BikeControl vs QZ: which one do you actually need?
They solve different problems. QZ (qdomyos-zwift) makes equipment that does not speak the standard trainer protocol — Peloton, Echelon, treadmills, rowers — appear to Zwift as a smart trainer. BikeControl is built around everything surrounding virtual shifting: your shifters and controllers, and how the gears feel, in any trainer app. BikeControl is supported officially by MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo.
Both add virtual gearing. If your bike already works with your trainer app and you want better shifting, that is BikeControl. If your bike does not show up in the app at all, start with QZ.
BikeControl is free to try on iOS, macOS, Android and Windows.
Two apps, two jobs
BikeControl
Everything surrounding virtual shifting. It reads the shifter or controller you already have — Zwift Click, Play or Ride, Shimano Di2, SRAM AXS, WHEELTOP EDS, a gamepad, Bluetooth buttons — and turns it into shifting, steering and actions in any trainer app. Its own virtual shifting sits between the trainer and the app — FTMS, FE-C over BLE or Zwift Ready — and simulates a drivetrain, so gear feel follows you across apps.
Best for: any smart trainer, any trainer app, and riders who care how the gears feel. How virtual shifting works on any smart trainer
QZ (qdomyos-zwift)
A virtual bridge. Its focus is on connecting fitness equipment that Zwift and other apps cannot see — Peloton, Echelon, NordicTrack and Domyos bikes, treadmills, rowers, ellipticals — and re-broadcasting it as a standard smart trainer. It also works with standard FTMS smart trainers. Virtual gearing, Zwift Click and Play support and a Bluetooth-remote shifter are built on top of that.
Best for: equipment the trainer app cannot pair with on its own.
BikeControl vs QZ, row by row
Checked against QZ’s README, wiki, App Store listing and source code on 2026-09-15. Each row links to the source for the QZ column; QZ may have changed since.
| Feature | BikeControl | QZ |
|---|---|---|
 MyWhoosh |
Official partner since April 2026. BikeControl is MyWhoosh’s official solution for controller input — MyWhoosh implements the OpenBikeControl protocol and recognises BikeControl directly. Watch on YouTube | No partnership stated. Source |
 Rouvy |
Official partner since April 2026. Rouvy 4.5.4 and newer supports BikeControl over Network or Bluetooth. | No partnership stated. Source |
 TrainingPeaks Virtual |
Official partner since June 2026. Implements the OpenBikeControl protocol — TrainingPeaks helped shape it — with 28 mappable actions. | No partnership stated. Source |
 Strappo |
Official partner since July 2026. Strappo implements the OpenBikeControl protocol. | No partnership stated. Source |
| Core job | Everything surrounding virtual shifting: the shifters and controllers you use, and how the gears feel, in any trainer app. | Non-standard equipment → a trainer app, by emulating a smart trainer. Source |
| Virtual shifting works in | Zwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy, Biketerra, TrainingPeaks Virtual and any other trainer app — BikeControl sits between the trainer and the app. | Zwift, Rouvy, MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks and IndieVelo, per the QZ wiki. Source |
| Virtual front derailleur | Yes — two chainrings with configurable teeth counts. |
Not documented — one crankset size setting. Source |
| Gear count and ratios | 1–30 gears, custom ratios, named configurations per trainer. |
Custom gear table, crankset, cog and wheel size, gain and offset, or Zwift’s own ratio table. Source |
| Drivetrain simulation | Rider and bike weight, grade smoothing, cadence filter. | Rider and bike weight; gearing from crankset, cog and wheel size. No grade smoothing documented. Source |
| Shifters and controllers | Zwift Click, Click v2, Play and Ride; Shimano Di2; SRAM AXS (every button); WHEELTOP EDS; Wahoo KICKR Bike; CYCPLUS BC2; Thinkrider VS200; gamepads; Bluetooth buttons; keyboard; OpenBikeControl hardware. Controller comparison | Zwift Click v1 and v2, Zwift Play and Ride, Bluetooth volume remotes, on-screen gear tiles. Source |
| Zwift Click v2 | No daily unlock since BikeControl 6.0.0 — BikeControl keeps the controller alive itself. Read the guide | Needs unlocking in Zwift once a day, per the QZ wiki. Source |
| Button gestures | Single, double and long press per button, each with its own action. | Not documented. Source |
| Steering | Elite Sterzo Smart, Elite Square, Zwift Play and Ride, phone tilt. | Elite Sterzo Smart; steering angle tile for the Elite Rizer. Source |
| Peloton, Echelon, NordicTrack, treadmills, rowers | No. BikeControl works with FTMS, FE-C over BLE and Zwift Ready smart trainers. Compatible smart trainers | Yes — this is what QZ is for. Source |
| Works with any FTMS smart trainer | Yes. | Yes. Source |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. | iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Windows. Source |
| Price | Free to try. Base is a one-time purchase of about €5.99. Pro (virtual shifting, all platforms) is a subscription, free for 20 minutes a day. See pricing | €7.99 one-time on the App Store, priced per region. Windows and macOS need a Patreon membership after a ten-minute trial. Source |
| Desktop licensing | Free to try on Windows and macOS, the same as on iOS and Android — no membership check. One Pro subscription covers every platform. | Windows and macOS builds check for a Patreon membership and close after a ten-minute trial if none is found. Source |
| Source code | Public on GitHub. OpenBikeControl/bikecontrol | Public on GitHub. cagnulein/qdomyos-zwift |
QZ column as of 2026-09-15.
Which one should you install?
Choose BikeControl if…
- You ride MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual or Strappo — they support BikeControl officially, with no bridge in between.
- You want the best possible virtual shifting experience, with everything customizable: a virtual front derailleur, your own ratios, your weight and grade smoothing, the same in every app.
- You want to shift with Di2, AXS, WHEELTOP or a gamepad, or use every button on your levers individually.
- You ride on Windows or macOS — BikeControl is free to try there too, with no membership check.
Choose QZ if…
- Your bike, treadmill or rower does not appear in Zwift or your trainer app at all. That is the problem QZ solves and BikeControl does not.
- You want a fully GPL-licensed app, and you are on iOS, Android or Linux where no Patreon check applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is QZ a free alternative to BikeControl?
No. QZ is a €7.99 one-time purchase on the App Store (priced per region), and its Windows and macOS builds ask for a Patreon membership after a ten-minute trial. BikeControl is free to try on every platform; Base is a one-time purchase of about €5.99, and BikeControl’s own virtual shifting is a Pro feature that is free for 20 minutes a day. Details: https://bikecontrol.app/pricing/
What does QZ do that BikeControl does not?
QZ makes equipment that does not speak the standard trainer protocol — Peloton, Echelon and NordicTrack bikes, treadmills, rowers and ellipticals — appear to Zwift and other apps as a normal smart trainer. BikeControl does not do that; it needs a smart trainer that speaks FTMS, FE-C over BLE or Zwift Ready.
What does BikeControl do that QZ does not?
BikeControl is supported officially by MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo — MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo through the OpenBikeControl protocol, so the apps recognise it directly. It reads more shifters and controllers, including Shimano Di2, SRAM AXS, WHEELTOP EDS, gamepads and Bluetooth buttons, and its virtual shifting simulates a drivetrain with a virtual front derailleur, custom gear ratios, rider and bike weight and grade smoothing.
Which one handles the Zwift Click v2?
BikeControl. The Click v2 ships locked to Zwift and normally has to be unlocked in the Zwift app once a day before another app can use it. Since BikeControl 6.0.0 that step is gone — BikeControl keeps the controller alive itself. QZ’s wiki notes the Click v2 still needs the daily unlock in Zwift. Details: https://bikecontrol.app/blog/zwift-click-v2-with-other-trainer-apps/
Does either app add lag to shifting?
Both apps sit between your controller and the trainer app, so a button press takes a few milliseconds longer than a controller the app reads directly. In practice a shift lands before the next pedal stroke. Neither app smooths or filters the power reading; the trainer’s own numbers pass through as they are.
What is OpenBikeControl?
OpenBikeControl is the open, vendor-neutral protocol BikeControl created so trainer apps and controller makers can talk to each other without reverse-engineering anything. MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo have adopted it, and open controller hardware is being built on it. BikeControl is fighting for a more open ecosystem in indoor cycling: any controller, any trainer, any app. Learn more at https://openbikecontrol.org/
Learn how virtual shifting works on any smart trainer, compare the best controllers for indoor cycling, or download BikeControl — free to try on iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows.