High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, makes it easy to squeeze in fitness even when you’re short on time. If you have seven minutes, HIIT can make it pay off — and these apps provide all you need to get moving, sweating, and feeling fit.
The best HIIT apps offer engaging, diversified workouts, clear instructions, and lots of extras. Healthcare Website rated the year’s best based on user reviews, quality, and overall reliability, so pick one to start enjoying the benefits of consistent exercise with a minimal time investment.
As with any fitness routine, check with your doctor first if you have questions about what might be best for your body, health, and lifestyle.
iPhone rating: 4.8 stars
Android rating: 4.5 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
These seven-minute workouts are based on scientific studies to help you reap the greatest benefits in the shortest timeframe. Set your goal and fitness level, and then follow the app’s instructions for a head-to-toe workout in just seven sweaty minutes.
iPhone rating: 4.7 stars
Android rating: 4.6 stars
Price: Free
This is another fast, science-based approach to efficient training. Designed by Chris Jordan, director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, this app has a library with 22 preset workouts that vary in intensity and length. Customize 72 exercises and 22 workouts to create 1,000 variations, so you never get bored.
iPhone rating: 4.8 stars
Android rating: 4.7 stars
Price: $4.99
Offering popular interval timers for HIIT and Tabata, Seconds features a full-screen, color-coded display that you can easily read from a distance. Choose from the app’s templates or create your own, and coordinate your music with your workouts.
iPhone rating: 4.9 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Browse over 100 different workouts led by the most in-demand trainers. You can train anytime, anywhere, with workouts that suit your fitness goals, plus get support from an online like-minded fitness community.
iPhone rating: 4.8 stars
Android rating: 4.7 stars
Price: Free
Burn fat and lose weight in just seven minutes a day with these short, effective workouts. The Workout for Women app includes voice and video instructions, and no gym or workout equipment is required.
iPhone rating: 4.6 stars
Android rating: 4.2 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Freeletics has more than 900 workout variations for everyone from beginners to advanced athletes. Length varies from 10 to 30 minutes, based on body weight only, with video tutorials to help you train properly.
iPhone rating: 4.8 stars
Android rating: 4.4 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
This HIIT app focuses on strength and conditioning. Plus, Keelo’s AI-based algorithm examines your workout history for maximum results. Let the app track your progress and challenge you with effective workouts.
iPhone rating: 4.7 stars
Android rating: 4.3 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Get workouts you can follow at home or at the gym with Workout Trainer. The app’s certified trainers guide you through every exercise with timed step-by-step audio, photos, and video instruction. Plus, you can adjust difficulty levels so the app stays useful at every stage of your fitness journey.
iPhone rating: 4.8 stars
Android rating: 4.5 stars
Price: Free
These four-minute HIIT Tabata intervals are designed to get your heart pumping with scientifically proven workouts. Follow step-by-step instructions that are suitable for beginners and intermediates, and use the calendar and weight tracker to monitor your progress.
Android rating: 4.6 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Boost your heart rate and burn fat with cardio, HIIT, and aerobic workouts, plus over 90 bodyweight exercises. You don’t need any equipment, and the app includes a voice coach and clear video demonstrations.
Android rating: 4.3 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
If you have the workouts handled, this is a simple, efficient timer that lets you focus on your training without distraction. Don’t watch the clock, just follow the sounds. Features include vibration mode, in-app volume, presets, step counter, and more.
iPhone rating: 4.1 stars
Android rating: 3.7 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
You don’t always need a video-guided course for your HIIT workouts. Are you solid on your form and your routine, but just want someone to tell you when to change speed, rhythm, workout, and more with some music to help you pace yourself? Aaptiv has over 2,500 audio workouts and training programs led by personal trainers that can help you find your pace no matter what workout you’re looking for — including over 30 new classes every week.
Android rating: 4.4 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Daily Burn offers some of the best live and on-demand audio and video courses led by experts and celebrities. With over 150 routines aimed at any level of fitness, you can work out any time, any day.
Android rating: 4.7 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Do you know exactly what kind of workout you want? This app lets you build a customized workout for the day (or for a predetermined amount of time), including program length and what areas you want to target. It also provides a guided workout with music and the ability to “boost” your workout so that you can address certain areas even more specifically.
Android rating: 4.9 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Just need a timer with customizable workout settings, in-workout reminders, and easy-to-see numbers for quick reference during your workout? This app aims to make your interval workouts as seamless as possible for any workout you want to fit into your day — whether it’s just a quick few minutes of HIIT each day, or a full workout with parameters for each segment of your routine.
Android rating: 4.9 stars
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Whether you want to burn fat or build muscle, the Tabata HIIT app lets you choose from a variety of workout types. The app includes animations to help you with your form, and detailed statistics on your workouts to track your progress. You can also set a workout schedule in the app and change your routine to address your desired fitness goals at any time.
If you want to nominate an app for this list, email us at nominations@healthline.com.