Hevy vs Strong (2026): Which Workout Tracker Should You Use?

Ask "what should I log my lifts in?" anywhere lifters gather and you get the same two answers. Hevy and Strong have been trading the top of the workout-tracker category for years, and the honest headline is that both are excellent — this is a comparison of strengths, not a takedown.

But the differences are real, and they map cleanly onto lifter types.

What does Hevy do better?

Hevy is the newer of the two and it shows in momentum: 10M+ users, Apple-featured, 4.92 across 78,000+ ratings, and a development pace that ships visibly.

• The free tier is the category's most generous. Unlimited logging and enough routine slots that many lifters simply never upgrade. Pro exists (roughly the price of one gym smoothie a month — check the listing) but isn't forced on you.
• The social feed. Follow training partners, see their sessions, give props. If accountability-by-visibility works on you, this is a genuine retention feature, not a gimmick.
• Cross-platform parity. iOS, Android, web, Apple Watch, Wear OS — all first-class. Mixed-device lifting groups end up on Hevy by default.

What does Strong do better?

Strong is the elder statesman — 108,000+ ratings at 4.86, and the app that defined the modern logging flow.

• Speed and silence. No feed, no community, no notifications about other people. Open, log, close. For lifters who consider social features a bug, Strong's restraint is the feature.
• Refined logging ergonomics. A decade of polish on one job. Plate calculator, warm-up sets, supersets — everything is two taps and exactly where muscle memory expects it.
• Maturity. Nothing about Strong is experimental. It will work the same next year.

The honest knock: the free tier caps custom routines tightly enough that committed users effectively need the subscription, and development moves slower than Hevy's.

Hevy vs Strong: head to head

The thing neither app tracks

Both apps know everything about your inputs — every set, rep, and PR. Neither knows whether any of it is visible. No photo analysis, no body fat estimation, no muscle-development scoring. Months of perfectly logged sessions can coexist with a physique that hasn't changed, and the log won't tell you.

The loop closed: a GainFrame photo check-in with the day's Hevy session attached — training input and visual output on one screen.

That's the pairing worth knowing about: GainFrame integrates with Hevy directly, so the day's volume attaches to that day's photo check-in — your score and body fat sit next to the session that (hopefully) produced them. Strong users can run the same photo tracking without the integration.

Which should you pick?

Pick Hevy if: you want the best free option, train with friends, or live across platforms. It's the default recommendation in 2026.

Pick Strong if: you want the fastest, quietest log and don't mind paying for it. Nothing else respects your attention the same way.

Either way: the log tracks the work. Add a photo check-in habit for the results — that's the half of the feedback loop these excellent apps deliberately leave out.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hevy or Strong better?

For most lifters in 2026, Hevy — its free tier is more generous, it's actively developed, has a social feed, and its 4.9 rating across 78,000+ reviews reflects genuine polish. Strong remains the better pick for minimalists who want the fastest possible log with zero social layer. Both are excellent; neither is a mistake.

Is Hevy actually free?

Hevy's free tier covers unlimited workout logging and a meaningful number of routines — enough that many lifters never pay. Hevy Pro adds more routines, advanced statistics, and extras. Strong's free tier is more restricted (notably on the number of custom routines). Exact limits shift over time, so check current listings.

Can I switch from Strong to Hevy without losing my data?

Yes. Strong exports your workout history as a CSV file, and Hevy has an import flow that accepts Strong exports. Long histories usually transfer cleanly, though exercise-name mismatches may need manual mapping. Do the export before canceling any subscription so you keep access during the move.

Do Hevy or Strong track body composition or progress photos?

Only minimally — both include basic body measurement logging, but neither analyzes physique photos, estimates body fat, or scores muscle development. They track training inputs. Lifters who want the output side pair their log with a body-composition app; GainFrame integrates with Hevy directly, attaching workout volume to photo check-ins.

Does Hevy work on Android and Apple Watch?

Yes — Hevy runs on iOS, Android, and the web, with Apple Watch and Wear OS apps. Strong is iOS and Android with Apple Watch support. Cross-platform parity is a real Hevy strength; historically Strong's development pace has favored iOS.