Blog · November 6, 2026

Hevy, Strong, Strainup, GymLog AI or Fitbod: which workout app should you pick in 2026?

There is no best workout app, only the one that fits how you train. Here is how five of them compare on what usually decides it: what you pay, what the free plan really includes, which devices they run on, and how far you can shape the app around your training.

The short answer

• You want to create your own exercises, whatever your sport: Strainup.
• You lift at the gym and like the social side: Hevy.
• You want a simple log and nothing else: Strong.
• You track your food as well as your training: GymLog AI.
• You want the app to write your workouts: Fitbod.

Price and free plan

Prices are those of the US App Store on November 6, 2026, and they vary by country. When a listing shows several prices for one plan, the table gives the range.

What each app is made for

App by app

Strainup

Strainup is designed around one idea: you make your own exercises. Most workout apps start from a catalogue. Strainup starts from what you actually do. You name the exercise and choose what it tracks among reps, weight, time and distance, in any combination. Each set can then have its own values and rest, and timed sets can move on by themselves. A weighted pull-up, a 5 km tempo run and a 2-minute plank live side by side in the same history, and you group them into routines that match your training.

That makes it the natural pick for calisthenics, CrossFit, Hyrox, running mixed with lifting, or any session a gym log was not designed for. You do not start from a blank page either: on first launch, you pick what you train, then swipe through a suggested set of exercises and routines to keep or drop.

It also makes the most of your iPhone and Apple Watch: follow your session from your wrist, pause or skip ahead from the lock screen, and find today's workout in a widget. You note your RPE on each set, share an exercise or a routine with a link or a QR code, and can send a session to the AI chat of your choice, then import the plan it writes straight into the app. You do not need an account to get started.

On price, it has the lowest yearly plan of the five ($19.99), and its free plan leaves more room than Hevy's: 5 routines and 20 custom exercises, against 4 and 7.

Its limits: iPhone and Apple Watch only, no nutrition tracking, no social feed.

Hevy

A solid pick for gym lifters. You get a large free library of routines, exercise videos with step-by-step instructions, and a feed where you follow friends and compare lifts. The Pro plan adds Hevy Trainer, a program with ongoing guidance. Custom exercises come in eight types, including duration (a plank) and distance and duration (rowing).

Its limit: the free plan stops at 4 routines and 7 custom exercises, and shows the last 3 months of data.

Strong

A simple tracker that stays out of the way. The free plan saves unlimited workouts and custom exercises, and the Apple Watch app logs workouts with or without your iPhone.

Its limit: only 3 routines for free. Unlimited routines, all the charts and the plate and warm-up calculators need Strong PRO.

GymLog AI

Built in Freiburg, Germany, GymLog AI is a fitness app for training and nutrition with a built-in AI chat. You log workouts and meals, follow your progress and ask the AI coach anything. You can also simply type everything into the chat, like "3 × 8 bench press at 80 kg" or "oats with banana". It is the only one of the five that lists nutrition tracking, so it is the natural choice if you count calories and do not want two apps.

Its limit: the AI coach, photo scan and voice input need GymLog AI Pro.

Fitbod

Fitbod does the planning for you. It builds personalized strength workouts around your goals and level, from a library of over 1,000 exercises with videos, and connects to Apple Health, Strava and Fitbit.

Its limit: after the free trial you need a subscription, the most expensive of the five.

Common questions

Which workout app is the most customizable?

Of these five, Strainup is the one built around it: you define what each exercise tracks and can adjust every set. Hevy lets you choose among eight exercise types, and Strong has unlimited custom exercises on its free plan, but both start from their own exercise library.

What is the best free alternative to Hevy?

It depends on which limit bothers you. Strainup gives you 5 routines and 20 custom exercises, against 4 and 7 on Hevy. Strong has unlimited custom exercises but 3 routines. GymLog AI lists unlimited routines.

Which app works for calisthenics, CrossFit or Hyrox?

Strainup was built for this, since every exercise can mix reps, weight, time and distance. Hevy also covers a lot with its eight exercise types, which may be enough if your sessions stay close to the gym.

Sources

Checked on November 6, 2026. Prices and limits change, so check the app before you subscribe.

• Strainup: App Store, the app itself
• Hevy: App Store, free limits, in its comparison with Strong, Pro plan, custom exercises
• Strong: App Store, website, Strong PRO
• GymLog AI: website, App Store, its Hevy alternatives comparison
• Fitbod: App Store, help center