When I first thought about starting an online yoga studio, I wasn't convinced that they'd be much different from YouTube sessions. So I did my homework and I went to every online yoga class that was being offered in March 2020, which was surprisingly few considering the world had just gone online. But I went to a good amount and realised within a few moments that being online in a live class was very different to being on a YouTube video. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but I think it had to do with practicing in real time with a teacher that, although they weren't there in the room with you, their energy could sort of be felt across the screens. Not in a woo-woo kind of a way but in an "I'm here with you, let's make this motivating and keep you accountable" kind of way. Now, six years later, I am a full convert to the online yoga community. And many others are too.

So if you find yourself on a cold Thursday evening in October struggling to organise your children or work or find your leggings or your car keys and get to your class on a dark wintery night, this blog is for you. Online yoga was made for this, and over the last few years the options in the UK have gone from a handful of grainy Zoom classes to a genuinely lovely range of studios, platforms and apps.

The trouble is choosing between them. So we have done the comparing for you, looking at what each one costs, how many live classes you actually get, what the community feels like and who each option genuinely suits.

One thing before we start, because we would rather say it plainly than hope you don't notice. Frog Project is us. We run this studio, we love this studio, and we have put ourselves on this list because we honestly believe we belong on it. But we also know that, like an in-person class, different online studios are for different people. Different teachers are for different people and different communities are for different people. So we have been straightforward about who we are not right for, and we have been genuinely generous about the other seven, because the truth is that the best online yoga studio is the one you will still be using in six months, and that depends far more on you than on us. And we really want you doing yoga!

How we chose (and how you might choose)

A quick word on what we mean by an online yoga studio, because it matters. Some of the options below are real studios, with live classes taught by real teachers who know your name, while others are on-demand libraries or apps where you press play on a recording. Both have their place. Live classes give you accountability, real-time teaching and the feeling of practicing alongside other people, which is often the difference between practicing regularly and just hoping you get round to it. On-demand libraries give you total freedom over when and what you practice, usually for less money, and often filmed in exotic locations with very nice lighting and beautiful sunsets. We have included both so you can see which you prefer.

When comparing, we looked at five things: the number and quality of live classes, the monthly price, the range of styles and levels, whether there is any real sense of community, and how easy it is to try before you commit.

The quick comparison

Prices do chop and change a little, so do check each studio's own site for the most up-to-date numbers. Right, now on with the list.

1. The Frog Project

Best for live daily classes, energy-led practice and a community that actually knows you.

Full disclosure: this is us. We are biased, we know it, and rather than pretending otherwise we will simply tell you exactly who we are right for and who we are not.

The Frog Project exists for people who want to put themselves first but keep finding themselves at the bottom of their own list. Our community is mostly women, and it supports women through all the seasons of life, from full houses and fuller diaries through perimenopause, menopause and everything after, though anyone who is ready to top up their tank is warmly welcome. We run more than 25 live classes a week, seven days a week from seven in the morning to eight at night, taught by teachers who know your name, notice when you arrive and quietly notice when you don't. Everything starts with one question: how is your energy today? Whether you are feeling foggy, scattered or balanced, there is a class that meets you exactly there, because the whole idea is that your practice bends around your life and your energy rather than the other way round.

The range is wider than you might expect from a close-knit studio. At the softest end there is meditation, breathwork and yoga nidra, along with slow nurturing classes designed to settle a nervous system that will not switch off, in the middle sits lovely classic hatha, and for the days when you have more in the tank there are stronger flows and even yoga with weights. Beyond the weekly timetable you will find a free 21-day beginners journey for people who have never set foot on a mat, dedicated courses for menopause and for the nervous system (all included in the monthly membership), and a full Yoga Alliance certified 200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training taught live and in real time, for the members who fall so far in love with the practice that they want to share it.

What keeps people here, though, is the community. This is a space to feel seen, safe and supported, with real conversation before and after every class, a private members' space complete with a book club, and in-person retreats several times a year where people who met on screen travel from all over the UK to finally practice in the same room. Members arrive for the yoga and end up with genuine yoga friends, and honestly we think that might be the best measure of a studio there is. Membership starts at £29 a month after a free 15-day trial with no card needed, and with a 5.0 rating from more than 200 reviews on Trustpilot, Google and Facebook we are quietly confident you will feel at home here too.

“I have been a part of the fantastic Frog Project for four years. With over 20 classes on offer each week it is not surprising that I have already done over 1200! If you are looking for tremendous value, a caring and supportive community and a great choice of classes led by friendly and experienced guides, then I recommend that you join Carrie and the team today.”

Ruth, Trustpilot

Who we are not for: if what you want is hot power yoga, a library of thousands of on-demand videos to browse at 11pm, or the anonymity of practicing without anyone knowing you exist, one of the studios below will honestly serve you better. We are small, live and personal on purpose.

2. Movement for Modern Life

Best for a big, thoughtful, well-curated on-demand library - “The Netflix of Yoga”

If The Frog Project is a friendly studio of people who know your name, Movement for Modern Life is a beautifully organised video library with over 2000 on-demand videos, and 3 live classes a week. You can also pay extra for workshop recordings and courses too. It was one of the first online yoga platforms in the UK and it shows in the best way, with a deep catalogue of classes from well-known teachers covering everything from strong vinyasa to yoga for grief, menopause and chronic pain. The tone is warm rather than glossy, which makes it feel refreshingly grounded.

The heart of the offering is on demand rather than live, so you will need your own self-discipline to keep showing up, and the community exists mostly in comment threads rather than in real time. Membership is £20/month with 14 day free trial. If you love the idea of great teachers and endless choice, and you are the sort of person who genuinely will press play on a Tuesday evening without anyone expecting you, this is a wonderful home.

3. Yogaia

Best for mixing live classes with an on-demand library.

This studio was the first online class I ever tried. I wasn't sure about the name and when I googled it, I found out that the group were Finnish, which made me excited because I used to live in Finland. But the teachers are really from everywhere and there's quite a lot of them.

Yogaia sits somewhere in the middle of the live versus on-demand question, offering real-time classes around the clock you can join from your living room alongside a large library of recordings for the moments when the timetable doesn't suit. Anything from HIIT, to Pilates, to meditation, to yoga! It began in Helsinki and has built a solid following in the UK, and the interactive element, where teachers can see and gently guide participants who choose to turn their cameras on, brings back some of what people miss about being in a room. A note, when you’re on your free trial the teachers can’t see you.

The teaching roster is international, which means variety, though it also means the schedule doesn't always align neatly with UK evenings, so it is worth checking the timetable against your own routine before committing. Membership is £18/month with a 14 day free trial. A good choice if you want a foot in both camps.

4. Triyoga Online

Best for world-class teachers from a famous London studio.

I was excited when Triyoga started online classes because they are a very well-known studio in the UK. If you've spent any time in London, you will probably have heard of Triyoga. I first heard of them when I was working at a yoga studio in Sri Lanka and a teacher from Triyoga was visiting and held a workshop on Thai massage. When I went to my first Triyoga class, it was the first class that was being taught live but being streamed from a camera in the corner. I felt a little bit like I didn't belong in the class, like a fly on the wall. But if you want to feel part of the London community, then this is perhaps a good place to be.

Triyoga has been one of London's most respected studios since 2000, and its online offering brings that pedigree to anyone with a broadband connection. The teachers here are experienced, many with decades of practice behind them, and the range runs from dynamic vinyasa through to restorative, yin and meditation, along with workshops and trainings that go deeper than most platforms attempt.

The online experience is essentially a window into a large, prestigious studio rather than a purpose-built online community, so it can feel a little less personal than platforms designed for home practice from the ground up, and the pricing reflects its premium London roots at £95/month for an online membership. If you want to be a part of the London scene, this is definitely the place to be.

5. Yoga Easy (formerly Ekhart Yoga)

Best for a wide selection of videos and 3 different live classes a week.

Founded by Dutch teacher Esther Ekhart, whose gentle YouTube classes introduced thousands of people to yoga, EkhartYoga has grown into one of Europe's most substantial platforms, with several thousand classes and a strong emphasis on teaching you to understand your practice rather than just follow along. The tone was quiet, unhurried and refreshingly free of performance, and there are excellent programmes for beginners, for stress and for building a home practice that lasts. In recent years it changed to Yoga Easy and now has a bit more of an American feel to it.

It is almost entirely on demand, with 3 live classes a week, and the community lives in a members' area rather than in classes themselves. Membership is £95 for six months with a 14-day trial. For thoughtful practitioners who want depth without noise, it is quietly brilliant.

6. Alo Moves

Best for beautiful production and strong, aspirational flows.

This is the studio for you if you enjoy the Lululemon sort of vibe. They call themselves a Wellness Club, and it’s very glamorous. The on-location filming is anything from on top of a cliff to a beach to some cityscape, filmed by drones. If you enjoy that perfect sort of a look and really polished video, then this is absolutely the place for you. I do have one yoga teacher friend who teaches on this platform and I think you get some nice perks from being part of it.

Alo Moves comes from the team behind the Alo Yoga activewear brand, and it looks like it: gorgeous studios, gorgeous teachers, gorgeous lighting. Beneath the aesthetics there is real substance, with well-structured series in yoga, Pilates, strength and meditation, and it particularly suits people who enjoy a stronger, more athletic style of practice and like their content to feel like a treat.

Everything is on demand, the vibe is unmistakably Los Angeles, and if you are having a low-energy day the relentless radiance on screen can feel like being smiled at slightly too hard. Membership is totally free. Great for motivation through beauty, less so for community or gentleness.

7. Down Dog

Best for tiny budgets and infinitely customisable classes.

One of my best friends has used this app for more than ten years and she really loves it. Down Dog is an app rather than a studio, and a very clever one. Instead of choosing from recorded classes, you set your preferences for style, length, level, pace, music and even how much the teacher talks, and the app generates a fresh class every time, so you never repeat the same sequence twice. For the price, £10.99, it is good value, and it is a genuinely useful tool for days when you have exactly seventeen minutes and want someone to just tell you what to do.

What it cannot give you is a human being. There is no teacher watching your alignment, no community, and no one who notices whether you showed up this week. As a supplement to live classes, or as a starting point when money is tight, it earns its place on this list easily.

8. Yoga With Adriene

Best for starting today, for free.

Everybody loves Adriene. She is honest, down-to-earth, and has that lovely Texas charm that makes you feel like she's your friend. I have lots of friends that have enjoyed Yoga With Adriene over the years. And while it's not based in the UK, we can’t leave her out! A few years ago she did a great podcast with Russell Brand and I loved listening to her humble approach too. Her free YouTube channel has guided tens of millions of people through their first downward dog, usually with her dog Benji asleep somewhere in shot. Her teaching is kind, unpretentious and genuinely good, her thirty-day journeys each January have become a ritual for people all over the world, and the price is nothing at all.

The limitations are the obvious ones: it is a one-way screen, there is no feedback, no live schedule and no community beyond the comment section, and many people find that after a year or so of Adriene they are hungry for real-time teaching and real people. But as a free, pressure-free front door into yoga, she remains unbeatable, and we recommend her without hesitation.

Live classes or on-demand videos: which will actually work for you?

Here is the question underneath all of this, and it is worth being honest with yourself about it. On-demand platforms offer freedom, choice and lower prices, and they work beautifully for people who are already self-motivated. Live online classes cost a little more and ask you to show up at a particular time, and in exchange they give you a teacher who is actually teaching you, other people alongside you, and the gentle accountability of being expected.

If you have ever paid for a yoga app, used it enthusiastically for two weeks and then quietly forgotten it existed, that is not a personal failing, it is just how most of us are wired. A booked class with a real teacher is much harder to skip than a video that will still be there tomorrow. Our unscientific rule of thumb is this: if freedom keeps you practicing, choose a library, and if being expected and seen keeps you practicing, choose live.

Frequently asked questions

How much does online yoga cost in the UK?
On-demand apps and libraries generally run from around £10 to £20 a month, while live online studios with real teachers and a real community tend to sit a little higher, from around £29 a month at The Frog Project. Almost everything on this list offers a free trial, so you can practice for a week or two and see what suits you before a penny leaves your account.

Is online yoga good for beginners?
Genuinely yes, and for many people it is better than walking into a busy studio, because you can wobble, rest and quietly look up what a word means without feeling watched. If you are brand new, look for a dedicated beginner course rather than diving straight into a general timetable. Ours is a free 21-day Yoga for Beginners journey, built exactly for people who have never set foot on a mat.

What do I need to start practicing yoga at home?
Less than you think. A mat, a bit of floor space and clothes you can move in is honestly all it takes to begin. A couple of cushions and a folded blanket will stand in for most props a teacher mentions, and nobody minds what your living room looks like.

Can I do online yoga during menopause, or when my energy is low?
Yes, and this is close to our hearts. Gentle, restorative and breath-led practices are some of the kindest things you can do for yourself on a depleted day, and yoga has real benefits for many women moving through perimenopause and menopause and we have a 6 week course that guides you through specific practices - included in our free trial. The trick is choosing a class that meets your energy where it actually is rather than demanding energy you don't have, which is the whole idea behind how we teach.

Are live online yoga classes better than pre-recorded videos?
It depends entirely on what keeps you coming back. Recorded videos win on freedom and price, and they work beautifully if you are already self-motivated. Live classes give you a teacher who can actually see you, other people practicing alongside you, and the gentle accountability of being expected, which for a lot of us is the difference between meaning to practice and actually doing it.

The bottom line

If you want a huge library and total freedom, Movement for Modern Life and Yoga Easy are wonderful, Alo Moves brings the international polish, and Down Dog and Yoga With Adriene will look after you for pocket money or for free. If what you actually want is live classes, teachers who know you and a community that helps you keep the promise you made to yourself, then we would love you to try The Frog Project. Every class, every teacher, every style, free for 15 days, no card and no commitment. Come and see if we fit.

“I started my 15 day free trial over 3 years ago and absolutely recommend the Frog Project for anyone wanting to do more yoga. It feels like part of my life now. Live classes are so much better than recordings (these are also available) and you really do feel part of something special. The Frog Project is run with great energy. It gives the opportunity to improve your strength, flexibility and to look after your mind. Try it - you will gain more than you ever imagined!”

Jane, Trustpilot Review

If you feel the pull, try now, 15 days totally free, no card, no commitment. We can’t wait to meet you!