Best Workout App in 2025: Gainr vs Strong vs JEFIT vs Hevy vs Fitbod

Finding the right workout app shouldn't feel like a workout itself. With hundreds of fitness apps flooding the App Store and Google Play, choosing one that actually helps you get stronger is overwhelming. We tested the most popular workout tracking apps head-to-head so you don't have to.

Whether you're looking for the best free workout app, the smartest AI-powered trainer, or simply a clean way to log your sets, this comparison breaks down what matters: features, pricing, AI capabilities, and who each app is actually built for.

Quick Comparison: Top Workout Apps at a Glance

What We Looked For

Every lifter has different priorities. Some want a dead-simple rep counter. Others want an AI coach that adapts to their equipment, goals, and experience level. We evaluated each app across six criteria:

1. Ease of use - How fast can you start logging?
2. AI and personalization - Does the app adapt to you?
3. Tracking depth - Sets, reps, PRs, volume, progression
4. Program support - Can you follow structured programs?
5. Free tier value - What do you actually get for free?
6. Cross-platform - Can you switch between phone, tablet, and browser?

Gainr - Best Overall Workout App

Best for: Lifters who want AI-personalized workouts without paying a premium for basic tracking.

Gainr takes a different approach from most workout trackers. Instead of dumping you into an empty logbook and wishing you luck, it asks a few questions about your fitness level, experience, available equipment, and goals, then generates workouts and full training programs tailored specifically to you.

What Sets Gainr Apart

AI That Actually Knows You. This is the standout feature. During a quick onboarding flow, Gainr collects your fitness level, lifting experience, available equipment, primary goal, and body metrics. The AI uses all of this, plus your recent workout history, to generate workouts that match your ability and avoid repeating the same sessions. It's not random. It's not a template. It's a workout designed for you, right now, with the equipment you actually have access to.

Full Program Generation. Most apps let you build individual workouts. Gainr generates entire 4 to 12+ week training programs with proper periodization, progressive overload, and split options (push/pull/legs, upper/lower, full body, bro split). You choose the duration, workouts per week, and training style. The AI handles the rest, building each week with purpose, from foundation phases through peak performance.

4-Type PR Tracking. Where most apps only track your one-rep max or heaviest weight, Gainr automatically detects four types of personal records as you log sets in real time:

• Heaviest Set (weight x reps volume)
• Heaviest Weight (absolute max)
• Most Reps (endurance milestone)
• Session Volume (total work in one session)

That means you're hitting PRs more often, which keeps motivation high. Each one triggers a notification with your previous record for comparison.

Exercise History Your last weight is visible and your full history is just a tap away when you are mid-workout and want to see what you lifted last time or the time before that. No more losing your place mid-workout when you need to go check your exercise history.

Training Balance Insights. The progress tab doesn't just show charts. It analyzes your muscle group distribution over 30 and 90-day windows, flags neglected muscles (those untrained for 14+ days), and gives you a training balance score. It's the kind of feedback a coach would give you, built into the app.

Gainr Pricing

Gainr's free tier includes full access to the exercise library, session tracking, PR detection, progress charts, and training insights. You can create 2 workouts and generate 2 AI items for free. The Pro upgrade removes all limits on creation and generation.

Gainr Drawbacks

The app is newer than established players, so the community and social features are not yet available.

Strong - Best for Simple Logging

Best for: Experienced lifters who know their routine and want fast, no-frills set logging.

Strong has been a staple in the lifting community for years, and for good reason. The interface is clean, logging is fast, and it stays out of your way. If you already know exactly what you're doing in the gym and just need something to track it, Strong delivers.

Strengths

• Fast logging interface. Tap, enter weight, enter reps, done. Strong nails the basic tracking loop.
• Clean design. No clutter, no ads in the paid tier, just your workout.
• Apple Watch integration. Log sets from your wrist without pulling out your phone.
• Solid export. CSV export for data nerds who want to analyze in spreadsheets.

Weaknesses

• No AI features. Strong doesn't generate workouts or adapt to your ability. You bring the plan, it tracks it.
• No program support. There's no built-in way to follow a multi-week periodized program with progression.
• Limited free tier. The free version restricts how many routines and exercises you can create.
• No web app. Mobile only. You can't review your history from a desktop browser.

Strong Pricing

Free with limits. Pro unlocks unlimited routines at $4.99/month or $29.99/year.

JEFIT - Best Exercise Database

Best for: Beginners who want guided exercises with demonstrations and a social community.

JEFIT has been around since the early days of fitness apps and has built one of the largest exercise databases available. With over 1,300 exercises complete with animations and instructions, it's a solid choice if you're still learning proper form.

Strengths

• Massive exercise library. 1,300+ exercises with animated demonstrations.
• Social features. Community routines, leaderboards, and workout sharing.
• Body measurements. Track more than just lifts; log body stats over time.
• Web access. Full web app for reviewing data on desktop.

Weaknesses

• Ads in free tier. The free version includes banner and interstitial ads that interrupt your session flow.
• Dated interface. The UI hasn't kept pace with modern app design standards. Navigation can feel cluttered.
• No AI generation. Workouts come from templates or the community, not personalized to you.
• Complex setup. The sheer number of options can overwhelm new users despite being targeted at beginners.

JEFIT Pricing

Free with ads. Elite removes ads and unlocks features at $12.99/month or $39.99/year.

Hevy - Best for Social Lifters

Best for: Lifters who want to share workouts, follow friends, and stay motivated through community.

Hevy has grown quickly by focusing on the social side of lifting. If accountability through friends is what keeps you going to the gym, Hevy's feed-based approach makes it easy to share and compare workouts.

Strengths

• Social feed. See what your friends are lifting, like and comment on workouts.
• Clean interface. Modern design that's easy to navigate.
• Routine sharing. Share and discover routines from the community.
• Web app. Access your data from a browser.

Weaknesses

• No AI. Like Strong, Hevy doesn't generate or adapt workouts. You build everything manually.
• Limited free tier. Routine limits push you toward the paid plan quickly.
• No periodized programs. No support for multi-week structured programs.
• Social dependency. The core value proposition requires friends on the platform. Solo users get less value.

Hevy Pricing

Free with limits. Pro at $8.99/month or $49.99/year.

Fitbod - Best Algorithm-Based App

Best for: People who want the app to decide their workout each day without thinking about programming.

Fitbod takes a different approach: instead of following a set routine, it generates a new workout each session based on your recovery, muscle group balance, and available equipment. It's hands-off by design.

Strengths

• Daily auto-generation. Shows up, get a workout. No planning required.
• Recovery tracking. Considers muscle fatigue from previous sessions.
• Equipment awareness. Filters exercises based on your gym setup.
• Apple Watch and Health integration. Solid ecosystem integration on iOS.

Weaknesses

• No structured programs. Fitbod generates day-by-day. There's no concept of a training block, periodization, or weekly programming. For lifters following a progression scheme, this is a dealbreaker.
• Expensive. At $14.99/month, it's the priciest option on this list.
• Minimal free tier. Only 3 free workouts, then you hit the paywall.
• Algorithm, not AI. The generation uses a rule-based algorithm, not a language model that understands context and nuance. The difference shows in workout variety and exercise selection logic.
• No Android parity. Historically iOS-first, with Android lagging on features.

Fitbod Pricing

3 free workouts. Then $14.99/month or $79.99/year.

Feature Deep Dive: AI Workout Generation

This is where the gap between apps becomes clear. Most workout apps are fundamentally logbooks. They're good at recording what you did. Very few actually help you decide what to do.

How Gainr's AI Works

When you tap "Generate Workout" in Gainr, the AI considers:

• Your fitness level and lifting experience (a beginner with 3 months of experience gets different programming than an advanced lifter with 5 years)
• Your available equipment (home gym with dumbbells only? The AI won't suggest cable flyes)
• Your primary goal (strength training looks different from hypertrophy or endurance)
• Your last 10 sessions (avoids repeating the same exercises and muscle groups)
• Your preferred workout type (push, pull, legs, upper, lower, full body)
• Your preferred duration (quick 20-minute session or extended 75-minute workout)

The result isn't a generic template. It's a workout with specific exercises, set counts, rep ranges, and form notes, all matched to exercises that exist in your library and equipment list.

Program Generation Goes Further

Individual workouts are useful. But real progress comes from following a structured program. Gainr is the only app in this comparison that generates full multi-week training programs:

• Choose your split type (PPL, upper/lower, full body, bro split)
• Set your workouts per week (3 to 6 sessions)
• Pick your program length (4, 8, 12+ weeks)
• The AI builds every week with progressive overload, phase-based focus (foundation, building, peak), and proper exercise rotation

No other app in this list offers this. Strong, Hevy, and JEFIT don't generate anything. Fitbod generates one day at a time with no overarching program structure.

Feature Deep Dive: Personal Records

Tracking PRs matters because progress is the best motivator. But most apps define "PR" narrowly, usually just your heaviest weight on an exercise.

Gainr tracks four distinct PR categories:

PRs are detected in real time as you log each set. When you hit a new record, you get an immediate notification showing your previous best. Over weeks and months, this creates a detailed progression map for every exercise you perform.

Who Should Use What?

Choose Gainr if:

• You want AI to build workouts and programs tailored to you
• You train with limited or specific equipment
• You want detailed PR tracking with multiple record types
• You value training balance insights and analytics
• You want a generous free tier with full feature access

Choose Strong if:

• You already know your programming and just need a logbook
• You want the fastest possible logging experience
• You use an Apple Watch for gym tracking
• You don't need AI or program generation

Choose JEFIT if:

• You're a beginner who needs exercise demonstrations
• You want to browse community-created routines
• You enjoy social features and leaderboards

Choose Hevy if:

• Your gym motivation comes from friends and community
• You want to share and compare workouts socially
• You want a modern interface with web access

Choose Fitbod if:

• You want zero planning; just show up and get told what to do
• You don't follow structured programs
• You're willing to pay premium pricing for daily auto-generation

The Bottom Line

The workout app space has been dominated by digital logbooks. You create your routine, you log your sets, you look at a chart. That model works fine for experienced lifters who already know how to program.

But most people don't have a degree in exercise science. They want to walk into the gym with a plan that makes sense for their body, their equipment, and their goals, and they want that plan to evolve as they get stronger.

That's where Gainr fits. It combines the tracking depth of apps like Strong with AI that actually understands your training context. The free tier gives you real access to every feature. And the multi-week program generation is something no other app on this list offers at any price.

Stay tuned, and if you haven't already, download Gainr for free on iOS or Android.

Last updated: January 2026. Pricing and features reflect publicly available information at time of writing. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.