If you already follow a plan, a plain logging app is the right weightlifting app for you; if you'd like the thinking done for you, choose a programme app or one that suggests your next weight. As of Oct 2026, those are the three kinds, and the real choice is who decides your next session: you, a plan or the app.
Every lifting app promises to track your sets, reps and weight, and most of them do that well. Where they differ is what happens before your next session. Some leave the decision with you, some follow a programme and add weight by rule, and some look at your numbers and tell you what to load.
The ten apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Each description comes from the app's own website, and this page is about lifting weights and getting stronger, not general fitness, cardio or classes.
Weightlifting apps at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Progression | Gym tracker with a plan generator | Weight and rep suggestions for every working set |
| Boostcamp | Programme library and workout tracker | Following a ready made programme set by set |
| FitnessAI | AI strength training app | Letting an algorithm choose sets, reps and weights |
| Gravitus | Strength training workout tracker | Catching personal records the moment you set them |
| Hevy | Workout logger with a social feed | Logging sets and following friends' workouts |
| Liftosaur | Programmable planner and tracker | Writing your own progression rules in plain text |
| RepCount | Workout tracker for iOS and Android | Saving routines and logging sets with notes |
| Setgraph | Fast workout log | Quick set logging and charts of weight and reps |
| Strong | Simple workout notebook app | A clean log that stays out of your way |
| StrongLifts | Planned beginner programme app | Being told exactly what to lift each session |
Ten apps for logging lifts and progression
Alpha Progression
Best for: Lifters who'd like to track unlimited workouts and build plans free, then let Pro generate a plan and suggest weight and reps from their logged performance.
Boostcamp
Best for: Anyone who wants a programme chosen by goal, experience and schedule, with every session laid out as exercises, sets, reps and rest times.
FitnessAI
Best for: People who'd rather not guess sets, reps or weights; the page says workouts adapt to their schedule, their equipment and how they progress.
Gravitus
Best for: Lifters who want each set to show last time's numbers, with an automatic rest timer, plate maths and new PRs flagged on the set.
Hevy
Best for: Gym goers who'd like to build routines, mark warmup, drop and failure sets, and follow other athletes, logging from a phone or a watch.
Liftosaur
Best for: Programme tinkerers who want to write sets, reps and overload rules in plain text, or start from one of its proven programmes and customise it.
RepCount
Best for: Gym regulars who'd like to save their own split, log weight, reps and notes with a rest timer, and start free with no account or card.
Setgraph
Best for: Quick loggers who want to swipe in reps and weight, pull numbers from history and see in charts how each lift changes over time.
Strong
Best for: Minimalists after a notebook replacement that stays out of the way; the page says accounts are free forever, with best sets and charts under PRO.
StrongLifts
Best for: New lifters who want workouts, weights, sets and reps planned for them, with weight added after a successful session and repeated after a miss.
Who decides the weight on the bar next time?
Logging is the easy part, so it's not the question that separates these apps. The question is who picks your next weight. Hevy's page calls it a free workout tracker for iOS and Android, a workout tracking app that just works. Strong's page says it's the simplest, most intuitive workout tracking experience, and Setgraph pitches itself as the fastest workout tracker app. Gravitus says it catches your PRs the moment they happen, and RepCount calls itself the workout tracker for getting stronger. These record what you did and show it back to you, and the next decision stays with you.
Programme apps make the decision with rules. StrongLifts' page says that if you complete all sets successfully, it adds weight, and if you fail, it repeats the weight. Liftosaur lets you write your weightlifting program in plain text with its own scripting language, Liftoscript, so you set the overload rules yourself and the app applies them after every workout.
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Then there are the apps that suggest the load for you, and here the tier matters. Alpha Progression says you can track unlimited workouts and build your own plans free, but the generated plan and the weight and rep recommendations sit under Pro. Boostcamp's page puts its Auto Progression under Pro too, where weights adjust automatically based on your performance. FitnessAI describes progressive overload driven by AI that adjusts in real time.
So pick by how much you want the app to think for you. If you've got a coach or a plan you trust, a logger is all you need. If you'd like structure without the planning, a programme app takes that job. And if you want the numbers chosen for you, check which tier carries the suggestions before you commit.
What a good lifting log should record
- Sets, reps and weight. Every exercise, with last session's numbers on screen while you lift.
- Set types. Warmups, drop sets and sets to failure marked separately, so your working sets stay clean.
- Personal records. PRs across rep ranges and an estimated one rep max, flagged when you hit them.
- Rest timer. A timer that starts when you tick off a set, so you're not counting in your head.
- Plate maths. What to load on each side of the bar, which saves a surprising amount of thinking.
- Export. A way to take your history with you, so years of training aren't locked into one app.
Want a wider mix of cardio, classes and home sessions as well as lifting? My guide to the best workout apps covers general training by style.
Choosing your lifting app in six steps
- Decide who you want planning your training: you, a ready made programme, or the app itself.
- Shortlist two apps of that kind and log three or four real sessions in each before you move your history across.
- Time how long it takes to log a set between lifts. If it's more than a few taps, you'll stop using it.
- Check the vendor's own page for which features sit in the free version and which sit under a Pro or Premium tier.
- Make sure you can export your data, so your training history goes with you if you switch later.
- Give it a full training block before you judge whether the app's helping you progress.
Do you make weightlifting or workout tracking apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on picking a lifting app
Don't overthink it. The log that works is the one you'll open every single session, so speed between sets matters more than a long feature list. If you're new to lifting and don't want to plan, a programme app that adds weight for you takes the guesswork away. If you've lifted for a while and follow your own plan, a fast logger is plenty. And if you like the idea of the app picking your numbers, check which tier those suggestions sit in before you get attached.
Tracking food as well as lifts? My list of MyFitnessPal alternatives covers nutrition apps, and my guide to home gym equipment helps if you're lifting at home.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best app for tracking weightlifting?
There isn't one answer for everyone. If you plan your own training, a plain logger is enough. If you want a plan, a programme app follows one for you, and if you'd like your next weight suggested, choose an app that recommends loads.
Do I need a weightlifting app, or is a notebook enough?
A notebook works, but an app shows last session's numbers while you lift, times your rest and tracks personal records for you. That saves time and makes progress easier to see.
Can a weightlifting app tell me how much weight to add?
Some can. Programme apps add weight by fixed rules when you complete your sets, and recommendation apps suggest weight and reps from your logged performance. Others only record what you did.
Are weightlifting apps free?
Several apps on this list say you can start free or log workouts free, while some put plan generation, weight suggestions or detailed charts under a Pro or Premium tier. Check each app's own page for what the free version includes.
What's the difference between a workout tracker and a programme app?
A workout tracker records the sets, reps and weight you choose. A programme app gives you each session's exercises, sets, reps and weight, then adjusts them as you go.
Can I move my training history to a new app?
Often, yes. Some apps say you can export your data at any time. Check that before you log months of sessions, so you're never stuck with an app you've outgrown.
