Yes, Strong is free: you can log unlimited workouts, but the free version caps you at 3 custom routines (Strong calls them templates). Strong PRO removes that cap and unlocks all charts, body measurements and the plate and warm-up calculators for $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $99.99 for "PRO Forever" in the US App Store. Our verdict: Strong is still one of the fastest, cleanest workout logs you can buy, but it records progress rather than planning it, so the decision of what to lift next is always yours.
Full disclosure: we make GymGod, a workout tracker built around progressive overload, so we've tried hard to be fair to Strong. It has earned its reputation. Every Strong fact below comes from its US App Store and Google Play listings, Strong's own website and its help center, all checked in November 2026.
Strong at a Glance
| Made by | Strong Fitness PTE Ltd. (Singapore) |
| Free version | Yes: unlimited workouts, up to 3 custom routines (templates) |
| Strong PRO | $4.99/month, $29.99/year, $99.99 "PRO Forever" (US App Store) |
| Next weight calculated for you | No. No auto-progression or AI coaching on any plan |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 15+), Apple Watch (watchOS 10+), Android |
| Apple Watch app | Yes, logs workouts with or without your iPhone |
| Ads | None ("no ads, ever," per Strong's help center) |
| Ratings | 4.9 from 109K ratings (App Store), 4.3 from 42.8K reviews (Google Play, 1M+ downloads) |
US App Store and Google Play listings, Strong's website and help center, checked November 2026.
How the Strong Workout App Works
Strong does one job: it records your lifting. You start an empty workout or one of your saved templates, add exercises from a library of 200+ built-in movements (with instructions and video illustrations), type the weight and reps for each set, and tick the checkbox. A rest timer runs between sets. When you finish, Strong offers to save the session as a template, or to update an existing template with the weights and reps you just used.
Everything else is built around that log. You can tag sets as warm-up, drop or failure sets, record RPE, group exercises into supersets, add notes, and track body measurements and progress photos. Each exercise has a history tab, a records tab with your best performance at every rep count and an estimated one-rep max, and (on PRO) charts for volume and 1RM progression. A "Focus Metric" can compare today's total volume or reps against the last time you did that exercise, so you can see in the moment whether you're ahead or behind.
Strong's App Store description says it's "optimized for a progressive barbell routine such as Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5." That's true in the sense that it logs those programs well. It doesn't run them for you: Strong's help center describes the app as a flexible platform where "you are always in control," and the progression rules of whatever program you follow stay in your head or on paper.
What Strong Does Well
- Fast, clean logging: this is the reason people love it. The interface stays out of your way, and entering a set takes a couple of taps. Strong's help center says it set out to make "an app that stays out of your way" and doesn't push fads or things you don't need.
- A proven track record: 4.9 stars from 109K App Store ratings is about as good as it gets for a workout log, and the app is still updated regularly (version 6.5.1 shipped in October 2026, after 6.5.0 added Live Activity and Dynamic Island rest timers).
- A real Apple Watch app: the App Store listing calls it fully featured and able to log workouts with or without your iPhone. Live Sync lets you track the same workout on watch and phone at once, and it shows heart rate and calories.
- A free version you can keep: unlimited workouts on free, and Strong promises you'll never be "locked out" of your data if you stop paying.
- No ads: not on free, not on PRO.
- Your data is portable: export everything to a CSV file at any time, including measurements.
- Cross-platform: iPhone, Apple Watch and Android, with cloud sync between devices.
Where Strong Falls Short
- It never decides your next weight: there's no auto-progression, no suggested weights and no AI coach in the App Store listing, Strong's website or its help center. Strong shows you the past; picking today's load is your call.
- No programs to follow: Strong includes a few example templates, but you build your own routines. If you don't already have a plan, Strong's help center suggests finding a trainer or a trusted friend.
- 3 routines on free: enough for a simple A/B program, too few for most splits. A push/pull/legs or upper/lower plan with variations hits the cap fast.
- Charts are PRO-only: the exercise charts tab is marked "Strong PRO only" in the help center, so on free you see history and records but not the trend lines.
- Exports are one-way: Strong's help center notes that exported CSV files can't be imported back into Strong.
- Feature requests are closed: Strong's help center says it is "no longer taking feature requests" and won't share ETAs or roadmap information. If you're waiting for a specific feature, there's no public signal it's coming.
- A lower rating on Android: Strong rates 4.3 from 42.8K reviews on Google Play, against 4.9 on the App Store, so Android users seem less happy with it than iPhone users.
Is Strong App Free?
Yes, and for longer than most people expect. The App Store listing says "the free version of Strong can save unlimited workouts, but is limited to 3 custom routines." There's no time limit, no workout cap and no ads, so if you run one or two routines you can use free Strong for years.
What you give up on free, according to Strong's help center, is unlimited templates, body part measurements, the full set of charts, the plate calculator, the warm-up calculator, and custom app icons and themes.
Strong App Price: What PRO Costs in 2026
Strong's website doesn't publish a pricing page. Its App Store description quotes $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the In-App Purchases list adds the lifetime option:
| Plan | Price (US App Store) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited workouts, 3 routines, history and records, rest timer, Apple Watch app, CSV export |
| Strong PRO monthly | $4.99/month | Unlimited routines, all charts, body part measurements, plate and warm-up calculators, custom icons and themes |
| Strong PRO yearly | $29.99/year | |
| Strong PRO Forever | $99.99 once |
The App Store list also shows some other products (a 6-month plan at $19.99, a $23.99 yearly plan, a $3.99 plan and a $79.99 PRO Forever) that look like older or promotional prices. Strong says prices vary by region, so check what the app shows you before you pay. Strong PRO is sold through the App Store and Google Play.
Does Strong Tell You What to Lift Next?
No, and this is the most important thing to understand before you pay for PRO. Strength comes from progressive overload: doing the same lifts and beating them a little each session, with a bit more weight or one more rep. Strong gives you the raw material for that. You can see what you did last time, compare today's volume with the Focus Metric, and update your template with the weights you just used.
What it won't do is the deciding. When you load the bar for your squat, Strong doesn't say "add 5 lb today" or "you missed reps, stay put." We checked Strong's App Store listing, its website and every relevant help center article in November 2026 and found no auto-progression, suggested weights or AI feature on any plan. PRO adds charts that show the trend after the fact, not a plan for the next set.
For experienced lifters who run a program from memory, that's fine, and Strong's minimalism is a plus. For everyone else, it's where progress quietly stalls: the log stays perfect while the numbers in it stop moving. If that sounds familiar, our workout plateau guide and the What's Blocking Your Gains quiz are good next stops.
Is Strong PRO Worth It?
Strong PRO is worth it if you already know how to program your training, you need more than 3 routines, and you want charts of your lifts. $29.99 a year for a polished, ad-free log with an excellent Apple Watch app is a fair price, and the $99.99 lifetime option pays for itself in a little over three years.
It's a weaker deal if what you actually want is to get stronger without thinking about it. PRO removes limits and adds analysis, but it doesn't add the one thing a stuck lifter needs: an app that looks at your last session and sets today's targets. You'd be paying more per year than GymGod for a log that leaves the hard part to you.
Strong vs Hevy
Hevy is Strong's closest rival, with a social feed and auto-progression on Pro through Hevy Trainer; we compare the two in detail in Hevy vs Strong.
The Best Strong Alternative: GymGod
If you like Strong's speed but want the app to do the progression, that's exactly what we built GymGod for. Its AI coach builds you a routine in a few taps that stays consistent, so you can progressively overload instead of starting over. Your last workout appears on screen the moment you start an exercise, your next weight is already calculated, and every PR is caught automatically. It costs $3.99 a month, $24.99 a year, or $59.99 once, less than Strong PRO on every plan.
Why GymGod Beats Strong for Getting Stronger
- Auto-progression: your next weight, already calculated. Targets rise from what you actually lifted, with recalibration prompts when you need them. This is the step Strong leaves to you.
- An AI coach that plans with you: a routine made for you in a few taps, tips based on what you've actually lifted, and a recap after every workout showing where you improved.
- Your last workout on screen: your last weights, reps and goals appear the moment you start an exercise, so you know exactly what to beat on your bench press or deadlift.
- Programs included: 9 proven strength programs with progression and rest times built in, or drag and drop your own. No routine cap; every plan includes full app access.
- PRs caught automatically, with full PR history, achievement badges, total volume stats and private progress photos.
- Just as at home on Apple Watch: log sets from your wrist with your phone in your pocket, plus Dynamic Island and Lock Screen updates and Siri Shortcuts.
- Bring your Strong history: import your workouts from Strong and keep every PR, and export your workouts anytime as a Strong-format CSV.
- Private by design: no account, no email, no password. The AI coach runs on your iPhone with no cloud AI, and your data syncs through your own iCloud.
What GymGod Doesn't Do
To be straight about it: GymGod runs on iPhone and Apple Watch only, so there's no Android app, and the AI coach requires iOS 26 or later (Strong runs on iOS 15). There's also no free-forever tier like Strong's: your first 3 workouts are free, then you pick a plan. If you're on Android, or you only want a free log for one or two routines, Strong is the better fit.
What It Costs
Strong PRO is $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $99.99 forever. GymGod is $3.99 a month, $24.99 a year or $59.99 lifetime, so you pay less on every plan and get auto-progression and an AI coach included. Your first 3 workouts are free with no payment prompt, then the yearly plan comes with a 1-week free trial.
Strong vs GymGod
| Feature | Strong | GymGod |
|---|---|---|
| Who plans workouts | You | AI coach (consistent routine), 9 proven programs, or you |
| Next weight calculated for you | No | Yes, auto-progression |
| Last workout and PRs | Exercise history, records, Focus Metric vs last time | Last session on screen, PRs caught automatically |
| Routines | 3 on free, unlimited on PRO | Full access on every plan |
| AI coach | No | Yes, on-device (iOS 26+) |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | No, iPhone and Apple Watch |
| Account | Strong account with Strong Cloud sync | No account, syncs through your own iCloud |
| Free version | Yes, unlimited workouts, 3 routines | First 3 workouts free, then a 1-week trial on yearly |
| Price | PRO $4.99/month, $29.99/year, $99.99 forever | $3.99/month, $24.99/year, $59.99 lifetime |
Strong: US App Store and Google Play listings, Strong's website and help center, checked November 2026. GymGod: pricing and features.
Final Verdict
Strong has earned its 4.9 stars. It's quick, uncluttered, ad-free, has a genuinely good Apple Watch app, and its free version is usable for as long as you like. If you're on Android, or you're an experienced lifter who wants a clean notebook and nothing more, Strong is still a great pick, and PRO at $29.99 a year is fairly priced.
But most people reading a Strong app review want to know whether paying for PRO will get them stronger, and PRO doesn't change who does the progressing: you. For lifters who want their numbers to keep going up, GymGod is the better pick: an AI coach that builds a consistent routine, your last workout on screen, auto-progression and automatic PRs, on iPhone and Apple Watch, for $24.99 a year or $59.99 once. You can import your Strong history, and your first 3 workouts are free, so try it on your next session. Comparing more options? See our roundup of the best AI workout apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strong app free?
Yes. The free version of Strong saves unlimited workouts with no ads and no time limit, but it's limited to 3 custom routines (templates). Unlimited routines, all charts, body measurements and the plate and warm-up calculators need Strong PRO.
How much is Strong Pro?
In the US App Store, Strong PRO costs $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year, or $99.99 once for Strong PRO Forever. The store also lists some older or promotional prices, and Strong says prices vary by region.
Is Strong worth it?
The free version is worth using if you run 3 routines or fewer. Strong PRO is worth it for experienced lifters who want unlimited routines and charts in a fast, ad-free log. If you want the app to tell you what to lift next, PRO doesn't do that, and GymGod does for less per year.
Does Strong have auto-progression?
No. As of November 2026, Strong's App Store listing, website and help center describe no auto-progression, suggested weights or AI coach. Strong shows your history and can compare today's volume with last time, but you decide each next weight.
What's the best Strong alternative?
GymGod, if your goal is getting stronger on iPhone. Its AI coach builds a routine that stays consistent, shows your last workout on screen, auto-progresses your weights and catches PRs, with a full Apple Watch app and Strong history import, for $3.99 a month, $24.99 a year or $59.99 lifetime. Your first 3 workouts are free.
