Best Hevy alternatives in 2026 (and Strong alternatives)

The best Hevy alternatives in 2026 are Strong (a fast, long-running logger with an Apple Watch app), Boostcamp (free programs from known coaches), Alpha Progression and MacroFactor Workouts (set-by-set weight and rep recommendations), Fitbod (writes your workouts around recovery), and Arrow (a lifting log plus food logging, adaptive calories and per-muscle recovery in one iPhone app). The same list works if you are leaving Strong. Which one fits depends on why you are leaving.

Hevy is a good app. Its free tier is generous, Pro is cheap, and its social feed is one of the better ones. If none of the reasons below apply to you, staying put is a reasonable choice.

Disclosure: we make Arrow. We have tried to be specific about where other apps are the better choice. Every competitor price and feature below was checked against the company's own site, help center or App Store listing on October 17, 2026. Sources are at the end.

01TL;DR

• Want a plain, fast logger with a watch app: Strong.
• Want ready-made programs for free: Boostcamp. Pro is $59.99/yr for auto progression.
• Want the app to tell you the next weight: Alpha Progression ($79.99/yr) or MacroFactor Workouts ($71.99/yr).
• Want the app to write each session: Fitbod ($95.99/yr).
• Want your lifting log, food log and recovery in one place: Arrow. Smart Scan, Arrow Coach and other AI features need an Arrow Diamond subscription.
• Want to stay cheap and social: stay on Hevy. Pro is $23.99/yr.

02Why people leave Hevy or Strong

Be clear on your reason first, or you will switch again in three months.

• Free-tier limits. Hevy's free plan allows up to 4 routines and requires Pro beyond 7 custom exercises. At $23.99/yr, Pro is cheaper than most alternatives here, so a limit alone is rarely a reason to leave.
• You want guidance, not a notebook. Hevy and Strong mostly record what you did. Hevy Pro's Hevy Trainer does suggest when and how much to increase, but apps like Alpha Progression and MacroFactor Workouts are built around per-set recommendations.
• You want a program. Boostcamp and Fitbod give you structure out of the box.
• You also track food. We found no food logging on Hevy's or Strong's official pages, so your diet lives in a second app with nothing connecting the two.
• You don't want a social feed. Hevy's feed is a feature for many people and noise for others.

03The alternatives

Strong

Strong is an iPhone and Apple Watch workout log that has been around for years, with RPE logging. Lifters who leave Hevy for Strong usually want speed and fewer social features. We could not verify Strong's current free-tier limits or PRO prices on an official page today, so check the App Store listing before you subscribe.

Best for: logging from your watch, minimal interface.

Boostcamp

Boostcamp's free tier includes programs and RPE logging (6 to 10, with RIR hints). Auto Progression is part of Pro, at $59.99/yr ($4.99/mo billed annually) or $14.99 month to month.

Best for: following a published program without paying.

Alpha Progression

Alpha Progression gives weight and rep recommendations for every working set, with RIR targets. Pro is $79.99/yr or $12.99/mo, with a 14-day trial on yearly.

Best for: hypertrophy lifters who want a coach-like next-set suggestion.

Fitbod

Fitbod recommends sets, reps and weight from your recent sessions and works around muscle groups that have not recovered. $95.99/yr or $15.99/mo.

Best for: people who don't want to plan sessions themselves.

MacroFactor Workouts

MacroFactor Workouts uses RIR targets and Smart Progression to adjust weights and reps automatically. It is a separate app from MacroFactor's nutrition app: $71.99/yr alone or $89.99/yr bundled with Nutrition after the promo. MacroFactor's help center says the two apps do not adjust each other.

Best for: lifters already on MacroFactor for food.

Arrow

Arrow covers the same kind of lifting log as Hevy: routines (your own or generated), a rest timer, dropsets, warm-up sets, PRs and per-exercise history. Then it adds what Hevy and Strong leave to other apps:

• Food logging: Smart Scan photo logging, describing a meal in words or by voice, barcode scanning, a 2.3M+ food database, saved meals and copy-a-day.
• Adaptive calories: daily calorie and macro targets for losing weight, building muscle or maintaining, re-estimated weekly from your weigh-ins and food log.
• Per-muscle recovery: Arrow tracks how recently each muscle was trained and how long it usually needs (around 72 hours for chest, back and legs, 48 for arms, shoulders and calves, 24 for abs), with shorter windows for muscles that only assisted. Rest days extend your streak.
• Arrow Score: one number combining strength, nutrition and consistency, weighted for your goal.
• Social: share workouts and meals to friends' feed, plus streaks.

Trade-offs: iPhone-first, and AI features need a Diamond subscription. Arrow does not currently offer the per-set next-weight recommendations that Alpha Progression or MacroFactor Workouts are built around, so pick one of those if that is your main reason for leaving.

04Comparison table

US list prices checked October 17, 2026.

05How to switch without losing your history

1. Export first. Check your current app's export option before cancelling, and keep the file even if your new app can't import it.
2. Rebuild only your current routines. You don't need every old template, just what you train now.
3. Note your recent top sets for your main lifts so your first weeks in the new app start from the right weights.
4. Run both for one week if you are unsure, then commit.
5. If food is the reason you're switching, log both for two weeks before judging any adaptive calorie target; these need a run of complete days.

06When to stay on Hevy

• You want free. Hevy's free tier covers most beginners.
• You are on Android. Hevy runs on iOS and Android; Arrow is iPhone-first.
• The social feed keeps you consistent. That is worth more than any feature here.
• You want cheap progression help. Hevy Trainer is in Pro at $23.99/yr.

If you are leaving because you also want to track food, see best workout apps with nutrition tracking and Is there one app that tracks both workouts and macros?.

07FAQ

What is the best Hevy alternative?

It depends on why you are leaving. Strong for a plain fast log with a watch app, Boostcamp for free programs, Alpha Progression or MacroFactor Workouts for per-set recommendations, Fitbod for app-written sessions, and Arrow if you want food and recovery in the same app.

What is the best Strong app alternative?

Hevy is the closest like-for-like switch, with a generous free tier and Android support. If you want more than a log, Boostcamp, Alpha Progression, Fitbod and Arrow each add something Strong does not focus on.

Is there a free alternative to Hevy?

Boostcamp's free tier includes programs and RPE logging. Hevy's own free tier is still one of the most generous.

Does Hevy track food or calories?

We found no food logging on Hevy's official pages. Most Hevy lifters pair it with MyFitnessPal, Cronometer or MacroFactor.

Which workout app tells you what weight to lift next?

Alpha Progression, MacroFactor Workouts, Fitbod, Boostcamp Pro and Hevy Pro (Hevy Trainer) all suggest progressions, according to their own sites.

08Sources

Accessed October 17, 2026.

• Hevy: prices, pricing comparison · free limits, help center · Hevy Trainer, help center · RPE, help center · Android and rest timers, hevyapp.com
• Strong: iPhone and Apple Watch, App Store · RPE, help center
• Boostcamp: prices, boostcamp.app/pro · free RPE and Pro auto progression, features
• Alpha Progression: prices and recommendations, blog, alphaprogression.com
• Fitbod: prices, help center · recovery and progression, help center
• MacroFactor Workouts: Smart Progression, help center · RIR, help center · prices, help center · integration, help center
• Arrow: App Store listing