GymAdapt: the only free app that programs, demonstrates and progresses your lifts
Double progression built in: hit the top of your rep range on every set and the next session's weight goes up by the smallest plate jump for that lift. Free for your first 30 days, Pro $24.99 a year after that. Get GymAdapt free on the App Store →
Most "strength training apps" are either a notebook (you bring the program and decide the weight) or a class (you follow along and nothing is tracked). The useful ones sit in between: they hold a real program, make logging fast and tell you when to add weight. This page ranks the free options on exactly that. For the progression science behind it, see progressive overload apps; for the paid planners, best AI workout apps.
Free strength training apps compared
| App | Free program? | Picks your next weight? | Set logging | Price if you pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GymAdapt (our app) | Yes, AI-built | Yes (free 30 days, then Pro) | Full, with video per lift | $24.99/yr |
| Hevy | Templates; Hevy Trainer is Pro | Only in Hevy Trainer | Excellent, 4 routines free | $23.99/yr |
| Strong | Templates | No | Fastest, 3 routines free | $29.99/yr |
| Boostcamp | Yes, coach-written (5/3/1, GZCLP, PPL) | Program rules | Good | ~$59.99/yr |
| JEFIT | Community plans | No | Good, ads | $69.99/yr |
| Caliber | Yes | Coach if paid | Good | $19/mo+ |
| Alpha Progression | Limited free | Yes (Pro) | Good | $79.99/yr |
| Fitbod | Trial only | Yes (paid) | Good | $95.99/yr |
US App Store prices, checked October 2026; prices vary by country.
How we ranked them. Four things, in order: what you get for a real strength program without paying, whether the app decides your plan and your next weight or leaves that to you, whether every exercise has a demo you can watch at the rack, and price if you do pay. GymAdapt is our app and we say so wherever it appears; where another app is better, the table says that too. Prices were checked in October 2026 and are US App Store prices.
The ranking
1. GymAdapt (our app)
Free: An AI-built plan for your goal, days, equipment and injuries; unlimited workouts; a video for every lift; full set logging; weights that adjust from what you log for your first 30 days; 25 AI coach messages in your first week, then 15 a week; 3 new AI plans in your first month, then 2 a month.
Paid: Pro is $4.99/month or $24.99/year with a 7-day free trial. It keeps your weights adjusting after the free 30 days, plus unlimited AI coaching and plans. Code TRYFREE01 gives a month of Pro free.
2. Hevy
Free: Unlimited logging, 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months of charts, ads.
Paid: Pro $2.99/month, $23.99/year or $74.99 lifetime; Hevy Trainer (plan generator) is Pro.
3. Strong
Free: Unlimited logging, 3 routines.
Paid: PRO $4.99/month, $29.99/year or $99.99 lifetime.
4. Boostcamp
Free: Dozens of complete programs and a tracker.
Paid: Pro about $59.99/year for the full library.
5. JEFIT
Free: Full tracker and plans, with ads.
Paid: Elite $12.99/month or $69.99/year.
6. Caliber
Free: Plans, logging and progress tracking.
Paid: Group coaching from $19/month; 1:1 coaching $200+/month.
7. Alpha Progression
Free: Limited free version.
Paid: Pro $12.99/month or $79.99/year.
8. Fitbod
Free: None after the 7-day trial.
Paid: $15.99/month or $95.99/year.
What a strength app has to get right
- A program with a progression rule. Adding weight when you earn it is the whole point. GymAdapt, Boostcamp programs, Alpha Progression and Fitbod have a rule; Hevy (outside Trainer), Strong and JEFIT leave it to you.
- Logging you can do between sets. Strong and Hevy are the gold standard for speed; GymAdapt logs a set with one tap on the card and starts the rest timer itself.
- Demos at the rack. A video on the exercise card beats a separate library. GymAdapt films one per lift; JEFIT and Fitbod have demos; Hevy and Strong use animations.
- History per lift. All eight show last session's numbers; GymAdapt also tracks estimated 1RM per lift and flags PRs.
Free strength programs you can follow in these apps
Boostcamp hosts 5/3/1, GZCLP, nSuns and several PPL programs free. GymAdapt builds its own 2 to 6-day splits (full body, upper/lower, PPL, hybrid) around your equipment, with twice-a-week frequency per muscle. Hevy and Strong ship generic templates and let you copy routines from other users.
If you already know your numbers, GymAdapt asks for a few current lifts during setup and starts you at the right weight. If you don't, it starts conservative and finds the weight within two or three sessions. Start a free strength program →
GymAdapt is free to start. Want Pro free for a month?
The free version gives you an AI-built plan and unlimited workouts. Code TRYFREE01 adds a full month of Pro: weights that adjust from what you log and unlimited coach chats.
Redeem the free month → Opens the App Store with the code filled in. iPhone only. GymAdapt is free to $24.99 a year: after the free month, Pro renews unless you cancel in Settings, and the free version stays yours either way.Questions people ask
What is the best free strength training app?
GymAdapt (our app): a free program, a video per lift and weights that progress for 30 days free. Hevy and Strong are the best free loggers if you bring your own program; Boostcamp has the best free proven programs.
Which free app tells me how much weight to lift?
GymAdapt sets your starting weights from a few current lifts and raises them when you hit your reps, free for the first 30 days. Alpha Progression and Fitbod do it too, but paid.
Is Strong a good strength training app?
Yes for logging: it is the fastest set table there is, with 3 routines free and PRO at $29.99 a year. It does not program or pick weights for you.
Does Boostcamp have free strength programs?
Yes: 5/3/1, GZCLP, nSuns, PPL and more are free. The full library is Pro, about $59.99 a year.
Can I do 5/3/1 in GymAdapt?
GymAdapt builds its own programs rather than hosting named ones. If you want to run 5/3/1 exactly as written, Boostcamp is the right app; if you want a plan built for your days and equipment with the progression handled, GymAdapt is.
Do these apps work on Apple Watch?
Hevy, Strong and JEFIT have Apple Watch apps. GymAdapt does not yet (iPhone only).
A coach, not just a counter, free to start
GymAdapt builds your plan and raises your weights from what you log. Free to start; code TRYFREE01 adds a month of Pro.
Get GymAdapt on the App Store → Free to start. Pro is $4.99 a month or $24.99 a year (7-day free trial), or $59.99 once for lifetime. iPhone only. In English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Japanese.Sources
- SensAI: Hevy vs Strong 2026, verified prices and free-tier limits
- SensAI: Hevy review 2026 ($2.99/mo, $23.99/yr, $74.99 lifetime; free-tier limits)
- SensAI: Strong app review 2026 (price, free vs PRO)
- Boostcamp: is Boostcamp free? (Pro pricing)
- Subger: Jefit Elite pricing
- Garage Gym Reviews: Caliber strength training app
- Alpha Progression on the App Store
- SensAI: Fitbod review 2026 ($15.99/mo, $95.99/yr)
- ACSM position stand: progression models in resistance training for healthy adults
- Plotkin et al. 2022, PeerJ: progressing load vs repetitions
