Choose Hevy when you want Hevy's documented routine, social, and progress features; choose Strong when you prefer Strong's documented minimal logging workflow.
Pick Hevy
You want Hevy's documented routine, social, and progress features
Pick Strong
You prefer Strong's documented minimal logging workflow
A free workout tracker with social logging and an adaptive Trainer.
Limitation: Hevy's documented Trainer planning and progression features require Pro; confirm current access and pricing before choosing.
Pricing/platform sources
A minimal logbook with documented Apple Watch support.
Limitation: Strong is less ideal for beginners who need the app to make programming decisions.
Pricing/platform sources
Evidence snapshot
This table keeps volatile claims close to their sources. Pricing, platform support, watch behavior, free limits, trials, and offline wording belong to the article record dated June 6, 2026; that date is historical metadata, not a new verification. Use the linked official, store, and help pages for current details.
| Claim area | Hevy | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Official product position | Hevy A free workout tracker with social logging and an adaptive Trainer. | Strong A minimal logbook with documented Apple Watch support. |
| Pricing and plan structure | Hevy Free logging; paid Pro Trainer and premium limits | Strong Free; paid Pro monthly or annual terms |
| Free tier or trial | Hevy Free logging is documented; Trainer and premium limits require Pro; exact limits and current plan terms can change | Strong Free version saves unlimited workouts but is limited to 3 custom routines |
| Platforms, watch, and offline | Hevy Official site names Apple Watch, Wear OS, and Workout Offline; Google Play also lists Wear OS tracking and phone sync. | Strong iOS, Android, Apple Watch; offline and watch behavior should be checked from current official or store sources. |
This comparison is for lifters who already know they want a workout app, but are stuck between two different workflows. The right choice depends less on the longest feature list and more on whether you want to bring your own training plan, have workouts generated, follow a library, or get coaching and progression decisions inside the app.
| Feature | Hevy | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Writes your program | Trainer (Pro) | Self-entered routines; generation not established |
| Chat coach | Not established by linked documentation | Not established by linked documentation |
| Auto progressive overload | Trainer (Pro); adjusts weights from performance | Not established by linked documentation |
| Generated workouts | Trainer (Pro) | Not established by linked documentation |
| Program library | Saved routines and Trainer-generated programs | Saved routines; public program library not established |
| Apple Watch app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline logging | Yes; official watch section says Workout Offline | Phone-independent Apple Watch logging is confirmed; network-offline behavior and later sync are not confirmed in checked official sources |
| Free tier | Free logging; Trainer requires Pro; confirm current limits | Limited; unlimited workouts but 3 custom routines |
| Social / community | ✓ | Store descriptions document workout and routine sharing; a social feed is not established |
Feature evidence
Platform, pricing, watch, free-tier, and workout-generation claims are linked to the official sources below. Where those sources do not directly confirm a feature, the page uses conservative wording such as partial, limited, or not the core workflow.
We split the decision into the moments that matter most in strength training. A workout app can look polished on the home screen and still be frustrating when you are trying to log a hard set, change an exercise, or decide whether to add weight next week.
Hevy's official materials describe free workout logging and social features; its help specifies four free routines, seven custom exercises, and 30-day or three-month statistics views. Strong's current App Store material describes unlimited workout saving with a three-routine limit, while its official help page says Pro adds unlimited templates and other advanced features. Regional limits and prices can change, so neither app gets a universal free-tier win here.
Depends
Both companies document Apple Watch support, but the supplied evidence does not establish a comparative speed or reliability winner. Use the linked product and store details to check phone independence, sync expectations, and the workflow that matches your watch use before choosing.
Depends
Hevy documents friend following, shared workouts, and a social feed. Consider it if seeing other people's sessions is a feature you want. Those features do not prove improved consistency; the linked Strong material centers on personal logging and does not establish a comparable feed.
Hevy
Strong's official materials position it as simple and focused on recording training, while Hevy's materials also emphasize community, routine planning, and progress features. That documented product positioning makes Strong the clearer fit for a minimal interface, without claiming a measured usability result.
Strong
Hevy Trainer documents generated programs and automatic working-weight adjustments based on performance, with Trainer included in Pro. Strong's linked material describes routines, logging, charts, and history rather than establishing a comparable generated-program workflow. That distinction does not predict training outcomes.
Hevy (Pro)
Use the documented workflows above to decide which app fits your training. These are decision criteria from the linked product material, not results from a hands-on test.
Setup
Check whether Hevy and Strong start from saved routines, generated sessions, or both, then compare that documented setup with how you normally train.
During a workout
Review set entry, rest timers, exercise swaps, and previous-performance context in the linked product material. This page does not report a hands-on logging-time or reliability result.
When plans change
Separate manual logging, generated workouts, and progression guidance. Treat each feature description as a documented product claim, not evidence of a particular training outcome.
Over time
Recheck current price, routine limits, data export, platform support, and watch behavior at the official links before committing your training history to either app.
The better fit can change by user. A self-programmed lifter may prefer a focused logbook, while someone who wants planning help may value generated sessions or Trainer guidance more than a larger chart library.
Workout history, export, pricing, and platform support are practical switching costs. Check those details at the linked official sources, especially when the two workflows are otherwise close.
Neither app is automatically better for every lifter. The useful question is which documented trade-off best matches the way you train.
Pricing changes often; treat this as a snapshot.
Hevy
Free logging
Free logging is documented; Trainer and premium limits require Pro; exact limits and current plan terms can change
Strong
Free
Free version saves unlimited workouts but is limited to 3 custom routines
The article record is dated June 6, 2026; that date is historical metadata, not a new source verification. App Store, Google Play, and official pricing pages can show different regional pricing or temporary promotions, so use the linked official sources below for current paid-plan details.
This is a source-based comparison, not a hands-on speed or reliability test. We separate the two products' documented jobs: Hevy combines manual logging with a Pro Trainer workflow, while Strong emphasizes routines, history, charts, and Apple Watch logging. We compare those documented differences, free and paid terms, and platform support without assigning a numerical fit score or claiming training outcomes.
We also keep app categories separate. Hevy is best for lifters who want free social logging or paid Pro Trainer planning, while Strong is best for lifters who want a quiet, manual logging workflow. That means the winner can change depending on whether you care most about logging, generated sessions, Apple Watch, social motivation, or coaching.
How the documented workflow covers starting a workout, entering sets, editing mistakes, and checking history.
Whether the app helps decide the workout, adapts around equipment, or leaves programming fully to the user.
How clearly the app documents next-step decisions, progression rules, or the limits of its planning help.
How much useful strength-training workflow is available before paying, and what paid plans unlock.
How clearly official sources document phone, watch, Android/iOS, and offline boundaries.
This matchup uses documented workflow trade-offs instead of a numerical editorial total. Pricing, platform support, and free-tier limits should be rechecked from official sources before purchase.
These product images illustrate the workflows discussed above and may show earlier versions. They are not evidence of a hands-on test of either competitor.
This comparison separates documented product claims from editorial judgment. We use the linked official and store material to compare setup, logging, progress review, exercise changes, planning, pricing limits, and platform scope.
We do not claim hands-on timing, watch reliability, or long-term testing here. The most honest recommendation is the documented workflow that fits your needs, with volatile details checked again at the official source before purchase.
Separate first-party beta note
Hevy and Strong are compared here on their own documented workflows. Handler is shown separately only so invited testers can review the current product scope without turning a private beta into a public competitor recommendation.
Handler is our own product. It is in an invited iOS TestFlight beta, so it is scored separately and carries no public store rating or independent-review evidence. Primary test build: workout logging, AI coach chat, program setup, history, progress review. Apple Watch is in development, and offline is a test-build workflow. This is a first-party scope note for invited testers, not a public recommendation or performance guarantee.
Read first-party beta notesIf the choice still feels close, these apps cover adjacent needs: a quieter logbook, a data-heavy tracker, or a coaching-first workflow.
Invited TestFlight beta · iPhone-first
Use the app reviews and best-app guides to compare logbooks, generated workouts, program libraries, and coaching-first tools before you choose.