Best Workout Tracker App: How to Choose and 4 Apps Compared

GYMDONE editorial team

The best workout tracker app is the one that lets you enter a set in seconds and shows what you lifted last time. For most people who already follow a program, that means a fast logger: Hevy if you want a generous free version and a social feed, or Strong if you want the most minimal log. If you also want the app to build your plan, look at a planner: GymDone creates routines from your target muscles, session length, equipment and joint restrictions, and Fitbod generates AI workouts that change every session. None of them is best for everyone, so test one real session before you pay.

Below is what to look for in a gym tracker, an honest comparison based on each app's own store listing and help pages (checked on 2 November 2026), and a short test workout that shows within one session whether an app suits you.

Do you need a workout tracker at all?

You need some record, but it does not have to be an app. A meta-analysis of 138 experimental studies with almost 20,000 participants found that interventions that increased progress monitoring helped people reach their goals, and the effect was larger when the information was physically recorded. The studies covered many kinds of goals, not only training, so treat it as general support for writing your numbers down rather than proof that one app builds more muscle.

In the gym, the practical reason is simpler: to get stronger you have to do a little more over time, and it is hard to remember last month's numbers for ten exercises. Our progressive overload guide explains the rules, and the workout log guide shows what to write down. A notebook works and costs nothing. An app earns its place when it saves you time between sets and does the math for you.

What to look for in a gym tracker

Feature lists are long, but only a few things decide whether you will still be using the app in three months.

Fast set entry. Logging a set should take a few taps and keep your place when the screen locks. If it feels slow on day one, it will feel slower on day thirty.
Last session's numbers on screen. You should see the weight and reps to beat without leaving the workout.
History you keep. Check how far back the free version lets you look. Years of data are only useful if you can reach them.
Progress charts. Weight, volume and an estimated one-rep max for each lift show whether the program is working.
Rest timer. An automatic timer means one less thing to think about between sets.
Your routines and limits. Count the routines you need. A four-day split with A and B days needs more than most free limits allow.
A way out. A CSV export means your history is not locked into one app.

Best workout tracker apps compared

The table only lists what each app states in its own listing or help pages. "Not listed" means the app does not mention it, not that it can never exist. Prices are from the US App Store on 2 November 2026; they differ by country and can change.

Four workout tracker apps compared by their own descriptions (checked 2 November 2026)
Feature	Hevy	Strong	Fitbod	GymDone
Main idea	Log with a social feed	Minimal log	AI workouts	Planner and log
Free use	Free without ads: 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months of history	Unlimited workouts, 3 routines	3 free workouts, then a subscription to start or log workouts	Free download; Premium unlocks the complete experience
Plan built for you	Hevy Trainer, in Pro	Not listed	Yes, every session	Yes, by muscles, duration, equipment and joints
Supersets	Yes	Yes	Not listed	Yes
Rest timer	Automatic	Automatic	Not listed	Not listed
Exercise demos	Videos with instructions	Instructions, growing video library	Over 1,000 exercises with video	686 exercises with video
Progress tracking	Charts for each exercise, PRs, measurements	Records, volume, 1RM; measurements in PRO	Workout log, exercise and recovery tracking	History, measurements, consistency, trained muscles
Apple Health and Apple Watch	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CSV export	Yes	Yes	Not listed	Not listed
App languages (US listing)	16	11	3	10
Yearly price	$23.99	$29.99	$79.99 or $95.99	Plans listed from $57.90 to $69.99

All four are also on Google Play. Listings describe the iPhone version, so check the Android listing if a feature matters to you.

Which one fits you

Hevy suits you if you already have a program and want the most from a free version, plus friends and a feed. The limit you will notice first is 3 months of visible history. More in our Hevy alternative guide.
Strong suits barbell programs and people who want no distractions. Three free routines cover a simple A/B program. More in our Strong alternative guide.
Fitbod suits you if you would rather have an algorithm choose your exercises each time and are happy to pay after the trial. It is the most expensive of the four per year. More in our Fitbod alternatives guide.
GymDone is our own app, so weigh this accordingly. It suits you if you do not want to design routines yourself, or you have limited equipment or joint restrictions. It costs more per year than Hevy or Strong, and its listing does not mention a CSV export.

Test any tracker with this one workout

Reviews cannot tell you how an app feels with chalk on your hands. Install one or two candidates and log one of these sessions from start to finish. Pick the version that matches your equipment and rest 1–3 minutes between sets.

Gym test3 × 53 × 53 × 83 × 30–45 s
Home test3 × 103 × 103 × 103 × 30–45 s

While you train, check these five things:

Can you enter a set in under 10 seconds, including the weight?
Is it easy to log the plank by time rather than reps?
Can you pair the press and row as a superset if you want to save time?
When you repeat the workout, are your last numbers easy to see?
Is what you need available in the free version, or does the app ask you to pay?

Repeat the session a few days later, because the second workout is the real test: that is when the app has to show you what to beat. Choose the app you found easiest and stay with it for at least 6–8 weeks. Switching apps every month costs more progress than any missing feature.

Common questions

What is the best free workout tracker app?

By the numbers each app publishes, Hevy and Strong are the most useful free loggers: Hevy allows 4 routines with 3 months of visible history, and Strong allows 3 routines with unlimited saved workouts. Fitbod's free use ends after 3 workouts. A notebook or spreadsheet is free with no limits but needs more manual work.

Is a workout tracker good for beginners?

Yes, if you also have a plan. A log only records what you do, so beginners often do better with an app that gives ready routines and exercise demos. Our guide to the best fitness app for beginners covers this in more detail.

Should I use a notebook or an app?

Both work. A notebook is simple and has no battery to run out. An app calculates charts and estimated maxes, shows your last numbers automatically and is hard to lose. Use whichever you will actually keep filling in; building the habit matters more than the tool.

Can I move my data to another app?

Hevy and Strong can both export your history as a CSV file, and Hevy can import a Strong export. The Fitbod and GymDone listings do not mention an export, so before you switch from either one, write down your current working weights. You can then repeat those weights in your first week in the new app.