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If you already know your program and just need a fast, reliable way to log sets, reps, and weight without an app fighting you for attention, Strong (by Strong Fitness Inc., sometimes listed as “Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log” on the App Store) is one of the two or three apps worth testing. This review is for lifters who don’t need AI to tell them what to do — you need a stopwatch, a plate calculator, and a graph that proves you’re not wasting your time.
What Strong actually does
Strong is a logging app, not a coaching app. You build or import a routine, and during a session it shows your last performance on each exercise right next to the input field — so if you did 3×8 at 185 lbs on bench last Tuesday, that number is staring at you while you decide what to load today. That’s the entire value proposition, and it works because the interface gets out of the way: big tap targets, a built-in rest timer, and plate-math that tells you what to load per side.
Free version: unlimited workout logging and up to three custom routine templates. That’s enough for a genuine beginner running one program, but it caps out fast if you like rotating a push/pull/legs split with variations.
Strong PRO unlocks unlimited custom routines, full training-history access (the free tier truncates older history), and progress charts — strength curves per lift, volume trends, and personal-record tracking over months, not just the last session. PRO runs around $4.99/month, around $29.99/year, or around $99.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase. The lifetime option is the one worth doing math on: if you’re still lifting in three years, it’s cheaper than the annual plan and you never think about it again.
Where it falls short
Strong doesn’t program anything for you. If you don’t already have a plan — a real one, with progression logic, not “chest day” — you’ll be staring at a blank routine builder. It also doesn’t do cardio, mobility, or class-style training with any nuance; it’s built around straight sets of resistance work. Apple Watch and Wear OS companion apps exist but are basic — good for logging a set mid-workout, not for anything else. And unlike some competitors, Strong has no social feed, no routine-sharing marketplace, and no coach-assigns-client workflow, which matters if you train with a group or want outside accountability.
Strong vs. the alternatives
| Strong | Hevy | Fitbod | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Unlimited logging, 3 templates | 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3-month history | 7-day trial, then paywalled |
| Paid tier | around $4.99/mo, around $29.99/yr, around $99.99 lifetime | around $2.99/mo, around $23.99/yr, around $74.99 lifetime | around $15.99/mo or around $95.99/yr |
| Core model | You bring the program, it logs it | You bring the program, it logs it + shares it | AI generates the program for you |
| Best for | Lifters who already know their split | Lifters who want the same logging, cheaper, plus sharing/social | Lifters who want zero programming decisions |
If price and social features matter more to you than Strong’s slightly more mature history and charting, Hevy is the closer competitor — it undercuts Strong’s PRO pricing on every tier and adds routine sharing plus an adaptive “Hevy Trainer” mode that auto-adjusts weight recommendations, something Strong doesn’t offer at any price.
Editor’s pick: Hevy — no dedicated affiliate program is live on this site for Hevy yet; check the App Store or Google Play listing directly for current pricing and availability.
If you don’t have a program at all and don’t want to build one, neither app is the right starting point — that’s Fitbod’s job, at roughly triple the annual cost of Strong PRO.
What a real week with it looks like
Open the app, tap into today’s routine, and the first exercise loads with last session’s weight and reps pre-filled — you either repeat it or bump the load and log the actual set in two taps. The rest timer starts automatically when you finish a set and pushes a notification when it’s done, so you’re not staring at the phone between sets. At the end of a session, Strong shows total volume and duration; PRO users also get a “new PR” banner the moment a set beats a previous best on that lift, which is a small thing but genuinely useful for staying motivated on a long cut or a plateau month. The plate calculator is the detail most competitors skip — tell it the bar weight and your available plates, and it tells you exactly what to load per side instead of making you do the math mid-set.
Who should actually buy PRO
Skip PRO if you’re three months into lifting and still following a fixed beginner program — the free tier’s three templates and current-session history cover that completely. Buy PRO the moment you start caring whether your squat is actually trending up over a full training block, since the free tier only shows recent history and no charts. It’s also worth it the day you want more than three routines running at once — a common point once someone splits into a push/pull/legs rotation with a deload week variant, which is four templates minimum.
The verdict
Strong earns its reputation the boring way: it’s fast, it doesn’t crash, and the free tier is genuinely usable for a beginner running one routine. Pay for PRO once you outgrow three templates or want to see six months of bench-press progress on a graph instead of scrolling through history. Skip it entirely if you need the app to write your program — that’s a different category of tool.
FAQ
Is the Strong app free?
Yes — unlimited logging and up to three custom routine templates, no time limit. You only pay if you want more than three templates, full history, or progress charts.
Is Strong PRO worth around $4.99/month?
If you’re actively tracking progressive overload — watching whether your top set is actually going up over months — yes. If you just need to jot down sets and never look back, the free tier already does that.
Strong vs. Hevy — which should I pick?
They solve the same problem (manual logging with your last-session numbers visible). Hevy is cheaper at every tier and adds social/sharing features Strong lacks; Strong has a longer track record and a slightly more polished charting view. Try both free tiers for a week — the deciding factor is usually which interface feels faster to your thumbs.
Does Strong sync with Apple Watch or Garmin?
It has an Apple Watch companion app for logging sets mid-workout. There’s no native Garmin integration — Strong is a phone-and-wrist logging tool, not a full multi-device ecosystem like Garmin Connect.
Curious how these two directly compare? See our Strong vs Hevy head-to-head comparison for a side-by-side breakdown.
