Looking for a Intervals.icu alternative?
Love Intervals.icu's analysis but want planning that does more of the work? The Next Race pairs free, ready-made plans and an AI assistant with a calendar built for quick edits.
Intervals.icu is one of the best things to happen to self-coached athletes: a free platform with deep fitness, fatigue and form charts, power-curve modelling and wellness tracking, plus workout pushes to almost every watch and head unit. If analysis is what you're after, it's hard to beat.
Where it asks more of you is planning. Workouts are written in a text-based editor, the plans you can browse are shared by other users and placed on your calendar by hand, and its annual plan builder — a paid Supporter feature, still in beta — sets weekly load targets rather than workouts. The Next Race starts from the other end: free, ready-made plans that line up behind your race date, multi-race planning, built-in smart-trainer control and an AI assistant you can plan with.
The Next Race vs Intervals.icu
| Feature | The Next Race | Intervals.icu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free; $4/mo Supporter for extras |
| Ready-made training plans | 23 free plans, from Couch to 5K to Ironman | Plans shared by other users, placed by hand |
| Multi-race planning | Blends overlapping race blocks automatically | Annual plan builder sets weekly targets (Supporter, beta) |
| Workout builder | Structured step editor | Fast text-based editor |
| Drag-and-drop calendar | Yes — built for fast edits | Yes |
| Push workouts to devices | Garmin and Wahoo | Garmin, Wahoo, Zwift, Coros, Suunto, Karoo and more |
| Indoor smart-trainer control (ERG) | Built-in — drives ERG mode on your trainer | None — ride in Zwift, Rouvy or similar |
| AI assistant | Official MCP server — plan with Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini | Third-party MCP servers; official one in the works |
| Deep load analytics (CTL/ATL/TSB) | Automated physiology + focused metrics | Industry-leading — eFTP, power models, 140+ metrics |
| Daily health (HRV, sleep) | Yes — feeds your recovery | Yes |
| Coaching tools | Free | Free; teams on Supporter |
| Learning curve | Minimal | Steep at first |
| Best for | Athletes who want a plan to follow | Data-driven athletes who build their own training |
Intervals.icu's core platform is free with no trial or time limit. An optional Supporter subscription ($4/month at the time of writing, October 2026) adds extras such as the annual training plan builder, weather forecasts and full Strava history import. The Next Race is free, ready-made plans and smart-trainer control included.
Why athletes switch from Intervals.icu
Start from a plan, not a blank calendar
The Next Race has 23 free, ready-made plans — Couch to 5K, sprint to full Ironman, 10K to 50K ultra, century rides. Pick your start date or your race date and the whole plan lines up behind it, with every workout structured and ready for your watch.
Several races in one season
Training for a half marathon in spring and a triathlon in summer? The Next Race blends the race blocks so the workouts don't collide, instead of leaving you to reconcile two plans by hand.
Ride indoors without another app
Intervals.icu leaves trainer control to Zwift, Rouvy and similar apps. The Next Race drives your smart trainer in ERG mode itself and holds your target power through each interval.
An AI assistant that's built in
The Next Race runs its own MCP server, so Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini can read your training and change your plan in plain language. Intervals.icu relies on third-party MCP servers for now.
Less to learn
A clean, fast calendar is the centre of The Next Race. You get structure and progression without first learning your way around a dashboard of 140 metrics.
When Intervals.icu is still the better pick
If you live in fitness, fatigue and form charts, tune your own CTL and ATL constants, or need workouts pushed to Coros, Suunto or a Hammerhead Karoo, Intervals.icu goes further than The Next Race — and it's free too. Plenty of athletes use both: The Next Race to plan the season, Intervals.icu to dig into the data, with Garmin or Strava feeding each.
Intervals.icu alternative — FAQ
Is The Next Race free like Intervals.icu?
Yes. The Next Race is free, including its ready-made training plans, two-way Garmin sync, smart-trainer control and AI assistant. Intervals.icu is also free, with an optional $4/month Supporter subscription for extras.
Does The Next Race have ready-made training plans?
Yes — 23 free plans covering Couch to 5K, 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 50K ultra, sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and full-distance triathlon, plus an indoor FTP builder and a century ride plan. Each one lines up with your start date or race date when you add it.
Can I ride indoors with The Next Race?
Yes. The Next Race has built-in smart-trainer control that drives your trainer in ERG mode and holds your target power through each interval, so you don't need a separate app such as Zwift to run your workouts.
Does The Next Race have fitness, fatigue and form charts like Intervals.icu?
The Next Race focuses on lighter, more actionable metrics with automated physiology. If you rely on detailed training-load modelling, power-curve models and custom CTL/ATL constants, Intervals.icu goes deeper.
Can I use The Next Race and Intervals.icu together?
Yes. Both read your activities from Garmin and Strava, so you can plan in The Next Race and analyse in Intervals.icu without entering anything twice.
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A better way to plan your training.
Free multi-race planning, a fast calendar, and an AI assistant. Make the switch today.