arc vs ladder
the short answer.
ladder is team-based training: you join a coach's program alongside other people and follow it together. arc builds a program around you specifically, then walks you through each set. ladder brings the crowd, arc brings the fit.
feature comparison.
why arc.
training alongside other people is real motivation, and it works. what a team program can't do is bend around your gear, your schedule, and the fact that you've never squatted before. arc asks first, then builds your split and picks your exercises around the answers, and stays free while you use it.
how ladder differs.
ladder is built around named coaches and their teams. you pick a coach whose style fits, join their program, and train through it on the same schedule as everyone else on that team, with a leaderboard and a group chat. the programming is strong and the community is the point. pro runs $29.99/mo or $179.99/yr.
the bottom line.
if you show up more when other people are watching, ladder is built for exactly that. if you want the program itself shaped around your goal and your equipment, that's arc.