The Hevy Alternative That Runs the Program for You
Hevy logs what you type. LiftRing pre-fills your next set's weight and tells you why — 15 built-in programs that run their own progression.
Last reviewed June 2026
Before you switch off Hevy, ask what Hevy isn't actually doing for you. It probably isn't logging speed. Hevy nails that part. The gap is that Hevy records the program you walk in with. It doesn't bring one. LiftRing does the opposite: it ships the program, runs the progression, and tells you why it picked the weight on screen. Here's where the two split, what Hevy still does better, and which one you should download.
Start free — 3 workouts unlocked →What Hevy does genuinely well
Hevy is the biggest strength logger out there, and it earned that spot. The logging screen is the cleanest in the category. Open a session, find the lift, log the set, and the app gets out of your face until the next one. It sits at a roughly 4.9-star rating across about 74,000 US ratings. Holding a number that high at that volume is rare.
It's also the app to beat if you lift across devices. Hevy runs everywhere: native iOS and Android, a full web app, plus standalone Apple Watch (watchOS 8+) and Wear OS support. You can start a routine and bang out sets from your wrist, and it syncs back to the phone live. The 400+ exercise library ships with video and animated demos. The charts are good. And the social feed — follow people, post, like, dig through community routines — keeps a lot of lifters showing up. For pure logging, the free tier hands you more than most paid apps do.
Need those things most? Use Hevy. It's a great app, and LiftRing isn't trying to out-Hevy it on any of them.
Where LiftRing is different
LiftRing does one thing on purpose: it runs the program and shows its work. Pick one of 15 built-in programs. The app pre-fills your next set's weight and drops a one-line reason next to it — say, "+10 lb — you hit all your reps." No programming. No math between sessions. You load the bar it tells you to load, and you know why.
One 2026 change is worth getting right. In February 2026 Hevy launched Hevy Trainer (bundled into Pro). It builds a program from onboarding questions and auto-progresses your weight session to session. So "Hevy can't add weight for you" is now wrong. It can. The real line is narrower: Hevy Trainer moves your weight but doesn't tell you, in plain language, why it changed each set. LiftRing puts the reason right next to the number every time, and the method behind it — linear progression, double progression, top-set/back-off, or AMRAP/Greyskull style — sits in the open inside each program instead of buried in an algorithm.
The last split is philosophy. LiftRing wants no account. It's local-first with optional private iCloud sync, it never reads your health data, it tracks nothing, and it has no social feed. That's not a swipe at Hevy's community. It's the opposite bet. Hevy is social. LiftRing is private.
Honest caveat: LiftRing's 5/3/1-style program is inspired by 5/3/1 (an AMRAP top set), not literal Wendler 5/3/1. And LiftRing is iPhone-only — no Android, no web, no Watch app.
LiftRing vs Hevy at a glance
| LiftRing | Hevy | |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in programs that run their own progression | ✓ 15 programs, progression baked in | Hevy Trainer (Pro, Feb 2026) auto-progresses; free tier logs only |
| Pre-fills your next weight | ✓ Yes | Yes, with Hevy Trainer (Pro) |
| Explains why it changed the weight (one-line reason) | ✓ Yes — plain-language rationale per set | Adjusts weight but doesn't surface per-set reasoning |
| Platforms | iPhone only (Live Activity + Dynamic Island timer) | ✓ iOS, Android, web, Apple Watch, Wear OS |
| Social / community feed | None — private by design | ✓ Large, engaged social feed |
| Exercise library | Built-in catalog + custom exercises | ✓ 400+ with demos |
| No account required | ✓ None — local-first | Account-based |
| Privacy | ✓ No tracking, no health reads, optional private iCloud | Account + social model |
| Rest timer, plate calculator, supersets, PR detection + est. 1RM | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Apple Health | ✓ Writes workouts (never reads) | — |
| Free model | First 3 workouts fully unlocked — every program + feature | ✓ Permanent free, but capped (4 routines / 7 custom exercises / 3 mo history) |
| Paid pricing (US) | $4.99/mo · $44.99/yr · $99.99 lifetime | ✓ from ~$2.99/mo · ~$23.99/yr · $74.99 lifetime* |
Who should pick which
Pick Hevy if…
- You lift across an Android phone, the web, or an Apple Watch / Wear OS watch and want to log from your wrist.
- A social feed and community keeps you accountable and coming back.
- You already run your own program and just want the fastest, cleanest logger with a big exercise library, free forever (within the caps).
Pick LiftRing if…
- You want the app to pick your weights and explain every jump, not just write down what you typed.
- You're on iPhone and want a curated program that progresses you — StrongLifts-style 5x5, push/pull/legs, linear progression, and more — with none of the math on you.
- You're a privacy-minded solo lifter and you want no account, no social feed, and nothing tracking you.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between LiftRing and Hevy?
Hevy is a fast cross-platform logger with a large social feed. You bring the program; Hevy writes down what you type. LiftRing ships 15 built-in programs that run their own progression. It pre-fills your next set's weight and drops a one-line reason next to it, like "+10 lb — you hit all your reps." Hevy's Pro-only Trainer (launched Feb 2026) auto-progresses weight now too, but it never tells you in plain language why each set changed. That reason-next-to-the-number layer is what makes LiftRing different.
Does LiftRing have a social feed like Hevy?
No, on purpose. Hevy's social feed — following, posting, likes, browsing community routines — genuinely keeps a lot of lifters going. LiftRing is private and local-first: no feed, no account, no tracking. Different bet, not a flaw. Hevy is social, LiftRing is private.
Can LiftRing automatically increase my weights?
Yes. Every one of LiftRing's 15 programs carries its own progression method — linear progression, double progression, top-set/back-off, or AMRAP/Greyskull style — and pre-fills your next set's weight for you, with a one-line reason next to the change. Hevy's Pro Trainer auto-progresses weight too, but it moves the number without telling you in plain language why each set changed.
Is LiftRing free like Hevy's free tier?
The two free models are shaped differently. Hevy's free tier never expires but it's capped — log all you want with the full library, but you're held to 4 saved routines, 7 custom exercises, and 3 months of history. LiftRing flips that. Your first 3 workouts open everything, every program and every feature, then LiftRing Pro is $4.99/month, $44.99/year, or $99.99 one-time lifetime, billed by Apple.
Is LiftRing on Android?
No. LiftRing is iPhone-only — no Android app, no web app, no Apple Watch app (the rest timer lives in the iPhone Live Activity and Dynamic Island instead). If you need Android, web, or wrist logging, go with Hevy. It runs everywhere: iOS, Android, web, Apple Watch, and Wear OS.
Keep comparing
Still shopping around? See how LiftRing lines up against the Strong app alternative, the Fitbod alternative, the Boostcamp alternative, and the Jefit alternative, or read the wider best workout tracker app breakdown. Want to see what the guided programs actually run? Look at push/pull/legs, StrongLifts-style 5x5, and the 5/3/1-style program. Got a question before you download? Hit support.
Try LiftRing free →