Most "free" gym trackers cap routines so quickly you hit the wall in your first week. Hevy: 4 routines. Strong: 3. A push/pull/legs split alone fills three slots — leaving no room for a deload, mobility day, or upper/lower add-on. Fitbod isn't really free — it's a 3-workout trial.
A handful of apps actually let you build as many routines as you want, free. Here are the 8 best free gym trackers with no routine limits, tested across all six criteria.
Quick-Pick Comparison
Routine limit and exercise depth across the field:
App | Routine Limit (Free) | Custom Exercises | Exercise Library | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ellim | Unlimited | Yes | 3,500+ | iOS |
FitNotes | Unlimited | Yes | ~250 | Android only |
Liftin' | Unlimited | Yes | Medium | iOS / Android |
Workout Tracker (Google Sheets / DIY) | Unlimited | Yes | DIY | Any |
JEFIT | Limited custom | Yes | 1,300+ | iOS / Android |
Hevy | 4 routines | Yes | ~400 | iOS / Android |
Strong | 3 routines | Yes | ~300 | iOS / Android |
Fitbod | No custom on free | Limited | Large | iOS / Android |
How We Evaluated Free Gym Trackers
Six criteria, weighted with "no routine limits" as the entry filter:
Routine limit on free —
Hard cap or unlimited? "Unlimited" is the table-stakes filter for this list.
Custom exercise support —
Can you add your own exercises, or only pick from a fixed library?
Exercise library depth —
How many demos / instructions ship with the app?
History & progression —
Set history, PR tracking, graphs, plate math.
Truly free vs trial —
Does the free tier last forever, or is it a 7-day demo with a paywall behind it?
Logging speed —
How fast does it take to log a working set during rest? Friction adds up.
The 8 Best Free Gym Trackers With No Routine Limits
1. Ellim — Best Free Gym Tracker With No Routine Limits
Ellim is the only iPhone gym tracker with unlimited routines AND a deep exercise library on the free tier. 3,500+ exercises, custom exercises, history, graphs, plate calculator, and built-in nutrition logging — none of which require Premium.
Pros
Unlimited custom routines on free
3,500+ exercises with demos and instructions
Add your own exercises
Workout history with progression graphs
No ads, no nags
Bonus: free nutrition tracking + AI routine import
Cons
iPhone only (no Android yet)
Apple Watch app in development
Premium for Smart Session AI generation and AI meal photos
Free tier: Unlimited routines + full library + tracking + nutrition.
Price: Premium $17.99/mo (optional — core tracking is free).
Done comparing? Get Ellim free — unlimited routines on iPhone →
2. FitNotes — Best Android-Only Free Tracker
FitNotes is one of the rare apps with no premium tier at all. Unlimited routines, custom exercises, body-weight and measurement tracking — completely free and ad-free. Android only. Minimal aesthetic that some lifters love.
Pros
100% free, no ads, no paid tier
Unlimited custom routines + exercises
Body / measurement tracking
Cons
Android only
No video demos
No nutrition, no AI
Free tier: Everything.
Price: None.
3. Liftin' — Best Cross-Platform No-Cap Tracker
Liftin' is a newer cross-platform tracker that prioritizes the no-cap free tier. Smaller exercise library than Ellim or JEFIT, but the basics work and the Watch app is solid.
Pros
Unlimited routines on free
Apple Watch and Wear OS support
Cross-platform
Cons
Smaller library than Ellim or JEFIT
Newer app — fewer years of bug fixes
No nutrition tracking
Free tier: Unlimited routines + tracking.
Price: Optional supporter tier.
4. Workout Tracker (Google Sheets / DIY) — Best Zero-Cost DIY
A free Google Sheets template is still the cheapest, most customizable workout tracker possible. No limits, no paywalls, no app — but no UX either. Some powerlifters swear by it; most people quit after a week.
Pros
Completely free, no app needed
Unlimited everything
Fully customizable
Cons
Worst logging UX in the gym
No exercise library, demos, plate math
High abandonment rate
Free tier: Whatever you build.
Price: None.
5. JEFIT — Best Library With Loose Routine Caps
JEFIT has the deepest community routine library on this list. The free tier isn't hard-capped, but the experience is ad-supported and pushed toward Elite. Massive 1,300+ exercise library makes up for the dated UI.
Pros
1,300+ exercise library
Huge community routine database
Plenty of free custom routines
Cons
Ads on free
Dated UI
Some routine features gated to paid
Free tier: Library + ad-supported logging + loose routine support.
Price: Elite ~$13/mo.
6. Hevy (4-routine cap) — Best Capped Free Tracker
Hevy is the best-designed of the capped trackers — polished, social, fast — but the 4-routine ceiling stops you cold by week two. Listed here so you can compare against the unlimited options above.
Pros
Best UI / UX of the capped apps
Social community feed
Apple Watch app
Cons
Hard cap at 4 routines on free
No nutrition or AI
Pays off only with Pro upgrade
Free tier: 4 routines + tracking.
Price: Pro $5.99/mo.
7. Strong (3-routine cap) — Best Capped Apple Watch Tracker
Strong is the cleanest minimalist iOS logger and has the most mature Apple Watch app — but a 3-routine cap on free is severe. Worth listing for comparison.
Pros
Best Apple Watch app
Trusted minimalist logger
Buttery iOS UX
Cons
3-routine cap on free
Small exercise library
No nutrition or AI
Free tier: 3 routines + tracking.
Price: Pro $4.99/mo.
8. Fitbod (3-workout trial) — Best AI-Workout (but Not Really Free)
Fitbod is often called a "free workout app" — it isn't. The free tier is a 3-workout trial; after that you're paying. Listed here because the AI workouts are genuinely good, but it doesn't belong on a "no-limit free" list.
Pros
Excellent AI-generated workouts
Big exercise library
Trial gives a real taste
Cons
Free tier is just a trial
No nutrition tracking
Routine builder limited
Free tier: 3 free workouts then paywall.
Price: ~$13/mo.
See free Fitbod alternatives →
Head-to-Head: Top 5 No-Limit Free Trackers
Direct comparison of the strongest options with no routine cap on free:
Feature | Ellim | FitNotes | Liftin' | JEFIT | Hevy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Routine cap on free | None | None | None | Loose | 4 |
Custom exercises (free) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Exercise library size | 3,500+ | ~250 | Medium | 1,300+ | ~400 |
Workout history graphs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch app | Planned | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nutrition tracking | Yes | No | No | No | No |
AI routine import | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Ads on free? | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Full Feature Matrix
Every feature, every app:
Feature | Ellim | FitNotes | Liftin' | JEFIT | Hevy | Strong | Fitbod | Boostcamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unlimited free routines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mostly | No (4) | No (3) | No | No |
Custom exercises (free) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Exercise library size | 3,500+ | ~250 | Medium | 1,300+ | ~400 | ~300 | Large | ~500 |
Demos / animations | Yes | No | Some | Yes | Some | No | Yes | Yes |
Workout history graphs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
Plate calculator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch app | Planned | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Nutrition tracking | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Ads on free tier | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Truly free (no trial) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Seen enough? Get Ellim free — no routine limit, no trial →
No-Limit Tracker by Use Case
Best for iPhone
Ellim — the only iPhone tracker with unlimited routines AND a 3,500-exercise library on the free tier. See Best Workout App for iPhone 2026.
Best for Android
FitNotes (truly free, no ads, no paid tier) or JEFIT (deepest library, ad-supported). Ellim is iPhone-only today.
Best for Multiple Programs Running Simultaneously
If you run a hypertrophy block + a strength block + mobility days + deload weeks in parallel, you need unlimited routines. Ellim, FitNotes, and Liftin' are the picks.
Best for Powerlifting
Strength athletes typically want 4-8 templates: comp lifts, off-season variations, GPP, deload, peaking. Ellim and FitNotes are the only options that don't force you to delete a routine to add a new block.
Best for Trainers Tracking Multiple Clients
If you maintain templates for 5+ clients, you'll blow past every capped app immediately. Ellim, FitNotes, or a DIY sheet are the only routes.
Why Do Free Apps Cap Routines in the First Place?
Routine caps exist because they're the cleanest paywall the app makers can build. Letting you log a workout is easy to give away — but the moment you need a second program, the cost of switching apps is huge. The app gets you hooked on free tracking, then squeezes you when you scale up.
That's why we filtered hard for unlimited free routines. The apps that don't cap you treat the free tier as a real product, not a funnel — and they tend to monetize via genuine extra value (Premium features) rather than artificial scarcity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which free gym tracker has no routine limits?
The clean three: Ellim (iPhone), FitNotes (Android), and Liftin' (both). JEFIT is mostly unlimited but ad-supported.
Why do Hevy and Strong limit free routines?
They use routine caps as the primary upgrade hook. Hevy's 4-routine cap and Strong's 3-routine cap force serious users to upgrade. Both are otherwise solid apps; if you'll only ever have 2-3 templates, the cap doesn't matter.
Is Fitbod free?
Not really. Fitbod's free tier is a 3-workout trial — after that the app paywalls everything. Calling it "free" overstates the offer.
Can I add my own exercises in these apps?
Yes in most: Ellim, FitNotes, Liftin', JEFIT, Hevy, Strong all let you add custom exercises on the free tier. Fitbod restricts this on free.
Which free tracker has the biggest exercise library?
Ellim (3,500+) and JEFIT (1,300+) lead. FitNotes is ~250 (but you can add your own freely).
Does any free tracker also track nutrition?
Only Ellim — every other tracker on this list expects you to stack with MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
Is FitNotes really fully free?
Yes. No premium tier. No ads. Donation-supported open development. Android only.
Can I export my workout history from these apps?
FitNotes (CSV), JEFIT (paid), Hevy and Strong (Pro tiers). Ellim writes workouts to HealthKit, which is the cleanest path for iOS users.
Which app is fastest to log a set during rest?
Strong and Ellim are the fastest one-handed loggers we tested. FitNotes is also fast but Android-only.
Will free trackers stay free, or will they eventually paywall everything?
Apps with hard caps (Hevy, Strong, Fitbod) will keep tightening over time — that's the business model. Apps that promise generous free tiers (Ellim, FitNotes) treat free as a real product, so caps are less likely to appear later.
Why is Ellim's free tier so generous? What's the catch?
No catch. Ellim's bet is that giving away unlimited tracking, the full 3,500-exercise library, AI routine import, and nutrition logging is the right way to earn trust — and a small percentage of users upgrade to Premium ($17.99/mo) for Smart Session (AI workout generation), AI meal photos, and progressive overload insights. No ads, no credit card, no trial countdown on the free tier.
The Bottom Line
The best free gym tracker with no routine limits in 2026 is Ellim on iPhone — unlimited routines, 3,500 exercises, custom exercises, nutrition tracking, all free. FitNotes on Android. Liftin' if you need both platforms.
Avoid the capped trackers unless you're committed to paying. The 4-routine wall always shows up at the worst possible moment.
Take the 30-second start: Download Ellim free on the App Store →
