How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Strong and Hevy are the best pure gym loggers; Hevy's free tier is more generous.
- Fitbod builds your workouts for you; JEFIT has the deepest free exercise library and analytics of any app here.
- Nike Training Club is the best completely free option with trainer-led workouts.
- Strava is the tracker for runners and cyclists, not lifters; Freeletics covers bodyweight HIIT anywhere.
- Beginners do best with a program built in (StrongLifts, Fitbod, Freeletics); experienced lifters do best with a fast logger (Strong, Hevy).
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Strong | Lifters who want a fast, simple set-by-set gym log | See website | Yes (free; PRO available) |
 Hevy | Free gym logging with social and community features | See website | Yes (free; Hevy Pro available) |
 Fitbod | Lifters who want the app to program their workouts | See website | Yes (free plan; 7-day trial) |
 JEFIT | Data-driven lifters who want the biggest free exercise library | See website | Yes (free; Elite available) |
 Nike Training Club | Completely free guided workouts from elite trainers | Free | Yes |
 Strava | Runners, cyclists and endurance athletes who track outdoors | See website | Yes (free version) |
 Freeletics | AI-coached bodyweight HIIT with no equipment | See website | Yes (free tier) |
 StrongLifts 5x5 | Beginners who want one simple strength program to follow | See website | Yes (free; subscription for full features) |
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The best workout tracker apps
The program matters less than you think. Lifters progress with boring programs logged carefully and stall on brilliant programs they quit. The tracker's job is to make the logging so easy that you keep showing up, and to show you the progress that keeps you motivated. The apps below split into gym loggers (Strong, Hevy, JEFIT, StrongLifts), program builders (Fitbod, Freeletics), and specialists (Nike Training Club for guided workouts, Strava for endurance). All eight are current, widely used and actively maintained.
#1
Strong
Best for: Lifters who want a fast, simple set-by-set gym log
Visit strong.app
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free; PRO available)
Strong is the archetypal gym logger: build routines, then record sets, reps and weight with a few taps while you rest. It calculates your one-rep max, charts volume and 1RM progression, estimates warm-up weights, and syncs to the cloud. Lifters have logged hundreds of millions of sessions in it, and its clean interface is the reason it became the default recommendation for a decade.
The free version limits the number of custom routines, with PRO (monthly, yearly or one-time) raising the cap and adding charts and export depth. If your program lives in your head or your coach's spreadsheet and you just want to record what you did, Strong is the right pick.
What we like- Clean, fast logging
- 1RM and volume graphs
- Plate and warm-up calculators
- Apple Watch and Wear OS
- CSV export
Watch out for- Free version limits custom routines
- No programs built for you
- PRO needed for more routines
#2
Hevy
Best for: Free gym logging with social and community features
Visit hevyapp.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free; Hevy Pro available)
Hevy matches Strong feature for feature and then adds a social layer: follow friends, copy their workouts, and compare progress. The free version is genuinely useful with no ads, covering routines, logging, rest timers and Apple Watch tracking, plus a web dashboard for reviewing your history on a big screen. Hevy Pro raises routine limits and opens up full graph history.
Of the free gym loggers, Hevy is the most generous. Lifters who like a community around their training will prefer it; purists who want zero social may prefer Strong.
What we like- Generous free tier
- Routine planner
- Apple Watch and Wear OS apps
- Copy friends' workouts
- Rest timers
Watch out for- Pro needed for unlimited routines and full graph history
- Social features not for everyone
#3
Fitbod
Best for: Lifters who want the app to program their workouts
Visit fitbod.me
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free plan; 7-day trial)
Fitbod removes the "what do I do today" problem: tell it your goals, equipment and schedule, and it generates each session from your training history and muscle recovery state. The exercise library is the largest here, with HD video demos, and the muscle freshness map shows which areas are recovered. Multiple gym profiles let you set up home, commercial gym and travel setups separately.
It is a subscription product (monthly or annual), and the free tier allows only a few workouts. For self-motivated lifters who want an algorithm handling programming, it is the best at that job.
What we like- Generates workouts from your goals, equipment and recovery
- 1,600+ exercise videos
- Muscle freshness map
- Apple Watch
Watch out for- Subscription with no lifetime option
- Free tier effectively a trial
- Algorithmic, not a human coach
#4
JEFIT
Best for: Data-driven lifters who want the biggest free exercise library
Visit jefit.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free; Elite available)
JEFIT has been around since 2010, and its tenure shows in the analytics: body-part volume tracking, one-rep-max projections, muscle recovery charts and detailed training graphs. The free tier includes 1,400+ exercises with instructions and full logging, plus community routines and a web app where you can plan workouts on a desktop before heading to the gym.
The interface feels older than Strong or Hevy, but for function-per-dollar it is a contender. JEFIT Elite adds an adaptive AI coach, premium analytics and an ad-free experience.
What we like- 1,400+ free exercises
- Deep analytics (volume, 1RM, muscle map, recovery)
- Huge routine community
- Web app included
Watch out for- Dated interface
- Elite needed for advanced analytics and videos
- Ads on the free tier
#5
Nike Training Club
Best for: Completely free guided workouts from elite trainers
Visit nike.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Nike Training Club is remarkable for being fully free: the premium content Nike once sold now comes free for all Nike Members. You get trainer-led video workouts across strength, conditioning, HIIT, yoga and recovery, plus multi-week programs for gym or home.
It does not log sets and reps like a gym logger, so powerlifters will pair it with a tracker. For everyone else, especially home exercisers, it is the best free guided training available, and the production quality of the video workouts is a step above most paid apps.
What we like- 100% free with no upsells
- Trainer-led video workouts
- Gym, home, HIIT, yoga and recovery
- Weeks-long programs
Watch out for- Not a strength logger (no set/rep tracking like Strong)
- Requires a Nike account
- No equipment-based programming
#6
Strava
Best for: Runners, cyclists and endurance athletes who track outdoors
Visit strava.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free version)
Strava is the home base of endurance sport: record runs, rides, hikes and 50+ other activities with GPS, compete on segments, and share the journey with a community that hands out kudos. It syncs with nearly every watch and device, and the route discovery is genuinely useful, recommending popular local routes based on where athletes actually train.
Free covers tracking and social; the subscription adds training plans, deeper analysis and goals, plus the AI-powered Athlete Intelligence insights. If your workouts happen on roads and trails rather than under a bar, Strava is the tracker to get.
What we like- Best GPS activity tracking
- Segments and leaderboards
- Huge community
- Works with Garmin, Apple Watch and hundreds of devices
Watch out for- Not for lifting
- Subscription for full analytics
- Social features can be noisy
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free tier)
Freeletics is a virtual personal trainer for bodyweight training: answer the onboarding questions, and the AI coach builds adaptive HIIT workouts that adjust each week based on your feedback. With 20 training journeys covering strength, conditioning and running, it is built for people without a gym, and deload weeks are built in so you recover properly.
The free tier offers a handful of workouts and community features; the Coach subscription opens up the adaptive programming. For travelers, apartment dwellers and anyone allergic to barbells, it is the category pick.
What we like- Adaptive AI coach adjusts to your feedback
- No equipment needed
- 20+ training journeys
- Works anywhere while traveling
Watch out for- Leans endurance over pure strength
- Meaningful features need a subscription
- No live classes
#8
StrongLifts 5x5
Best for: Beginners who want one simple strength program to follow
Visit stronglifts.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (free; subscription for full features)
StrongLifts 5x5 is a program and a tracker in one: three workouts a week, five sets of five reps on compound lifts, adding weight each session. The app handles the rest: calculating starting weights, logging sets, timing rest, and telling you exactly what to lift next, including warm-up sets and plate math.
It is deliberately narrow, and experienced lifters will outgrow it. But for a beginner who wants to stop deciding and start lifting, it is the simplest path to real strength gains.
What we like- Proven simple program (squat, bench, deadlift)
- App calculates weights and progression
- Warm-up and plate calculators
- Huge community
Watch out for- Only one program
- Can get monotonous
- Subscription for full app features
- Strength-focused, not hypertrophy
Choosing between logging and coaching
Gym loggers (Strong, Hevy, JEFIT, StrongLifts) record what you do; coaches (Fitbod, Freeletics, Nike Training Club) tell you what to do. Pick a logger if you have a program you trust, from a coach, a book or your own experience. Pick a coach if your real problem is deciding what to do each day.
Strava sits outside this split: it tracks endurance, not gym work. Many athletes use two apps, Strava for runs and rides plus a logger for lifting, and that is perfectly fine. What matters is that every session gets recorded somewhere you will actually review it.
How we chose
We compared eight widely used workout trackers, all currently available, covering gym logging, AI programming, guided workouts and endurance. Nike Training Club is fully free per the vendor's own site. Prices for Strong, Hevy, Fitbod, JEFIT, Strava, Freeletics and StrongLifts 5x5 were not verifiable from vendor pricing pages, so they are marked "See website." No hands-on testing was involved; we judged from vendor sites, store listings and current reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free workout tracker app?
For gym logging, Hevy's free tier is the most generous. Nike Training Club is the best fully free guided workout app. Strava's free version covers running and cycling.
Should I get Strong or Hevy?
Both are excellent gym loggers. Hevy offers more for free and adds social features; Strong is the more minimal, no-distraction option. Try both free versions for a week and keep the one you reach for first.
Is Fitbod worth paying for?
If you want an app that programs your workouts and you will actually follow it, Fitbod's algorithm is the most mature, with the largest exercise library backing it. Lifters who already have a program should use a free logger instead.
Can these apps replace a personal trainer?
For logging and programming, partly. For form correction and accountability, no. Consider a coach if you are new to barbell lifts or training around an injury, even for just a few sessions to learn the movements.
Do I need a smartwatch for these apps?
No, but it helps. Strong, Hevy, JEFIT and Fitbod all have watch apps for logging sets from your wrist, and Strava syncs with most GPS watches.
Can I use these apps at home without a gym?
Yes. Fitbod and Freeletics adapt to bodyweight and limited equipment, and Nike Training Club has full home workout programs designed for small spaces and travel. Only StrongLifts really assumes a barbell.
Sources we checked (4)
- https://www.routinery.app/blog/best-apps-build-workout-routine
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hevy&gl=ug&hl=en
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitbod
- https://www.sensai.fit/blog/hevy-vs-strong-vs-fitbod-vs-jefit
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.