Comparison
Hevy vs Strong: which workout tracker, and when a coach beats both
Hevy and Strong are the two most established gym loggers on iPhone. Both record sets, show what you did last time and draw charts. The real difference between them is small; the difference between either of them and a progression coach is large. This page puts the two loggers side by side, then adds Alzo as a third option for one specific lifter: the one who does not want to decide the next weight by hand.
Every claim about Hevy and Strong comes from their own websites, help centers or US App Store listings, checked on September 5, 2026. Where a developer does not publish a fact, the table says so instead of guessing.
How do Hevy, Strong and Alzo compare on the facts?
Prices are US App Store list prices as published by each developer, verified September 5, 2026; regional prices and promotions differ. Alzo prices are the App Store Connect list prices for 1.0.
| Criterion | Hevy | Strong | Alzo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suggests the next weight? | Yes, inside Hevy Trainer programs (Pro): “automatic weight progression based on performance”. Plain logging shows previous values only. | Not described by the developer. The log shows previous sets; charts and a warm-up calculator are included. | Yes. Free shows the diagnosis (“ready to add weight”); Pro shows the exact new number with one-tap “Apply”, adjusted to your plates. |
| Progression rule | Trainer raises the weight only when you hit the upper end of the rep range with a specific weight on all prescribed sets (per Hevy’s workout plan generator page). Increment size not published. | No progression rule published. | 2-for-2 rule (NSCA): rep target in every set for two sessions in a row. +2.5 kg barbell, +5 kg squat/deadlift, +1.25 kg isolation, dumbbells by your increments. Eases the load when reps fall below range; scheduled deload. |
| Free version and limits | Unlimited workout logging. Free plan: up to 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months of graph history. | Unlimited workouts and history. Free version limited to 3 custom routines. | Unlimited log and history, unlimited plans, Watch app, voice, 206 exercises with video, records, Apple Health, plate calculator, first coach insight, export. Charts show the current 12-week window. |
| Account required? | Yes: sign-in by email, Google or Apple. | “All users will be prompted to sign up for an account before using Strong.” | No account. Nothing to sign up for. |
| Apple Watch | Yes, watchOS 8+. “Leave your phone in the locker room, and track your workouts completely from your Apple Watch or WearOS device.” | Yes, watchOS 10+. “Fully-featured Apple Watch app to log workouts with or without your iPhone.” | Yes, watchOS 11+. Full workout on the wrist, phone can stay in the bag; needs the iPhone app installed. |
| Voice guidance | Not listed by the developer. | Not listed by the developer. | Yes: English and Polish. Announces exercise, weight and target; music ducks and returns. |
| Interface languages | 16 (English + 15, incl. Polish, German, Spanish). | 11 (English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and two Chinese variants). | 7 (English, Polish, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil)). |
| Price (US App Store) | $2.99/mo (per developer site; the App Store also lists a $3.99 tier) · $23.99/yr · $74.99 lifetime | $4.99/mo · $19.99/6 mo · $29.99/yr · $99.99 Forever | $6.99/mo · $39.99/yr · $89.99 lifetime. 21 days of Pro from your first completed workout, no card. |
| Ads and trackers | “No ads” (App Store listing). Trackers: not assessed here. | Not stated on the listing. Trackers: not assessed here. | No ads, no trackers, no analytics SDKs, no account. |
| Data export | CSV export from your profile. | CSV export from the app. | Full-history Excel export, free. Alzo Reports (PDF + styled Excel) in Pro. |
| Exercise library | 400+, most with animations. | “Comprehensive range”; count not published. | 206 with looping video and technique notes. |
| Social features | Feed, follow, like and comment; routine sharing. | Workout sharing; no feed advertised. | None. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, web. | iPhone, Android, Apple Watch. | iPhone and Apple Watch only (iOS 18+). |
When should you choose Hevy?
Hevy is the better pick when the social side matters. It has a feed, following, likes and comments, a 400+ exercise library, most of it animated, and a web app for planning at a desk. It also runs on Android, so a mixed-platform household can share routines. The free plan logs without limits but caps you at 4 routines, 7 custom exercises and 3 months of graph history; Pro removes those caps for $23.99 a year. If you want weight suggestions from Hevy, they live inside Hevy Trainer programs, a Pro feature that builds the plan for you and raises the weight once you hit the upper end of the rep range with a specific weight on all prescribed sets.
When should you choose Strong?
Strong is the plainer tool and some lifters prefer it for that reason. Unlimited workouts and full history are free; the only headline limit is 3 custom routines. The Apple Watch app logs “with or without your iPhone”, CSV export is one tap away, and a lifetime license exists at $99.99. Strong does not describe any progression logic on its site or listing: it shows your previous sets and leaves the decision to you. If you already run your own program from a spreadsheet and just need a clean place to write numbers down, Strong does that job without getting in the way.
When should you choose Alzo instead of either?
Alzo is built for the moment after the last set, when a logger goes quiet. It reads your log and applies the 2-for-2 rule: hit your rep target in every set two sessions in a row and it tells you it is time to add weight. In the free version that diagnosis is complete; Alzo Pro adds the exact new number, snapped to plates you own (+2.5 kg on barbell lifts, +5 kg on squats and deadlifts, +1.25 kg on isolation work), with a one-tap “Apply” that writes it into your plan. When reps fall below the range it eases the load without asking, and when you stall it schedules a deload.
Two other things set it apart from both loggers. There is no account: the app works the moment it opens, and there are no ads, trackers or analytics in either version. And it talks: a voice announces the exercise, weight and target, counts down the last seconds of rest and says what is next, in English or Polish, on iPhone and on the Watch.
Free covers the full log with no cap on routines, the Watch app, voice, 206 exercises with video, records, Apple Health and a full-history export. Pro is $39.99 a year or $89.99 once, and every new user gets 21 days of full Pro from the first completed workout without entering a card.
Where Alzo falls short
- New app (2026): a short track record and a smaller community than any app on this page.
- iPhone and Apple Watch only. No Android, no web version, no iPad-specific layout.
- No social feed, no following friends, no coach-client platform.
- 206 exercises: smaller than Hevy’s 400+ and far smaller than Alpha Progression’s 795. Custom exercises cover the gap, but the videos exist only for the built-in 206.
- Voice guidance in English and Polish only; the other five interface languages get on-screen cues.
- The Watch app is a companion: it needs the iPhone app installed, even though the phone can stay in the locker during the workout.
What does “logger vs coach” mean in practice?
A logger answers “what did I do?”. A coach answers “what do I do next?”. Hevy answers the second question inside Trainer programs for Pro subscribers; Strong does not attempt it; Alzo makes it the core of the app and keeps the diagnosis free. If your training is already programmed by a human coach, a logger is enough. If you are the one deciding when to add 2.5 kg, an app that watches the log for you removes the guesswork and the ego lifts.
Sources & last verified September 5, 2026
Facts about Hevy and Strong were taken from these pages on September 5, 2026. Alzo facts come from the app’s source and App Store Connect.
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hevy-workout-tracker-gym-log/id1458862350
- https://www.hevyapp.com/
- https://www.hevyapp.com/hevy-tutorial/
- https://www.hevyapp.com/features/exercise-library/
- https://www.hevyapp.com/features/workout-plan-generator/
- https://www.hevyapp.com/announcing-hevy-trainer/
- https://help.hevyapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/38385724273047-Hevy-Trainer-Explained-How-It-Builds-Your-Workout-Program
- https://help.hevyapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/38279350428695-What-will-happen-to-my-account-if-I-switch-from-Pro-to-the-free-version
- https://help.hevyapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/38001424401943-How-to-Import-Strong-App-CSV-Files-and-Export-Your-Data-in-Hevy
- https://help.hevyapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/34462203494679-Login-Options-Explained-Email-Password-Google-and-Apple-Sign-In
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/strong-workout-tracker-gym-log/id464254577
- https://www.strong.app/
- https://help.strongapp.io/article/143-strong-account
- https://help.strongapp.io/article/235-export-workout-data
- https://alzo.fit/
FAQ
Is Hevy or Strong cheaper?
Hevy Pro is $23.99 a year or $74.99 lifetime; Strong PRO is $29.99 a year or $99.99 forever (US App Store, verified September 5, 2026). Both free tiers log without limits; Hevy caps routines at 4, Strong at 3.
Can I move my history from Strong or Hevy to Alzo?
Both export CSV. Alzo 1.0 does not import CSV, so your history stays in the old app while Alzo starts a fresh log. Alzo exports its own full history to Excel at any time, free.
Which app works without an account?
Alzo. Hevy signs you in by email, Google or Apple; Strong prompts every user to sign up before use, according to its help center.
Does Alzo have a social feed like Hevy?
No. Alzo has no feed, followers or comments, and none are planned for 1.0. If sharing workouts with friends is part of why you train, Hevy is the better fit.
Updated: September 5, 2026