Looking for a Strong app alternative?
Strong remains one of the most respected gym loggers on iPhone. If you're here anyway, it's probably for one of the reasons its own users discuss publicly — Android update pace, watch sync, lifetime price. Here are the two alternatives worth shortlisting, with sourced facts.
First, the baseline, as checked on Strong's own listings in August 2026: the free app saves unlimited workouts but caps custom routines at 3; Strong PRO runs $4.99/month or $29.99/year — the lifetime 'PRO Forever' purchase is listed between $79.99 and $99.99 — and PRO gates unlimited routines, all charts, the plate calculator and the warm-up calculator; and every user is prompted to create an account before using the app. None of that is a scandal. It's a fair, mature product.
The friction points that push users to look around are documented by Strong's own community rather than by us. On the r/strongapp subreddit, Android users have repeatedly posted about long gaps between Android releases — including a thread marking a full year without an update, and a 2025 thread greeting v6.0 with 'hell has frozen over'. Others report Apple Watch live-sync hiccups with rest timers, and some find the lifetime purchase price high. Take these for what they are: user reports, not our benchmarks.
Option one, and the closest like-for-like replacement, is Hevy. It matches the core logging workflow, imports your Strong CSV directly, and adds what Strong doesn't have: iPad, Wear OS and web apps, plus a social feed. Its Pro tier is $23.99/year or $74.99 lifetime, and the free tier allows 4 routines, 7 custom exercises and 3 months of history.
Option two is our own Arnie, and it goes the other direction: instead of adding surfaces, it removes the account (local-first — nothing to sign up for) and adds training math — half-point RPE inline, weekly per-muscle volume against editable MEV/MAV/MRV landmarks, and per-lift e1RM and tonnage on every set. It imports Strong's CSV export, and its lifetime price is $59.99 — below both Strong's listed lifetime purchases and Hevy's.
Option 1: Hevy — the like-for-like replacement
If what you want is 'Strong, but with more platforms', Hevy is the natural shortlist.
- ✓Imports your Strong CSV export directly — no manual re-entry
- ✓Runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS and the web
- ✓Adds a social layer: feed, friends, leaderboards (skip it if that's not your thing)
- ✓Pro is $23.99/year or $74.99 lifetime; the free tier allows 4 routines and 3 months of history (August 2026)
Option 2: Arnie — the logging-first cut
Our app — judge the pitch accordingly. Arnie keeps Strong's private, no-feed spirit and swaps the account for local-first storage and deeper training math.
- ✓No account at all: data stays on your device (Strong prompts every user to sign up)
- ✓Half-point RPE chips inline, with RIR derived — built for autoregulated training
- ✓Weekly volume per muscle vs editable MEV/MAV/MRV landmarks, plus per-lift e1RM and tonnage
- ✓Imports your Strong CSV — history, PRs and dates carry over in one paste
- ✓$59.99 lifetime — the lowest lifetime price of the three apps discussed here, as listed in August 2026
Arnie vs Strong: what switchers care about
| Feature | Arnie | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr (Pro) | $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr (PRO) |
| Lifetime (August 2026) | $59.99, pay once | 'PRO Forever' listed $79.99–$99.99 |
| Free tier | Unlimited logging, 3 routines, RPE, e1RM, CSV import — ad-supported | Unlimited workouts, 3 custom routines; plate & warm-up calculators are PRO |
| RPE | Half-point chips inline; RIR derived | Supported |
| Volume landmarks | MEV/MAV/MRV per muscle, editable | — |
| Account | None — local-first | Sign-up required |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iPhone, Android, Apple Watch |
| Import & export | Imports Strong CSV; CSV/JSON export with Pro | CSV export to Notes or Email |
Frequently Asked Questions
+Why do lifters look for a Strong alternative?
The reasons that show up in Strong's own community, not in our marketing: long gaps between Android updates (r/strongapp threads marked a full year without one), Apple Watch live-sync hiccups reported by some users, and a lifetime price some find high — listed at $79.99–$99.99 in August 2026. Strong remains a good app; if none of these bite you, staying with it is a fine choice.
+Can I take my Strong history with me?
Yes. Strong exports all of your data in CSV format (per its own store listing). Hevy imports Strong's CSV directly, and Arnie's import sheet reads it too — sets, PRs, weights, dates and exercise mappings carry over, so your charts don't start from zero.
+Should I pick Hevy or Arnie after Strong?
Hevy if you want more platforms — iPad, Wear OS, a web app — or the social layer, and you're fine with an account. Arnie if you want the opposite of a social network: no account, half-point RPE logged inline, MEV/MAV/MRV volume landmarks, and a $59.99 lifetime price. They're honest upgrades on different axes; neither is a drop-in Apple Watch replacement (see next question).
+Is Strong's Apple Watch app a reason to stay?
If wrist logging is essential to you, yes, weigh it heavily. Strong's watch app logs workouts with or without the iPhone, and Hevy covers both Apple Watch and Wear OS. Arnie has no watch app — it's iOS and Android phones only. Watch-first lifters should be choosing between Strong and Hevy.
+What exactly does Arnie's free tier include?
Unlimited set logging, the full 1,323-exercise library, half-point RPE, per-lift e1RM, PR detection and CSV import — ad-supported, with 3 routines. Arnie Pro ($4.99/month, $29.99/year, $59.99 lifetime as of August 2026) removes ads and adds the mesocycle planner, muscle heatmap, strength curves, progress photos and CSV/JSON export.
Keep comparing
Same logbook spirit. No account.
Arnie imports your Strong CSV in one paste — half-point RPE, e1RM and volume landmarks, free to start and $59.99 lifetime.
