Strong app alternative: what to switch to and why

What Strong does well, and why people still switch

Strong is one of the best-known workout loggers. It runs on iPhone, Android and Apple Watch, the Watch app logs with or without your phone, and it has an auto countdown rest timer, a plate calculator, a warm-up calculator, 1RM and volume graphs and CSV export of all your data. If that list covers your needs, there may be no reason to move. To check any app against the basics, use our workout tracker checklist.

The usual reasons to look elsewhere are about scope, not quality:

• Routines on the free version. Strong's App Store listing says the free version saves unlimited workouts but only three custom routines. A four-day upper lower split or a six-day push pull legs needs more, which means PRO or another app.
• Training with others. Strong lets you share a routine or workout, but there is no feed to follow friends.
• Wanting a program, not a blank log. Strong is built around routines you create yourself and records what you do; deciding the next weight is up to you.
• Wanting the app to plan. Some lifters would rather be handed today's workout.

Strong app alternatives compared

Checked against each app's own site, App Store listing or help center in October 2026. Prices are left out because they differ by region and change often.

Each alternative, and who it suits

Hevy: same idea, more social

Hevy is the app most Strong users try first, and the switch is easy: Hevy's help center describes importing Strong CSV files directly. Logging works much the same, with last session's weights and reps shown for each exercise, an automatic rest timer and an Apple Watch app. On top, you get a feed, follows, leaderboards and a routine library. The free version is ad-free and allows a few more routines than Strong's, and Hevy Pro removes the caps. Our Hevy vs Strong page has the full side by side. If Hevy is not for you either, our Hevy alternative guide lists other options.

Boostcamp: run a famous program

If you used Strong to run a program from a spreadsheet, Boostcamp may save you the spreadsheet. Its library includes 5/3/1 Boring But Big, GZCLP, nSuns and PHUL, and the free tier includes the program library and tracking. Pro adds Auto Progression, which adjusts loads from your performance. It has a rest timer, plate calculator and RPE tracking too.

Liftosaur: for lifters who think in rules

Liftosaur ships programs like GZCLP, Starting Strength and the Texas Method, and lets you write or edit any program in Liftoscript, a plain-text format with custom progression logic. Linear, double and rep-sum progression are built in. It also has a web app, which helps if you plan at a desk.

Fitbod: hand over the planning

Fitbod is the opposite of Strong's blank page. It builds each session from your goals, equipment, history and estimated muscle recovery, and adapts as you log. It uses a free trial followed by a subscription. Read our Fitbod alternative page for the trade-offs of generated workouts.

JEFIT: the big catalogue

JEFIT combines logging, a large exercise database and many ready-made plans, plus an Adaptive Plan feature that builds your next week from strength and fatigue. Some plans need its Elite membership. It suits lifters who want to browse a lot of exercises in one app, much like our own exercise library but inside your log.

How to switch from Strong without losing your history

1. Export from StrongStrong exports all your data as CSV files that you can send to Notes or email. Do this first, whatever you choose next.
2. Check the new app's importHevy imports Strong CSV files according to its help center. For other apps, check their help pages before you rely on an import.
3. Keep a few key numbersIf an import is not possible, write down your recent best sets for the main lifts, or put them through the 1RM calculator to get starting weights.
4. Rebuild your routinesRe-create the routines you actually use. It is a good moment to drop exercises you have been skipping for months.

Gripp: for Strong users who want the next step decided

Gripp is the iPhone app behind this site and it is not out yet. It shares Strong's focus on lifting, with no social feed and no calorie tracking, but it goes one step further on what to do next.

• Double progression built in. "Last time 7 reps at 105 kg (231 lb), today go for 8." Reach the top of the range in every set and the weight goes up. If that is new to you, our progressive overload guide explains it.
• Strength rating per muscle group against people of your age and bodyweight, in the spirit of our bench press strength standards.
• Estimated 1RM per exercise with a progress chart.
• An AI personal trainer that knows your plan and recent sessions. Ask it to swap an exercise or fit a shorter week, and it proposes the change for you to approve. It never edits your plan by itself.

Questions people ask