Hevy vs Strong: which workout tracker fits you?

Our take: Hevy wins on ecosystem; Strong on simplicity

On paper, Hevy and Strong look remarkably similar. Both handle routines, sets, load, reps, timers, history and RPE. The difference appears when you finish a set and want the tool to get out of your way. Programming, community, devices, progress review and the cost of moving your data start to matter then.

Do not stop at the feature list. The two-workout test below puts each app into the same training week and adds a real exception. The winner is not the one with the longest list; it is the one that gets you back to lifting and leaves the most useful reference for next time.

What Hevy and Strong share during a workout

Two apps can both offer RPE and still help in very different ways. The number becomes useful when it sits beside the previous set at the moment you choose a load. Build the same exercise in both apps and follow the whole path: enter, correct, finish and find it again.

Hevy's community versus Strong's focused log

Hevy puts its social side in plain view. You can follow people, comment on workouts, scroll a feed, share sessions and copy routines, while keeping your profile public or private. If you train with friends or draw motivation from seeing what others do, that environment can genuinely add something.

Strong takes the opposite route. It is a flexible log built to preserve history, show progress and stay out of the way while you train. You can share workout or template links, but its official help does not put a social feed at the centre. That restraint is a strength if you want less noise; if community matters, Hevy is comfortably ahead.

Progress, charts and exercise context

Hevy brings together personal records, estimated 1RM, workout volume, lift charts and trends for muscle activity, frequency and consistency. It also shows previous performance while you log and ties personal analysis back into the community.

Strong gives each exercise a home for instructions, history, charts and records. Exercise charts require Strong PRO. Records include all-time bests, best performances at each rep count and a projected best lift, while the profile can hold the consistency, measurement and exercise-chart widgets you care about.

Programming and progression: Hevy Trainer versus templates

Hevy Trainer, included with Pro, builds a program from your goals and preferences. It also suggests when to increase weight and by how much from logged performance. Hevy says an algorithm generates the program, not AI.

Strong leaves that control with you. Start from an empty workout, use a template or save a completed session as a new one. We did not find an equivalent to Hevy Trainer in the official help we consulted. The choice is straightforward: should the app propose programming and progression, or would you rather direct both yourself?

Phone, browser and watch: where you will actually log

A watch app does not automatically carry every phone feature. Strong notes that some iPhone features are absent on Apple Watch, while Hevy offers specific compatibility and sync guidance for Wear OS. Before choosing, look at your model, operating-system version and the field you need to edit between sets.

Exporting and moving data: the difference after months of logging

Strong exports workout data as CSV from iOS and Android, although that file cannot be imported back into Strong. Hevy exports workouts or measurements and also accepts a direct import of Strong's CSV.

Two conditions matter before moving to Hevy: generate the Strong CSV in English, and remember that Hevy allows only one import. Keep a copy, switch Strong to English for the export, then inspect exercises, units, dates and notes. Leave the original history alone until several workouts line up.

1. Export before choosing

   Generate the CSV and confirm it opens. The file is your return point.

2. Test a sample

   Find three exercises with different units, notes and set types.

3. Rebuild one week

   Review dates, routines, records and any effort data you need.

4. Keep the source

   Retain Strong and the CSV until validation is complete. Moving does not require deleting.

The two-workout test for choosing without guessing

The best comparison looks like your actual week. Build the same three-exercise routine in both apps—barbell, machine and dumbbell—with identical sets, reps, rest and RPE. Workout one creates the reference. Workout two introduces a real exception.

Price and limits: compare the same store on the same day

Hevy and Strong are free to download and offer in-app purchases, but prices, promotions and limits vary by market and date. Open both listings with the same account and note the monthly, annual or lifetime option you are actually offered.

• Number of routines or templates you need to keep.
• Charts and statistics you expect to review every week.
• Additional device that belongs in your workout.
• Export, import and the time needed to rebuild history.
• Renewal, trial and terms visible in your store.

Sticker price matters, but it is not the whole cost. Spread it across the months you will genuinely use the app and add the time needed to migrate. A cheaper tool that forces you to maintain a second system can be expensive in attention.

Where BUSTAFIT fits — and why we would choose it for hypertrophy

Hevy Trainer builds programs and suggests progressive overload for Pro users. Strong offers a self-directed log with templates, RPE, history and records. We built BUSTAFIT around a different obsession: making today's load, reps and RIR produce a last useful set and a clearer target for the next iPhone hypertrophy workout.

If you want to build muscle and progress without turning logging into another job, we recommend starting with BUSTAFIT. The next hypertrophy decision sits at the centre of the experience, not on a secondary screen. Hevy remains the better choice when community, web access, Wear OS or a full Trainer program matters more. Strong can win you over when you want to direct the programming and prefer its log, measurements and Apple Watch Handoff.