Hevy vs Strong: Which Workout Tracker Should You Use?

Hevy and Strong are both well-made workout loggers with a free version and a paid upgrade. Choose Hevy if you want a social feed, a web app, Wear OS support and a cheaper Pro tier. Choose Strong if you want a plain, focused logger and will pay for its charts and calculators. The free versions differ less than most comparisons suggest.

We make IronLedger, a third logger covered near the end, so read that section with that in mind. Everything said about Hevy and Strong here comes from their own help centres and US App Store listings, checked on 16 October 2026 and linked in the sources. Prices are in US dollars on the US App Store and can differ in your region.

How do Hevy and Strong compare at a glance?

Hevy offers more in its free version and costs less for Pro, while Strong keeps a smaller feature set and charges more for it. The biggest practical differences are social features, which only Hevy has, the price, and which tools sit behind the paywall. Core set logging is close to identical.

Ratings and prices were read from each app's US App Store listing on 16 October 2026. Store figures change often, so check the listing before you subscribe.

How much do Hevy and Strong cost?

Hevy Pro costs US$2.99 a month, US$23.99 a year or US$74.99 for lifetime access on the US App Store. Strong PRO costs US$4.99 a month or US$29.99 a year, and Strong's listing states those are US prices. Over a year, Hevy Pro is about US$6 cheaper, and only Hevy sells a clearly priced lifetime option.

The free tiers matter more than the price for many lifters:

• Hevy free: "Free users can create up to 4 routines", up to 7 custom exercises, and "can view up to 3 months of workout and statistics history", according to Hevy's 2026 features guide. The warm-up calculator and Trainer are Pro only.
• Strong free: "The free version of Strong can save unlimited workouts, but is limited to 3 custom routines", per its App Store listing. PRO adds unlimited templates, body-part measurements, all charts, the plate calculator and the warm-up calculator, according to Strong's PRO page.

One inconsistency is worth knowing. Hevy's store listings say you can "create an unlimited amount of routines", while its help centre gives the free limit as 4. We have gone with the help centre, which is more specific and was updated this month.

The App Store also lists several other Strong purchase options, including "Forever" purchases at two different prices and a 6-month plan, without saying which are current. Check the in-app paywall for the price that applies to you.

Which app is better for logging sets and RPE?

Neither app is clearly better for logging. Both record weight, reps and RPE per set, tag warm-up, drop and failure sets, support supersets, and start a rest timer when you complete a set. The differences are in the details: Hevy lists its plate calculator among its general tools while Strong's is PRO only, and Strong lets you give warm-up and working sets different rest times.

On effort tracking, both use a 6 to 10 RPE scale. Hevy's RPE guide says you "can only input a value between 6 and 10", and RIR "isn't available as a separate option". Strong's RPE guide also uses 6 to 10 and offers RIR only as a mapping table. If you think in reps in reserve, you will be converting in your head with either app. Our checklist of what an RPE tracker app should record covers the fields worth checking before you commit to one.

The other logging tools differ like this:

• Rest timer: Hevy sets the countdown per exercise and starts it "automatically when you mark a set as complete". Strong defaults to 2:00 and lets warm-up and working sets have different durations.
• Plate calculator: listed among Hevy's general tools; "a Strong PRO feature" in Strong.
• Notes: both support exercise and workout notes. Hevy rebuilt its notes in version 3.2.0 (13 October 2026) to let you pin a note to an exercise or a routine.

Does Hevy or Strong tell you what weight to lift next?

Only Hevy does, and only on Pro. Hevy Trainer is "a progressive overload feature that will let you know when to increase your weight and by how much", and Hevy says its programs are "generated using an algorithm and do not rely on AI". Strong documents no automatic progression. Its Focus Metric compares today's set with the last time you did the exercise.

Hevy publishes Trainer's rule on its workout plan generator page: "You must hit the upper end of the rep range with a specific weight on all prescribed sets for Trainer to increase it." That is a form of double progression, which our progressive overload tracker guide covers in more detail. Trainer also lets you choose a goal, 1 to 6 training days, equipment and injuries.

For built-in programs, Hevy has the larger library: "a pre-built library of 26 training programs and seven routine categories". Strong "includes some default templates as examples", and its App Store listing says it is "optimized for a progressive barbell routine such as Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5".

How do their progress stats differ?

Both track personal records and estimated one-rep maxes, but they calculate them differently and put different charts behind the paywall. Hevy limits free users to 3 months of history and stats. Strong keeps unlimited workouts free but makes its exercise Charts tab PRO only.

The estimated 1RM formulas differ:

• Hevy: "Estimated 1RM = weight lifted ÷ percentage for that rep count", using a rep table (5 reps counts as 89% of max, 10 reps as 75%), per Hevy's 1RM article.
• Strong: "We use the Brzycki formula", and it warns that "for reps above 12, 1RM estimations will break down significantly", per Strong's 1RM article.

Because the methods differ, the same set gives a slightly different estimate in each app. Don't compare an estimated max from one app with a number from the other. Our estimated one-rep max guide explains why the formulas disagree at higher reps.

For records, Hevy tracks heaviest weight, best 1RM, best set volume and best session volume, with a live banner when you set one. Strong's records screen covers sets of 12 reps or fewer.

Can you move your workout history between Hevy and Strong?

Yes, but only from Strong to Hevy. Strong exports your workouts as a "spreadsheet friendly CSV", and Hevy's import accepts exactly that file: "Hevy only allows you to import CSVs from the Strong app." Going the other way, Hevy exports CSV, but Strong documents no import from other apps.

A few details from the vendors' help pages:

• Hevy's Strong import needs the file in English, and saved routines and supersets do not carry over. Your logged workouts do.
• Strong's export is under Settings, Export Strong Data on iPhone. Strong notes that exported files "cannot be imported back into Strong".
• Hevy's export is under Profile, Settings, Export and Import Data, with separate files for workouts and measurements.

If you might switch apps later, export a CSV every few months whichever you use. A CSV you hold is the only copy of your training record that doesn't depend on the app staying the same. Our guide to keeping a workout log versus using an app covers what to keep.

Which one should you choose?

Pick Hevy if social features, a web app, Wear OS or a cheaper Pro tier matter to you, or if you want automatic weight increases without writing your own progression. Pick Strong if you want a focused logger, train with a simple barbell routine, and don't mind paying more for charts and calculators.

User opinion on Reddit splits along the same lines. In an r/Hevy thread comparing the two, lifters who moved to Hevy mention its more active development, Wear OS and building routines on the web. Those who stayed with Strong mention its cleaner interface. That thread is in Hevy's own community, so it leans towards Hevy.

Where does IronLedger fit?

IronLedger is a strength training logger that is entirely free, with no paid tier and no limits on routines, custom exercises or history. On its load-and-go programs it recommends each load with the rule and a one-line reason behind it. It is also newer and smaller than either app, with real gaps, so it suits a narrower group of lifters.

What IronLedger does, in the current iPhone release (1.10.1):

• Everything free. There is no paid tier to buy. The plate calculator, analytics and full history are all included. See pricing.
• RPE or RIR. You choose per exercise, so lifters who think in reps in reserve can log RIR directly.
• Reasons beside loads. On the built-in load-and-go programs, each recommended load shows the rule and reason, and any edit is marked as a manual override. 5/3/1 and Challenge to Change show the training-max arithmetic behind each load. Custom programs progress the way you set them up when you build them.
• Spreadsheets in and out. Import a program from CSV or Excel, export your history as CSV, or export everything as a JSON backup. See programs and import.
• Progress views. Records for heaviest set, estimated 1RM (Epley formula), best session volume and reps at each weight, with lift trends and cycle comparison. See progress.

What it doesn't do:

• No public Android release yet. Android is in a closed test.
• No watch app, web app, social feed, supersets or drop sets.
• No import of Hevy or Strong history. IronLedger imports programs, not another app's workout history.

If those gaps don't matter to you and you want no subscription at all, IronLedger is worth a look. If they do, Hevy or Strong will serve you better today. The head-to-head pages compare it directly with Hevy and Strong.

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