Free workout tracker app: how to choose (and what the free version is really worth)

A good workout tracker replaces the training notebook, only better. The bare minimum: log your sets quickly (weight, reps), see what you did last time on each exercise, and start a rest timer without leaving the screen. If logging is slow or annoying, you will stop using it within two weeks, however rich the charts are.

Then come the tools that help you progress: an exercise library with instructions, workout templates you can restart in one tap, a history of personal records, an estimated 1RM and a view of your volume per muscle group. That data tells you whether you are moving forward, stalling, or neglecting a muscle.

Finally, two things matter over time: being able to get your data back (export) if you switch apps, and having some form of program or progression so you do not improvise every session. These are often exactly the features where an app's free version differs from its paid version.

Limited free: the app is free, but some features are capped. With Strong, for example, workout logging is unlimited, but you can only create three workout templates, and access to all charts, body measurements and the plate or warm-up calculators is reserved for Strong PRO. The publisher states that your data is never locked.

Freemium: a free version that is genuinely usable day to day, plus a subscription that unlocks advanced features. Hevy keeps logging unlimited but limits the free version to 4 routines, 7 custom exercises and 3 months of history; Hevy Pro comes as a monthly, yearly or lifetime plan. Alpha Progression offers a free version with no time limit for logging, your own plans and exercise videos, but reserves charts, the plan generator and recommendations for Pro, as a monthly or yearly plan with a trial on the yearly one (models noted in October 2026 from official sites and store listings).

100% free: no feature is locked behind a subscription. That is the GymProgress model, which has no paid version. The trade-off lies elsewhere: the app is young, has no native iOS app and no watch integration, and its community is still small. No model is better in principle; what matters is knowing what you do or do not lose by staying on the free version.

Your phone and watch first. On iPhone, Hevy, Strong and Alpha Progression have a native app, while GymProgress runs in the browser and can be installed as a shortcut. If you want to log sets from your wrist, only Hevy (Apple Watch and Wear OS) and Strong (Apple Watch) offer it among these four apps.

Next, the way you train. If you always follow the same routine, a free version with few templates may be enough. If you rotate several workouts, check how many routines are allowed. If you want to be told what to lift, look at automatic progression, which is often paid. If you use lots of supersets, note that Hevy, Strong and Alpha Progression support them, GymProgress does not.

Think about time as well: a history limited to a few months becomes a problem when you want to compare your strength year over year. Finally, language: all four apps are available in French, but only GymProgress and Hevy offer Arabic.

This table compares only what you get without paying, based on the official sites, help centers and store listings checked in October 2026. Paid-tier features are flagged as such.

Hevy: its free version is one of the most complete in the freemium category. Unlimited logging, rest timer, plate calculator, records, estimated 1RM, supersets, a watch app and a real community with an activity feed and comments. The limit you feel over time is the 3-month statistics history, plus the 4-routine cap if you rotate many workouts.

Strong: the reference for a simple, fast logbook, with Apple Watch support and well-documented RPE. On the free tier you only get three workout templates, and access to all charts requires Strong PRO. It suits people who follow a fixed program and mostly want to log fast, less so those who like to study their graphs. Strong does not mention generated programs or automatic progression.

Alpha Progression: its strength is guidance, with a plan generator and set-by-set weight and rep recommendations that adapt to your performance. But that core feature is paid. The free version is still generous for logging, with close to 800 exercise videos, records, body measurements and CSV export, with no account required; however, there are no charts.

GymProgress: everything is included, from the 30-day program generated from your level, goal, location and session length to the analytics (records, estimated 1RM, weekly volume, sets per muscle group, RPE distribution, calendar). Its limits are real: no native iOS app, no watch, no social features, no dedicated supersets, no free-form session notes and no photos or body measurements.

You are a beginner: above all you need to know what to do and how to perform the movements well. GymProgress generates a suitable program for free, with exercise guides; Alpha Progression offers many videos on its free tier; Hevy provides ready-made programs. Start simple, consistency is what counts.

You have an iPhone and a watch: Hevy and Strong fit best, with a native app and logging from the Apple Watch. GymProgress works on iPhone through the browser, but without a native app or watch, which is less convenient at the gym.

You want a social side: Hevy is the clear choice, with followers, an activity feed, comments and copying your friends' routines. The other apps are limited to sharing plans or workouts.

You want guided progression: Alpha Progression Pro goes furthest, with recommendations on every set; Hevy Trainer, part of Hevy Pro, goes in the same direction. Without paying, GymProgress carries over your weights from the last session and applies double progression.

You speak Arabic: GymProgress offers a full right-to-left Arabic interface, plus guides and calculators in Arabic on its website; Hevy also lists Arabic among its languages. Strong and Alpha Progression do not offer it.

Your budget is zero: GymProgress is the only one of the four with no paid features at all. If you prefer another app, free Hevy remains very solid as long as 4 routines and 3 months of history are enough for you.

Before committing, check the export. All four apps let you get your workouts back: GymProgress as JSON, Hevy, Strong and Alpha Progression as CSV or through their export menu. Hevy can also import a Strong CSV file, which makes moving from one to the other easier. Strong's export, on the other hand, cannot be re-imported into Strong.

The simplest approach is to try two apps for a week or two on your real sessions, then keep the one you open without effort. The best tracking app is the one you actually use, every session.

Hevy, Strong and Alpha Progression are trademarks of their respective owners; GymProgress is not affiliated with them.