fairly. Motion also adds gentle gamification (Motmot pets and Fit Bingo), celebrates moderation rather than only rewarding big numbers, and works fully on Android and a wide range of trackers beyond Apple Watch.
Do I need an Apple Watch to use the Challenges app?
Not strictly, but the full experience is built around it. Apple Watch unlocks the signature 'Close Your Rings' competitions plus live on-wrist rankings. Without one, you're limited to 'Move More' step challenges and 'Eat Well' nutrition challenges, and Android support is narrower. If your group is mixed across iPhone, Android, Garmin, Fitbit, and Samsung devices, Motion's full tracker compatibility keeps everyone in the same competition.
Is the Challenges app good for beginners or mixed-ability groups?
It's better suited to people who are already moderately active and enjoy ring-closing and leaderboards. Because scoring rewards absolute output against fixed thresholds, the fittest person tends to max out the daily cap while beginners can feel they'll never catch up. For nervous beginners, women 40+, or anyone restarting after a break, an effort-based model that scores the percentage of each person's own goal (with encouragement over pressure) tends to keep more people engaged.
Related comparisons and Motion features
Stridekick alternatives
A cross-device step-challenge platform for workplace programs. How its tracker-agnostic leaderboards compare to Motion's effort-based scoring.
Read morePacer alternatives
A free phone-only step counter with large global challenges. How it stacks up against Motion for beginners and casual walkers.
Read moreEffort-based fitness goals
Why Motion scores each person on the percentage of their own adaptive goal, and how that makes mixed-ability challenges fair.
Read more
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