Zwift has introduced 12-month subscriptions that let users spend a little less than they would over a year paying month-to-month.
The new Zwift subscriptions offer “12 months for the price of 10,” equating to $149.99 before tax for the year.
Zwift’s standard pricing is $14.99 a month, which works out at $179.88 after a year.
If anything, it’s a little odd Zwift has taken this long to implement longer-term subscription deals.
TrainerRoad lets you subscribe for $189 a year. Arch rival Wahoo Systm, previously known as Sufferfest, costs $149.99 a year, just like Zwift. Or $14.99 a month
It’s a little hard to fathom why Zwift has taken so long to adopt a year-long membership.
These longer-term plans can feel like a small reward for loyalty on the part of the end user, and can also be used to front-load cash reserves to fund development.
Zwift has raised upwards of $620 million in investment to date, a figure that has circulated since 2020.
Co-CEO Eric Min suggested earlier this year that the current $15 subscription price is not sustainable, in an interview with Bloomberg. However, we are yet to see the platform’s subscription price rise.
The company’s business has changed in quite a dramatic way over the last year and change too.
In September 2022 Zwift announced the Zwift Hub, a direct drive turbo trainer. While it is reportedly a rebranded Jetblack Volt V2, this represented a significant shift in Zwift’s offering.
Long-standing turbo trainer maker Wahoo then began a legal case against Zwift, claiming patent infringement. This was eventually thrown out of court.
And, a year after the Zwift Hub was released, Zwift announced an amicable end to the disagreement with Wahoo. Zwift now actually stocks some of Wahoo’s turbo trainers on the Zwift store, with a year’s subscription attached.
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