The best online yoga workouts

Alo offers over 800 yoga-specific classes that are all able to be accessed via a smartphone, computer or tablet, and features easy-to-use filters so you can find exactly what you want. If you like to have variety and to not have to take the same class over and over again, you'll love the amount of options. There's everything from Vinyasa courses to restorative sessions and hatha.

I especially like that the service has a feature where you can filter the workouts by duration, so when I only had about 25 minutes to work on my practice, I was still able to choose from a plethora of workouts — not just one or two options. Classes also have written descriptions, so you know what to expect before the video starts.

While yoga is the focus for the app, Alo Moves also offers different classes like cardio, HIIT, barre, and Pilates, so if you need a break from your weekly flows, you have the option to take other classes. They even offer prenatal yoga classes, too.

Pros: Over 800 yoga classes that focus on training the mind and the body, offers prenatal classes, has other fitness videos like cardio and HIIT

Cons: Options can seem overwhelming

Price: $20 a month or $199 a year

Brought to you by the New York yoga studio Sky Ting (which has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn), this service offers daily live classes as well as a slew of pre-recorded yoga workouts available for its members.

The backdrop Sky Ting TV uses for each class, which ranges from an array of plants to animal statues like flamingos or giraffes, is one of the service's highlights. Each setting feels incredibly calming, which helps put me in the right headspace to practice yoga.

Each of the studio's videos feature its instructors demoing all the moves and moving through the flows, but unlike some videos where the person on screen also cues, these videos have a useful. While this may seem different, I liked that it kept the class moving — you never run into a situation where you're stuck in a pose for a long, unplanned amount of time because the on-screen instructor goes on a tangent.

The videos range in length from two minutes to 64 minutes and feature skill levels of beginner, advanced, or all level. Sky Ting TV also has skill-based classes that I enjoyed which include options like mobility, a backbend class, hip stretching, or a shoulder opening session.

Pros: Different levels available, range of lengths, both live classes and class library, beautiful and calming class backdrop

Cons: You may not enjoy the voiceover format

Price: $20 per month

Yoga Download makes it easy to filter your class options by style, instructor, length, level, intensity, or focus to help you more easily select the class you want to take. Not only does each video list the length and level, they also list the intensity to give you an understanding of what to expect, as well as props needed, if any.

I loved the amount of variety within the app, too. I don't usually enjoy doing the same workout, especially when I'm following along with a service or app, and I like to have a lot of options for all the different yoga varieties. Some services, for instance, only have a couple restorative yoga options but with Yoga Download, there are many to choose from which made each session feel fresh. The app has over 1,000 choices across a variety of specialties and I like that it recommends workouts based on the ones you've taken.

If you're not familiar with certain poses, or you find that you struggled with a pose during class but didn't want to pause the workout to fix it, check out the service's yoga pose videos tab to work on whatever exercise you had issues with. This, along with its varying intensity levels, makes Yoga Download an enjoyable app.

Pros: Tons of class options, lots of variety in yoga type, classes list length, level, intensity, and props needed, library of yoga poses

Cons: Not made very clear that free membership only lasts 19 days

Price: 19 days free, then $12 per month

Gaia lets you pick individual practices or start in on a dedicated series that you can complete over several sessions — and has over 8,000 class options. Some of the series are from world-renowned instructors like Rodney Yee, Sally Kempton, Kathryn Budig, and others. The app gives you the option to even choose to see classes instructed by your favorites.

Even if you're not familiar with the instructors, you can choose a class based on yoga type, philosophy, current lifestyle issue (i.e. managing stress or promoting mental health) or choose from the featured practices that the service offers each day. Classes are classified by level, length, type, and they even have a short description of what the class offers. This helped me have a better feel for which classes I wanted to try, without having to watch a couple minutes of the video first.

The service aims to be a go-to resource for overall consciousness, so it also offers meditation classes, documentaries, articles, and various additional resources.

Pros: World-renowned instructor series, over 8,000 videos, ad-free (if you sign up for a full membership), meditation classes

Cons: No original series

Price: 7 days free, then $12 per month

Who says you can't get a good workout via YouTube? International yoga instructor, Adrianne Mishler, started her own channel to offer yoga to as many people as possible via her free YouTube videos.

I was introduced to Adrianne's yoga practice from an in-person workout and have been doing her practice ever since. She breaks each session down for beginners and kept me from feeling discouraged when I was just starting out.

I also enjoyed that Adrianne creates certain flows specific for individuals or situations. For example, there's a yoga for writers session that focuses on getting your creative juices flowing, and even a yoga for tension relief or yoga for low back and hamstrings. One of my personal favorites was her yoga to slow your roll which focuses on helping you relax.

While her videos are for all levels, there is far more beginner/intermediate content than that for advanced users. Adrienne offers individual videos on her personal website, while the entirety of each of her series are accessible via her YouTube channel.

Pros: Free, high-quality, open to all levels, situation specific yoga

Cons: Format on YouTube doesn't make it easy to scroll between videos or go back if you choose one you decide you don't like, sometimes you have to watch ads before videos start

Price: Free