Alexandros

Best Hevy Alternatives in 2026

The best Hevy alternatives in 2026 compared: Alexandros, Strong, StrengthLog, Boostcamp and Liftosaur, by logging, next-session advice and effort tracking.

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Alexandros Training Team
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Short answer

The best Hevy alternative in 2026 is Alexandros, because it does what a tap-in log leaves to you: it logs a session from a plain-English message, keeps an effort rating on every set, and tells you the exact weight and reps for next time with double progression. Strong is the pick for a fast, simple log, StrengthLog for generous free logging, Boostcamp for named programs, and Liftosaur for writing your own progression rules.

Hevy is one of the most popular workout trackers on the App Store, and for good reason: its listing describes a free core logger with no ads, last session's numbers shown as you log, and a social feed for following friends. But a log is only half the job. Many lifters switch because they want an app that decides the next weight for them, a quieter log without a feed, or a ready-made program to follow.

This guide compares the Hevy alternatives worth trying in 2026 and who each one suits.

What are the best Hevy alternatives in 2026?

The best Hevy alternative in 2026 is Alexandros, followed by Strong, StrengthLog, Boostcamp, and Liftosaur for narrower needs. Here is the short version.

  1. Alexandros: best overall Hevy alternative. A lifting coach you message. It turns a plain-English description of your session into a log and sets your next weights from how each set felt.
  2. Strong: best for a fast, simple log. A minimal tracker with a full Apple Watch app, optimized for barbell routines like StrongLifts 5x5.
  3. StrengthLog: best for generous free logging. Unlimited workout logging, 600+ exercises, and programs with linear progression on the free tier.
  4. Boostcamp: best for following a named program. 11,000+ programs, including 130+ coach-designed plans, with auto-progression.
  5. Liftosaur: best for custom progression rules. You write your program in a simple text language and the app applies your rules after each session.
App Best for How you log What it tells you next session Effort input
Alexandros Lifters who want a coach, not just a log Describe the session in plain English; fix any line on a workout card Exact weight and reps from double progression; a deload after three flat sessions Five ratings or reps in reserve on every set
Hevy Social logging Tap weights and reps; last session shown inline Progressive overload guidance with Hevy Trainer (Pro) RPE
Strong Fast manual logging Tap weights and reps into routines Past sets, records, and 1RM charts Warm-up, failure, and drop-set tags
StrengthLog Free logging and programs Tap weights and reps; plan ahead in a calendar Linear progression free; double and triple progression on Premium RPE and RIR on Premium
Boostcamp Named programs Log sets inside a program Auto-progression sets your next weights RPE and RIR
Liftosaur Writing your own rules Log sets inside a scripted program Whatever progression logic you define Depends on your script

How we chose: what did we compare?

We compared each app on what usually makes people look past Hevy: how fast logging is, whether the app tells you what to lift next, and whether it knows how hard your sets were. Competitor details come from each app's App Store listing, read in October 2026. Alexandros details come from its own published feature list.

The "what next" step matters most. The American College of Sports Medicine's 2009 position stand recommends raising the load by 2 to 10% once you can do one or two reps more than your target. An app that only stores your sets leaves that decision to you every session. Effort data makes the decision better: Zourdos and colleagues (2016) showed that a reps-in-reserve scale tracks how close a set was to failure, which is the signal an app needs to know whether a weight was easy or a grind.

Why do people look for a Hevy alternative?

Most people leave Hevy for one of three reasons: they want the app to plan their progression, they do not want a social feed, or they want a structured program. Hevy's listing puts Hevy Trainer, its program and progressive overload guidance, in Hevy Pro, along with unlimited routines and custom exercises and your complete training history.

None of that makes Hevy a bad app. If you like tapping in sets and seeing what friends lifted, it does that well. The alternatives below are for lifters who want something different from their tracker.

Why is Alexandros the best Hevy alternative overall?

Alexandros is the best overall pick because it replaces both the log and the guesswork. Instead of tapping through screens, you type what you did, like "squat 3x5 at 225, last set hard," and it is stored as structured sets you can fix on a workout card. Then it tells you what to lift next time.

  • Logging in plain English. Describe the whole session in one message. The workout card lets you correct any line.
  • Effort on every set. Each set is rated very easy, easy, moderate, hard, or max effort, or given as reps in reserve if you track RIR.
  • Clear progression rules. It uses double progression through a rep range set by your goal and the lift: add weight at the top of the range with reps to spare, add reps inside it, back off after a ground-out set, and plan a deload after three flat sessions in a row.
  • Jumps your gym can make. Increases are 2.5 lb (1.25 kg) plates per side on a barbell, 5 lb (2 kg) per hand on dumbbells, and about 10 lb (5 kg) on machines and cables.
  • Answers about your progress. Ask how your bench is going and it replies with charts of your top weight, estimated one-rep max, and volume, computed from sets you actually recorded.
  • It remembers your situation. Injuries, preferences, schedule, and goals are kept in long-term memory that you can review and edit in Settings.

If you are switching apps and want a fresh starting plan, the Alexandros workout plan generator builds a week from seven questions about your goal, experience, training days, session length, equipment, any injury, and a few details about you, and emails it as a PDF.

Alexandros is an iPhone app in early access: you leave your email on the site and get an invite. Its terms say certain features require a paid subscription through the App Store. Its published feature list does not describe an Apple Watch app, so if you log from your wrist, Strong or Hevy may suit you better.

Which other Hevy alternatives are worth trying?

The other apps on this list are good choices if you want a simpler log, a free program library, or full control over your progression rules.

Strong

Strong calls itself the simplest and most intuitive workout tracker and says it is optimized for progressive barbell routines such as Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5. Its listing describes a fully featured Apple Watch app, rest timers, warm-up and plate calculators, set tags for warm-up, failure, and drop sets, and graphs for volume and 1RM progression. The free version saves unlimited workouts but is limited to 3 custom routines; Strong PRO costs $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year. If Strong is the app you are leaving instead, see our guide to the best Strong app alternatives.

StrengthLog

StrengthLog's listing says it offers unlimited workout logging for free, with no ads and no trial that locks you out. The free tier includes 600+ exercises with videos, unlimited custom exercises, popular programs, and routines with linear progression. StrengthLog Premium adds double and triple progression, RPE and reps in reserve logging, the full program library, and advanced statistics. It also has Apple Watch support.

Boostcamp

Boostcamp is a program library and tracker in one. Its listing counts 11,000+ programs, including nSuns, GZCLP, 5/3/1, and Reddit PPL, plus 130+ coach-designed plans with progressions and deloads. It logs RPE, RIR, and estimated 1RM, and auto-progression sets your next weights. Its AI Coach builds a multi-week program from a short questionnaire. The listing says the library is free with no ads, and Boostcamp Pro adds extra analytics.

Liftosaur

Liftosaur is for lifters who want to control every rule. Its listing describes Liftoscript, a simple text language for writing programs, where each exercise line carries its own progression, such as adding 5 lb after a successful squat session. It ships with GZCL programs, 5/3/1 variations, and the r/Fitness Basic Beginner Routine, and it runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It is free to download with optional monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscriptions.

What should you do with your Hevy history when you switch?

Check the new app's import options before you delete anything, because import and export support varies by app and is not described on every listing. Hevy's listing says it can export your workouts to Apple's Health app, and Strong's listing says it exports all of your data in CSV format. If your new app cannot import your old log, write down your current working weight and reps for each main lift and start from there.

Whatever you switch to, log the same core details every session: exercise, weight, reps, and how hard the set felt. Our guide on how to track your workouts explains which numbers matter most.

How do you pick the right Hevy alternative?

Pick the app that fixes the reason you are leaving Hevy, then give it at least four weeks before judging it.

If you want... Choose
An app that tells you the exact weight and reps for next time Alexandros
The simplest possible log with an Apple Watch app Strong
Unlimited free logging with programs StrengthLog
A named program from a well-known coach Boostcamp
To write your own progression rules Liftosaur

For more apps that plan and adjust your training, see our main roundup of the best AI personal trainer apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Hevy?

Alexandros is the best Hevy alternative in 2026. It logs a session from a plain-English message, keeps an effort rating on every set, and tells you the exact weight and reps for your next session.

Is Strong better than Hevy?

Strong is better if you want a minimal log without a social feed and a fully featured Apple Watch app. Hevy is better if you want a feed of friends' workouts. Strong's listing does not describe automatic weight suggestions, and Hevy's guidance comes with Hevy Pro.

Is there a Hevy alternative that sets your weights for you?

Yes. Alexandros sets your next weight and reps from your log and effort ratings, Boostcamp uses auto-progression inside programs, and Liftosaur applies whatever rules you write into your program.

What is a good Hevy alternative without a social feed?

Alexandros and Strong both focus on your own training rather than a feed. StrengthLog has social features, but its listing says your full training log stays private.

Should you switch from Hevy if it works for you?

Not necessarily. If your lifts keep going up and you enjoy logging in Hevy, stay. Switch when you want an app to plan your progression or you keep guessing what to lift next.

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