Best Workout Tracker Apps in 2026

Most workout apps oversell and underdeliver. They promise AI-personalized programs but hand you generic templates. They lock rest timers behind paywalls. They support sets and reps but leave CrossFitters and functional fitness athletes without proper tools.

We tested the major workout trackers to find which ones actually help you train better.

The Apps

Virtus Athlete

Virtus Athlete takes a fundamentally different approach to workout tracking. Instead of mining your data or hiding essential features behind paywalls, it provides a powerful, fully-featured tool that respects your intelligence. It is a serious training companion built for people who actually lift.

The app includes over 1,300 exercises with animated illustrations, and you can create unlimited custom exercises with your own names and notes. You can even rename exercises in the existing library to match your preferences. It supports traditional sets and reps, EMOM, Tabata, AMRAP, For Time, intervals, and circuits. Whether you follow a powerlifting program or hit CrossFit workouts, the app handles it.

Programs and routines are unlimited with no paywalls or artificial limits. Start with proven community templates like PGSP or build from scratch. Schedule workouts days or weeks in advance, see your training calendar at a glance, and track consistency over time.

Analytics cover workout frequency, volume, personal records, body measurements, and exercise performance. The live workout mode provides audio cues, automatic timers, rest period alerts, and per-set tracking. Everything stores locally on your device and works offline anywhere. Create an account only if you want cloud backup or multi-device sync. Export programs to share with training partners, import what others create. Your data belongs to you.

Who is it for?

Virtus Athlete works for experienced lifters who know what they want, but also for beginners who want to actually learn how training works. The app does not pretend to do everything for you. It expects you to engage with your programming, understand why you're doing what you're doing, and take ownership of your progress.

This approach pays off. Athletes who invest time in understanding their training build sustainable habits and see consistent results over the long term. Other apps promise to handle everything with algorithms and AI, but that creates dependency rather than knowledge. Virtus Athlete gives you the tools and gets out of your way.

If you want a quick fix or an app that thinks for you, look elsewhere. If you want to build real competence and long-term results, this is the app.

Strong

Strong has earned over 5 million downloads by doing one thing exceptionally well: straightforward strength training logging without unnecessary complexity. The app positions itself as a digital notebook reinvented, simpler and more powerful than paper logs while staying out of your way.

The interface is clean and minimal, designed for mid-workout use when you are sweaty and tired. It includes a comprehensive exercise library with custom exercise creation, a plate calculator showing exactly which plates to load on each side of the bar, and a warmup calculator. The app supports supersets, custom timers, RPE tracking, and body part measurements.

Strong syncs across iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch, letting you log your entire workout from your wrist and leave your phone in the locker. CSV export and Apple Health integration mean your data stays portable. The app has been featured by The Verge, Lifehacker, CNET, and Muscle & Fitness, with reviewers praising its intuitive design that works even when you are exhausted mid-workout.

Hevy

Hevy positions itself as the workout tracker for athletes who want community accountability. With over 10 million users and 4.9 star ratings on both app stores, it combines workout logging with social features that let you follow friends, like workouts, and share routines.

The app offers intuitive workout logging with support for warmup sets, drop sets, and failure sets. Automatic rest timers start when you complete a set. You can add exercise notes, mark personal records, and view advanced exercise charts showing your progress over time. The exercise library includes high-quality videos, and you can create custom exercises when needed.

Hevy works on Apple Watch and WearOS, letting you sync routines and track workouts offline without your phone. There is also a desktop web version for planning routines and analyzing progress on a larger screen. The app has been featured by Men's Health, Sports Illustrated, and won Product Hunt's Golden Kitty Award.

For coaches and personal trainers, Hevy Coach provides a separate platform for building and assigning workout programs to clients.

Fitbod

Fitbod uses a proprietary algorithm to generate personalized workouts based on your fitness level, goals, available equipment, and recovery status. The app tracks your logged workout data to dynamically personalize every session, applying progressive overload and non-linear periodization to maximize gains.

The app includes over 1,000 exercises with high-resolution, multi-angle video demonstrations and form tips. Before each workout, Fitbod analyzes which muscle groups are recovered and ready to train, displaying a body map showing your recovery status. You can customize workouts for gym or home training, adjusting for whatever equipment you have available, from full gym setups to bodyweight only.

Fitbod integrates with Apple Health, Fitbit, and Strava to incorporate activity data from other sources into its recovery calculations. The app supports Apple Watch for logging workouts from your wrist. Features like Max Effort Days periodically test your limits to improve weight recommendations, and you can share workouts with training partners where the app automatically adjusts the weights to their fitness level.

The app is built exclusively for resistance and strength training, with a strong following among intermediate to advanced lifters and powerlifters.

StrongLifts 5x5

StrongLifts is purpose-built for the 5x5 training method and its variations. First released in 2011, it was the first weightlifting app to automate progressive overload. The app has over 5 million downloads and 100,000 five-star reviews, with users logging over 30 million workouts.

The app plans your workouts, weights, sets, and reps automatically. It calculates starting weights based on your experience level, then adapts as you progress. Complete all sets successfully and it adds weight. Fail reps and it repeats the weight. Get stuck for multiple sessions and it automatically deloads. The built-in warmup calculator determines optimal warmup sets and weight jumps, while the plate calculator shows exactly which plates to load on each side.

Beyond the basic 5x5, StrongLifts includes program variations like Stronglifts 5x5 Plus, Ultra, Lite, and Mini, plus the intermediate Madcow 5x5 program with heavy, light, and medium day periodization. You can add assistance exercises for arms and abs, replace exercises with alternatives, and create custom exercises. The app includes over 100 exercises with form videos.

Log sets with a single tap, and the automatic rest timer starts immediately. Apple Watch support lets you log your entire workout from your wrist, sync with Apple Health, and leave your phone in the locker. You can even log sets directly from lock screen notifications.

Choosing the Right App

For strength training and powerlifting, look for apps with fast logging, support for various rep schemes, and robust analytics. Virtus Athlete excels here with its unlimited program creation and comprehensive tracking.

For CrossFit and functional fitness, you need an app that handles EMOM, AMRAP, Tabata, and For Time workouts, not just traditional sets and reps. Virtus Athlete is one of the few apps that natively supports all these formats.

For beginners, apps that provide structured programs and exercise guidance help build consistency. Fitbod and StrongLifts 5x5 offer good starting points with built-in progression. Beginners who want to learn how training actually works rather than follow a black box algorithm will benefit from Virtus Athlete's transparent approach.

For data-driven athletes, choose apps with comprehensive analytics that show meaningful progress over time: workout frequency, volume tracking, and personal record detection.

What Actually Matters in a Workout App

A comprehensive exercise database saves time, and the ability to add custom exercises means the app grows with you.

Make sure the app supports how you actually train. Sets and reps work for traditional lifting, but CrossFitters and functional fitness athletes need EMOM, AMRAP, and interval support.

Timers, analytics, and adequate workout history should not require a subscription. These are essential features, not premium add-ons.

Your app should work in any gym, regardless of cell reception.

You should be able to export your training data. If you cannot, the app is holding your progress hostage.

Common Questions

What is the best free workout tracker app?

Virtus Athlete offers the most comprehensive free feature set, including analytics, timers, unlimited programs, and support for all workout formats without requiring a subscription.

Can I track CrossFit workouts in these apps?

Most workout apps only support traditional sets × reps × weight format. Virtus Athlete stands out by supporting EMOM, AMRAP, Tabata, For Time, and interval training natively.

Do I need a premium subscription to track my workouts effectively?

Not necessarily. While some apps lock essential features behind paywalls, Virtus Athlete keeps core functionality completely free. Evaluate what each app offers in its free tier before committing to a subscription.

Can these apps work offline?

Virtus Athlete is built offline-first, storing everything locally on your device. Many other apps require an internet connection for basic functionality.

Which app is best for sharing workouts with training partners?

Virtus Athlete allows you to export and share program templates directly. Unlike apps with social feeds, this focuses on practical sharing rather than public profiles.

Bottom Line

The best workout tracker is one you will actually use. For lifters who want complete control over their training without gimmicks or paywalls, Virtus Athlete delivers the most comprehensive feature set. Its support for every major workout format, massive exercise library, and true offline functionality make it ideal for anyone from powerlifters to CrossFitters.

For beginners who need more guidance, Fitbod offers solid workout suggestions. Those who thrive on social accountability will appreciate Hevy's community features.

Choose an app that supports how you actually train, and make sure you can take your data with you if you decide to switch.