I use TR and love it (I also use zwift as a visual aid sometimes). Honestly, if you don't need either of them and have your plan established, then you can definitely go without either app. For me, I like TR because the intervals and erg mode control keep me honest (and I like their plan progression and community), but you can just as easily use a free alternative like golden cheetah for that sort of thing.

You don't really need them, some folks here are very sophisticated about their training, personally I like to keep it simple. Having said that, I find Zwift to be great for long (4-6 hrs) rides. Trainer road has good training plans.

What's the best way of keeping it cheap re: device? Don't have a smart phone or other tech thing. Not really interested in saving rides. I just want to see workout data for current ride. Maybe old ipod or ipad??

I trained for years without. Then I got a free period to TrainerRoad. Loved it and subscribed. It has everything I did on my own plus a crap ton more. It adds variety to my otherwise boring training existence.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

I use an old laptop, takes a bit of time to load to Zwift but works well. You don't need the phone.

Do you have a Garmin? you can see the power of the snap on any ant+ bike computer.
If not then yeah pick up a cheap iPad, should do the trick for you.

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http://www.instagram.com/cyclewise

You don't need any of it if you're trying to do it on the cheap. And it won't even be that bad. You can easily find structured bike workouts online that you can follow if needed, or even just hammer yourself to oblivion for set minutes on interval day.

Zwift is awesome, but you do have to invest a decent amount into the setup before you realize the awesome.

If you're short on the cash, i'd wait until you see how you do without TR/Zwift. If you find you aren't biking indoors anywhere near as much as you'd like to, then it is likely worth checking one or the other out.

Zwift online group training, races, and even just open rides, keep indoor ccycling for me as fresh and exciting as it reasonably can be. And man, will you hammer on any race-type Zwift event!

6hrs on a trainer? You are a hero

I'm probably the most dinosaur indoor rider here. I have an old spin bike (dime a dozen on Craigslist). I have it set up to the exact measurements as my tri bike, including split saddle and clip-on aero bars. No computer, no Swift. I train by feel. I have a Garmin speed sensor velcro'ed to the wheel, and a cadence sensor on the crank, for Strava downloads, and real time ride stats on my Garmin F3, that was gifted me by a good friend, when he upgraded. For entertainment, I have a smart TV and send most of my time on Youtube, where I keep up with GTN and GCN and other areas of interest (music, cosmos, ancient history, etc). Or Netflix etc. I've logged nearly 10,000 miles on it this year. I did IMAZ several weeks ago and PR'ed, so its working.

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Athlinks / Strava

Not based on what you said. Save the money and train without them.

Golden Cheetah is free and has a training mode and a large selection of free workouts. Very powerful software for analysis but the interface has a pretty steep learning curve. The main thing you'd be missing compared with Trainerroad is the systematic plans, so you'd have to do some research and build your own. I used to just pick a few of the workouts for different purposes, sweet spot, threshold, or VO2 max, and rotate them depending on what I was trying to accomplish with that particular workout, and gradually make them harder by adjusting my critical power number up.

The Kickr Snap has a good road feel, better than the Computrainer IMHO. But you very definitely do need to calibrate it before every ride or the power numbers are basically junk - easily can be 10-20% off, and not necessarily high, but low as well. Probably not quite as accurate as the Computrainer but not too bad if you calibrate. We use a power meter as power source for ours so no need to calibrate. (I now have a direct drive trainer for myself, and it's very nice but your Snap is just fine as long as you calibrate it.) We just use a nearly-worn out road tire for the Snap, seems to work just fine. We have enough old wheels lying around that we dedicate one for trainer use so don't have to worry about wearing out a nice tire on the trainer.

I have to admit I haven't used GC's train mode in a few years since I use Zwift exclusively now. It's not as systematic but so much more motivating for me that it makes up for that. But if you can motivate yourself you can accomplish just as much with something like GC.

Why don't you try them and see? Zwift has a free seven day trial (first ride is 25k, then enter payment info to get the extra 7 days, cancel before end). TrainerRoad has 30 day refund OR PM me your email and I'll send you a 1 month referral.

TrainerRoad learning curve is pretty short and 30 days is plenty. Zwift is kinda steep, so to get the most out of your 7 free days, I'd have to think about some recommendations so you aren't JRA and confused.

So how do you find Zwift great for long rides. Asking from a point of ignorance. I've used Zwift but so far haven't figured it out. Hesitant to pay for a subscription for that I'm not getting much out of.
To me coming in as a long time computrainer user it just seems to me one goes in same small circles that I don't understand or relate to with a variety of riders coming in & going out. So I assume I missing something. Is it just to avoid visual boredum.
Thanks for any helpful input.

Some of the loops are actually quite long, and time goes quickly. Before Zwift I would struggle to do 2-3 hours on the trainer, but I have gone as far as 6 hours now, the visual stimulation helps a lot. The other aspect is time efficiency and safety. I live in the suburbs of a "big city" and traffic is pretty bad, lots of close calls including one where I actually crashed during a race to avoid a collision with a car. As for time, on a 5 hour Zwift ride, I only stopped for 5 minutes to go to the washroom and refill water/gels. Outdoors, the equivalent ride would take about 6 hours with all traffic stops, adding more sunscreen, refill water bottles, remove layers, etc.