Hevy vs Strong: which workout tracker fits you?

Short answer: both log well, the surrounding workflow decides

Hevy vs Strong is not a choice between an app that logs and one that does not. Both let you build or reuse routines, record sets, weight and repetitions, use timers, keep history and review progress. Both also document RPE. The useful differences sit around the log: programming, community, devices, progress review and the cost of moving data.

The right advantage is the one that changes your real week. This guide uses a reproducible test with the same routine and problems, then applies the result to BUSTAFIT so you can choose between a general tracker and a hypertrophy-focused path.

What Hevy and Strong share during a workout

A shared feature name does not make two experiences identical. Recording RPE, for example, only helps when you can see it beside the previous set while choosing the next load. Create the same exercise and test the whole path: enter, correct, finish and recover.

Hevy's community versus Strong's focused log

Hevy documents an explicit social layer: following users, commenting on workouts, viewing a feed, sharing sessions and copying routines or workouts. It also lets the user set a public or private profile. That layer can turn logging into motivation when you train with friends or like seeing what others do.

Strong officially presents a simple, flexible experience centred on preserving history, measuring progress and staying out of the way during training. It lets users share workout or template links, but the reviewed sources do not place a social feed at the centre of the proposition. That can suit someone seeking minimal attention; Hevy provides the more clearly documented path when community matters.

Progress, charts and exercise context

Hevy documents personal records, estimated 1RM, per-workout volume, lift charts and trends for muscle activity, frequency and consistency. It also shows previous performance while logging and connects personal analysis with its community.

Strong organizes each exercise into instructions, history, charts and records. Its help centre says exercise charts require Strong PRO; records include all-time bests, best performances at each rep count and a projected best lift. The profile can hold user-selected consistency, measurement and exercise-chart widgets.

Programming and progression: Hevy Trainer versus templates

Hevy Trainer is a feature for Pro users that generates a program from goals and preferences. Its documentation also describes progressive-overload suggestions that indicate when to increase weight and by how much based on logged performance. Hevy states that an algorithm generates the program, not AI.

Strong documents a self-directed path: start empty, use a template and save a completed workout as a new template. The reviewed sources do not present an equivalent to Hevy Trainer. The difference is not whether either app logs; it is whether you want the app to propose programming and progression or keep that control outside the tracker.

Phone, browser and watch: where you will actually log

Availability does not guarantee identical features on every screen. Strong notes that not every iPhone feature exists on Apple Watch. Hevy publishes specific compatibility and synchronization guidance for Wear OS. Check your model, operating-system version and the field you need to edit mid-set.

Exporting and moving data: the difference after months of logging

Strong can export workout data as CSV from iOS and Android. Its guide warns that the exported file cannot be imported back into Strong. Hevy can export workouts or measurements and documents a direct import of Strong's CSV.

The import into Hevy has important conditions: the direct Strong CSV must be in English, and Hevy says only one import can be performed. Keep a copy, temporarily switch Strong to English before export, then inspect exercises, units, dates and notes after import. Do not remove the source history until several workouts match.

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

   Check 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

Build the same three-exercise routine in both apps: one barbell movement, one machine and one dumbbell exercise. Set the same 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

The official Hevy and Strong listings offer free downloads and show in-app purchases, but amounts, promotions and limits can vary by market and date. Open both listings under the same account and note the monthly, annual or lifetime option actually offered to you.

• Number of routines or templates you need to keep.
• Charts and statistics you will check 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.

Do not decide on sticker price alone. Divide the cost by the months you will use the app and include migration time. A cheaper tool that requires another system can consume more attention.

Why we recommend BUSTAFIT for hypertrophy progression

Hevy Trainer already documents generated programming and progressive-overload suggestions for Pro users; Strong provides a self-directed log with templates, RPE, history and records. BUSTAFIT differs by bringing weights, repetitions and a dedicated RIR field together with the last useful set and performance-based load or repetition guidance inside an iPhone experience designed around hypertrophy.

For someone focused on building muscle and progressing in the gym, we recommend starting with BUSTAFIT: its path places the next hypertrophy decision at the centre. Hevy may fit better when community, web, Wear OS or a complete program generated by Trainer matters more. Strong may fit better when you want to direct your own programming and prefer its log, measurements and Apple Watch Handoff.