Strong is the fastest workout logger ever made. Open the app, tap through your sets, done — nobody does pure logging velocity better. But the free tier caps you at 3 custom routines, and the moment you run a 4-day split, a push/pull/legs rotation, or separate gym and home routines, you hit the wall. Strong PRO removes the cap at $4.99/month or $29.99/year (checked October 2026) — reasonable, but not everyone wants another subscription for what used to feel like a simple notebook.
The good news: you don’t need one. There are six genuinely good workout trackers that will carry your training without a subscription — and one of them will even import your Strong history directly. Here’s the honest breakdown, including where each app beats Strong and where Strong still wins.
The 6 alternatives at a glance
Every price below was checked against official store listings and product pages in October 2026. Prices are US list prices and vary by region.
| App | Free tier limits | Platforms | Paid tier | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness100 | Full 100-day programme + logging free | iOS only | — | Structured 100-day plan, not just a log |
| Hevy | Unlimited logging; 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3-month history graphs | iOS + Android | $2.99/mo · $23.99/yr · $74.99 lifetime | Social feed + direct Strong CSV import |
| FitNotes | Everything free, no ads, no account | Android only | Optional one-time Supporter purchase | Fastest minimal logging; works fully offline |
| Jefit | Logging + routines free, with ads | iOS + Android + web | Elite ~$12.99/mo · ~$69.99/yr | 1,400+ exercise library with animations |
| Boostcamp | Full tracker + 11,000+ programs, no ads | iOS + Android | Pro $14.99/mo · $59.99/yr | Massive free program library (5/3/1, nSuns, GZCL) |
| Liftosaur | Completely free, open source | PWA + iOS + Android wrappers | — | Scriptable progression logic for tinkerers |
Fitness100 — best free structured programme (iOS only)
Every other app on this list is a logger: a blank notebook that records whatever you decide to do. Fitness100 is the odd one out — it’s a programme. You get a structured 100-day plan that tells you what to train, when, and how to progress, with logging built in around it. If your problem with Strong isn’t the logging but the fact that you’re improvising every session, this is the fix.
The full 100-day programme and workout logging are free. Plans cover both gym and home training, so you don’t need a membership to start. Progress is visualized as you go — volume trends, streaks, and a calendar that shows your consistency at a glance.
The important caveat, stated plainly: Fitness100 is currently iOS only. There is no Android version yet (one is coming, but it’s not here today). If you’re on Android, skip to FitNotes or Hevy below — don’t wait around for a platform that doesn’t serve you yet. iPhone users, though, get the most opinionated pick on this list: instead of choosing between six loggers, you get someone handing you the plan.
Who should pick it: lifters who want structure without hiring a coach — especially beginners and returners who know consistency is the problem, not exercise selection. Who shouldn’t: Android users (obviously), and advanced lifters running their own periodized programming who just need a fast notebook — Strong or FitNotes serves them better.
Hevy — best free social option
Hevy is the default answer when someone asks “what do I use instead of Strong,” and it’s earned that position. The free tier gives you unlimited workout logging with caps that most lifters never hit: 4 saved routines, 7 custom exercises, and 3 months of visible history graphs. Your data is never deleted — the 3-month cap only affects how far back the charts display. Pro is the cheapest upgrade in the category at $2.99/month, $23.99/year, or a $74.99 lifetime purchase (checked October 2026).
Two things genuinely separate Hevy from the pack. First, the social feed: you can follow friends, see their workouts, and share your own. Mock it if you want, but social accountability is one of the few things research consistently links to training consistency — for many people it’s the feature that keeps them showing up in month four. Second, Hevy imports Strong’s CSV export directly, so years of Strong history move across in minutes. Nobody else on this list makes switching that painless.
The honest downsides: 4 routines is one more than Strong’s 3, so if you run 5+ routines you’ll still feel a ceiling. The 3-month graph cap stings more the longer you train — by month six, your January baseline vanishes from the charts unless you pay. And if you find social feeds distracting rather than motivating, you’re carrying features you’ll never open.
Who should pick it: anyone leaving Strong who wants the closest equivalent experience with a friendlier free tier and a painless migration path. Who shouldn’t: lifters who want their full multi-year history visible in charts without paying, and people who find social features noisy.
FitNotes — best minimal Android option
FitNotes is the closest thing this category has to a folk hero. It’s Android-only, completely free, has no ads, requires no account, works fully offline, and stores everything locally on your device. There is no subscription tier. There’s an optional one-time “Supporter” purchase that costs less than a single month of most competing subscriptions — and it changes nothing functionally; it’s a tip jar.
What you get is radical simplicity: pick a date, add exercises, log weight and reps, done. A rest timer, a calendar view, routine templates, and CSV export for your data. That’s the whole app, and for a huge number of lifters that’s exactly the whole job. It launches fast, never nags you, and never holds a feature hostage.
The trade-offs are real, though. There’s no iOS version of the classic FitNotes (note: a separate newer app called “Fitnotes X” exists on both platforms — different product, don’t confuse them). There’s no cloud sync, so your data lives on one device unless you manage backups yourself. No social features, no program library, no progression coaching. It’s a notebook, proudly.
Who should pick it: Android lifters who want the fastest possible logging with zero cost, zero ads, and zero account — and who back up their own data. Who shouldn’t: iPhone users, anyone who wants their history synced across devices, and lifters who want programming guidance rather than a blank page.
Jefit, Boostcamp, and Liftosaur — shorter takes
Jefit — the veteran with the biggest library
Jefit has been around longer than almost everything here, and it shows in the 1,400+ exercise library with animated form demonstrations — the best in the category for learning new movements. The free tier covers logging and custom routines but shows ads; Elite (around $12.99/month or $69.99/year, checked October 2026) removes ads and adds video demos, advanced analytics, and premium plans. There’s also a web dashboard, which is genuinely useful for programming your week at a desk. The interface feels busier than the minimalists — that’s the price of depth.
Pick Jefit if: exercise variety and form guidance matter more to you than a clean interface.
Boostcamp — the free programme library
Boostcamp’s free tier is almost suspiciously generous: a full workout tracker (RPE/RIR logging, supersets, plate calculator, PRs) plus a library of 11,000+ programmes including 130+ coach-designed ones — 5/3/1, nSuns, GZCLP, Reddit PPL, all free, with no ads. Pro ($14.99/month or $59.99/year, checked October 2026) adds AI-generated programmes and deeper analytics, but the free tier alone is a complete product. If you want proven programming without paying for it, nothing else here comes close.
Pick Boostcamp if: you want to follow a real programme (not just log) and don’t want to pay for the privilege.
Liftosaur — the tinkerer’s choice
Liftosaur is free, open-source (AGPL), and built for people who think about progression logic the way programmers think about code — because you literally write it. Its built-in scripting language, Liftoscript, lets you define exactly how weights increase, when deloads trigger, and how failures are handled. Stronglifts 5×5, GZCLP, any 5/3/1 variant, any PPL: if you can describe the logic, Liftosaur runs it. It works as a web app (PWA) with thin iOS and Android wrappers. The interface is utilitarian and the learning curve is real — this is not the app you hand to your dad.
Pick Liftosaur if: you’re the kind of person who has opinions about deload protocols and wants the app to execute your exact system. Also: it’s the only option here whose code you can read.
How to export your Strong data and move it
Don’t abandon years of training history — it’s the most valuable training data you own. Here’s how to take it with you:
- Export from Strong: open Strong, go to Settings → Export Data, and export your workouts as a CSV file. Save it somewhere safe (email it to yourself or drop it in cloud storage). This works whether or not you’re a PRO subscriber.
- Import to Hevy: Hevy has a built-in Strong importer — in Hevy, look for the import option in settings and upload the CSV. Routines, exercises, sets, reps, and weights carry over. This is the smoothest migration path on this list.
- Import elsewhere: FitNotes, Jefit, and Boostcamp don’t offer one-click Strong import, but the CSV opens cleanly in any spreadsheet. You can manually rebuild your key routines in an afternoon — and honestly, most lifters only actively use 3–5 routines anyway.
- Fitness100: there’s no CSV import; you start the 100-day programme fresh. That’s by design — it’s a programme, not a log migration target. Your Strong history still has value as a reference for your starting weights.
One caution: export before you cancel anything or delete the app. Export files are small; regret is not.
Which one should you actually pick?
Stop comparing feature tables and answer three questions:
1. iPhone or Android? iPhone unlocks the full list, including Fitness100. Android narrows it to Hevy, FitNotes, Jefit, Boostcamp, and Liftosaur — all excellent, so you’re not settling.
2. Do you want a programme or a notebook? If you already know what to do each session and just need to record it, pick a notebook: FitNotes (Android, free forever), Hevy (social + easy migration), or stay with Strong if 3 routines genuinely cover you. If you’re improvising too often and want structure, pick a programme: Fitness100’s 100-day plan (iOS) or Boostcamp’s free programme library (both platforms).
3. What keeps you consistent? Be honest. If friends’ workouts motivate you, Hevy’s feed is a feature, not fluff. If minimalism keeps you coming back, FitNotes’ zero-friction logging wins. If novelty and progression systems engage you, Liftosaur’s scripting or Boostcamp’s programmes will hold your attention longer than any blank log.
And the uncomfortable honest answer: if you run 3 or fewer routines, love the interface, and use the Apple Watch app — Strong’s free tier is already fine, and Strong PRO at $29.99/year is cheaper than most alternatives’ paid tiers. The best app is the one you’ll still be logging in six months. Price is secondary to that.
The bottom line
You don’t need a subscription to track your training well in 2026. The free tiers have never been this generous: Hevy gives you unlimited logging with a social layer, FitNotes gives you everything for free on Android with no ads, Boostcamp hands you thousands of free programmes, Liftosaur gives you total programmatic control, and Jefit gives you the deepest exercise library.
But if the real problem is that you’re walking into the gym without a plan — logging diligently while improvising — none of these loggers fix that. That’s exactly the gap Fitness100 was built for: a structured 100-day programme with logging wrapped around it, free, on iOS. Sometimes the alternative you need isn’t a better notebook. It’s someone handing you the plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Strong worth paying for per year?
At $29.99/year (checked October 2026), Strong PRO is one of the cheaper subscriptions in the category — less than Hevy’s lifetime cost amortized over three years, and far less than Jefit Elite. It’s worth it if you run more than 3 routines, want advanced charts and the plate calculator, and already love Strong’s logging speed and Apple Watch app. It’s not worth it if a free alternative above covers your needs — be honest about whether you’re paying for features or for inertia.
What’s the best completely free lifting app?
On Android: FitNotes — every feature free, no ads, no account, works offline. Cross-platform: Boostcamp’s free tier (full tracker plus 11,000+ programmes, no ads) is the most generous free product here, and Liftosaur is completely free and open source. On iOS: Fitness100’s programme and logging are free if you want structure rather than a blank log. “Best” depends on whether you want a notebook or a programme.
Can I move my Strong history to another app?
Yes. Export your data from Strong’s Settings as a CSV file, then import it directly into Hevy, which has a built-in Strong importer — routines, exercises, sets, reps, and weights all carry over. For other apps there’s no one-click import, but the CSV opens in any spreadsheet app, so you can rebuild your main routines manually. Export before you delete or cancel anything.
Which of these apps work offline?
FitNotes works fully offline — everything is stored locally on your device, no account needed. Strong, Hevy, and Fitness100 all log workouts offline and sync when you’re back online. Jefit and Boostcamp need a connection for some features (community content, programme browsing) but core logging works offline. Liftosaur’s PWA works offline once loaded.
