A recommendation of ours is to get the prefered hardware (we bias to the Saris H3) then try the various training applications. Make use of their free trail, these generally range between 14 - 30 days as ChrisF mentioned. Through the use of the software trail periods you are then able to understand what software features you enjoy and which you don't. This will also give you a 1 - 2 month free training period. Once you have found the preferred software supplier, subscribe and get training. Generally the subscriptions are between US $ 7.00 - 20.00 per user per month. Below are some of the softwares I have used and will recommend. Rouvy - Pricing starts from as little as US $ 6.25 per month (per user), and in my opinion Rouvy is perhaps the best value for money out there. Their premium sub works out to US $ 10.00 per month and allows access to their "premium full HD routes", the ability to add 2 more family members and have the Rouvy app installed on up to 5 devices at any time. Rouvy is fully compatible with iOS, Android, PC and now Mac. They even have an Apple TV app which is free to use during their testing phase. Rouvy offers real life virtual routes, workouts, on line races, the ability to import .gpx files and replicate the route terrain indoors and finally supports the TrainingPeaks workout of the day function. All the above is at a competitive pricing point Zwift - Without doubt Zwift is the biggest and most popular software on the market. Zwift is also a personal favourite choice of mine. Their workouts, online races and sense of community does it for me. I also seem to find the H3 resistance changes in ERG mode the smoothest of them all when using Zwift. Zwift is compatible with iOS, high spec'd Android devices, PC and Mac as well as Apple TV. Zwift have a great mobile application (Zwift Companion) which is free to download and allows you to chat to friends, have full control of your workout and the ability to skip segments, increase intensity and when the workout becomes too hard drop the intensity too. The last I checked their monthly cost is US $ 15.00 per user per month. They unfortunately do not have any kind of family memberships so if their multiple users and each wants their own account that's another subscription at full price. TrainerRoad - For those looking to take their training to the next level and want to seriously focus on intervals this is the software for you. The app offers hundreds of compete training plans ranging from a couple of weeks up to a couple of months in duration with thousands of workouts. TrainerRoad is compatible with iOS, Android, PC and Mac devices (NO APPLE TV yet). I stand under correction but I think they are currently the most expensive app with a monthly cost of US $ 20.00. They also DO NOT offer a family subscription model. FulGaz - This is an app I have been playing around with and has a lot of resemblance to Rouvy, many of the routes found in Rouvy can be found in FulGaz. These are real routes with real GoPro video footage unlike Zwift which is animated routes. They have built in training plans similar to TrainerRoad but just not as vast and the ability to create your own workouts etc. They are compatible on iOS, PC, higher spec Android devices and Apple TV. Their monthly subscription is around US $ 13.00 There are of course many more applications such as SufferFest etc. A full review on many of the apps has been done by DC Rainmaker here - https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/11/trainer-apps-guide.html Everyone is different and prefers a different application / training setup. My girlfriend and I have very different preferences in trainer app set up. I enjoy Zwift and make use of an Apple TV and 50" TV. A good fan and wireless headphones are extras i would suggest. My girlfriend enjoys structured workouts and watching Netflix, for this we have an older iPad set up with Rouvy and then she will catch up on series running off the Apple TV. My recommendation has to be the use of an Apple TV simply due to the flexibility and attractive costing of the set up.
