Originally Posted by
WhyFi
If you're looking to distract yourself with faux rides? Yes.
If you're looking to do primarily intervals? No, imo.
+1.
If you're doing workouts and have to suddenly dump a bunch of gears to keep your cadence up as you hit a hill, it can be annoying to have a smart trainer. If you just want an immersive experience in Zwift, it's way better. I bought a used Cycleops Magnus a few months ago and have used it daily since then, it's been great. Found it for something like $300 locally, may want to see if anyone is selling a used smart trainer in your area.
That said, if you don't have a power meter and want to do workouts without the road effect, you can turn the realism setting all the way down on a smart trainer and then have an accurate power reading without the changing resistance.