Hevy is one of the best-designed workout trackers in the App Store. The free tier is also one of the most carefully built paywalls in the category: 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months of graphs, no nutrition tracking, no AI features. Most lifters hit the routine cap during their first mesocycle — at which point Hevy expects you to pay $5.99/mo for Pro.
Plenty of apps fix one or two of those caps. A few fix all of them at once. Here are the 10 best Hevy alternatives in 2026, ranked.
Quick-Pick Comparison
How each alternative compares to Hevy on the things Hevy locks down:
App | Best For | Free Tier | vs Hevy |
|---|---|---|---|
Ellim | Workouts + nutrition + AI import | Unlimited routines, full library, nutrition | No caps, more features |
Strong | Minimalist iOS logging | 3 routines free | Less generous routines, better Watch |
JEFIT | Deepest exercise library | Ad-supported, ~loose caps | Bigger library, dated UI |
FitNotes | Truly free Android logger | Everything free | No caps, Android only |
Boostcamp | Pre-built free programs | Programs + tracking free | Different intent — program-led |
Liftin' | Cross-platform no-cap | Unlimited routines | No caps, smaller library |
SmartGym | iPhone-only routine builder | Limited free; one-time IAP | No caps after IAP |
Fitbod | AI daily workouts | 3-workout trial | AI vs manual — paid |
Caliber | Coached strength training | Free tier + paid coaching | Coached upsell path |
Heavyset | Apple Watch-first logger | Paid (one-time) | No subscription |
How We Evaluated Hevy Alternatives
Six criteria, weighted around the specific gaps in Hevy's free tier:
Routine cap on free —
Hevy stops you at 4 routines. The alternatives that beat Hevy here are the ones we ranked highest.
Exercise library depth —
Hevy ships ~400 exercises and expects you to add your own. Bigger libraries with demos are a real upgrade.
Graph & history retention —
Hevy free shows only 3 months of progress graphs. Full history matters.
Beyond pure logging —
Hevy is logger-first. Nutrition, AI routine import, progressive overload — features Hevy doesn't ship.
Free tier honesty —
How long does the free tier stay usable before you're nudged to Pro?
Platform & Watch support —
iOS / Android coverage, Apple Watch / Wear OS, HealthKit / Google Fit sync.
The 10 Best Hevy Alternatives in 2026
1. Ellim — Best Free Hevy Alternative
Ellim fixes every limitation in Hevy's free tier. Unlimited routines (vs 4), unlimited custom exercises (vs 7), full graph history (vs 3 months), 3,500+ exercises (vs ~400), AI routine import, and nutrition tracking with barcode scanning. All free.
Pros
Unlimited routines on free
3,500+ exercises with demos
AI routine import — point your camera at any routine
Built-in nutrition tracking
Full graph history on free
Live Activities + Dynamic Island during workouts
Cons
iPhone only (no Android yet)
No Apple Watch app yet
No public community feed — Ellim isn't social-first
Free tier: Workouts + nutrition + AI import, all unlimited.
Price: Premium $17.99/mo (optional — core training stays free).
See full Ellim vs Hevy comparison →
Skip the comparison? Download Ellim free — no 4-routine cap →
2. Strong — Best Minimalist iOS Alternative
Strong is the cleanest, fastest iOS logger and has the most mature Apple Watch app. But its 3-routine cap is even tighter than Hevy's 4 — pick Strong only if you train two routines forever and value Watch logging above all.
Pros
Best Apple Watch experience
Buttery iOS UX
Trusted strength-community pick
Cons
Tighter routine cap than Hevy (3)
Smaller library
No nutrition or AI
Free tier: 3 routines + Watch logging.
Price: Pro $4.99/mo.
3. JEFIT — Best Library-Depth Alternative
JEFIT has the largest in-app exercise library and a massive community routine database. The trade is an ad-supported, dated UI. If exercise depth and routine variety matter more than UX polish, JEFIT wins.
Pros
1,300+ exercise library
Huge community routine DB
Cross-platform
Cons
Ads on free tier
Dated interface
Some features pushed to Elite
Free tier: Library + ad-supported logging.
Price: Elite ~$13/mo.
4. FitNotes — Best Truly-Free Android Alternative
If you're on Android and just want a free, ad-free, no-upsell logger with no routine caps, FitNotes is the answer. Android only, deliberately minimal.
Pros
100% free, no ads, no premium
Unlimited routines + custom exercises
Donation-supported
Cons
Android only
No demos / videos
No nutrition or social
Free tier: Everything.
Price: None.
5. Boostcamp — Best Free Program-Led Alternative
Where Hevy assumes you have your own programming, Boostcamp gives away well-known programs free — nSuns, GZCL, 5/3/1, Greyskull. Auto-progression and tracking built in. Different intent: you follow a program rather than build one.
Pros
Genuinely great free programs
Auto-progression
Clean UI
Cons
No custom routine builder on free
No Watch app
No nutrition
Free tier: Multiple free programs + tracking.
Price: Premium ~$5.99/mo.
6. Liftin' — Best Cross-Platform No-Cap Alternative
Liftin' is a newer cross-platform tracker with no routine cap on free, an Apple Watch app, and Wear OS support. Library is smaller than Ellim or JEFIT but the basics work.
Pros
No routine cap on free
Apple Watch + Wear OS
Cross-platform
Cons
Newer, smaller community
Library not as deep
No nutrition
Free tier: Unlimited routines + tracking.
Price: Optional supporter tier.
7. SmartGym — Best iPhone-Only Routine Builder
SmartGym is iPhone-only, deeply iOS-native, with an unusually flexible routine builder (supersets, drop sets, AMRAPs, EMOMs). One-time IAP instead of subscription.
Pros
iPhone + Watch only — deeply iOS
Flexible routine builder
No subscription
Cons
Limited free tier — IAP gates many features
Smaller library
No nutrition
Free tier: Limited; IAP unlocks the app.
Price: One-time ~$30.
8. Fitbod — Best AI Daily-Workout Alternative
Fitbod generates your next workout each day based on history, equipment, and recovery. "Just open the app and train." Free tier is a 3-workout trial — not a real free.
Pros
AI-generated daily workouts
Adapts to recovery
Large exercise library
Cons
Free tier is trial-only
No nutrition
Limited routine customization
Free tier: 3 trial workouts.
Price: ~$13/mo.
See free Fitbod alternatives →
9. Caliber — Best Coached-Strength Alternative
Caliber's free tier covers strength tracking, library, and pre-built programs; paid tier adds a real human coach. Different category — but the free tier alone beats Hevy on programs and routine flexibility.
Pros
Solid free strength experience
Optional human coach
Watch + HealthKit
Cons
Coaching upsell prominent
No nutrition or AI on free
Coaching is expensive
Free tier: Strength programs + tracking.
Price: Coaching ~$200/mo.
10. Heavyset — Best Apple Watch-First Alternative
Heavyset is built around Apple Watch — log full workouts from your wrist. One-time purchase, no subscription. iPhone-only.
Pros
Apple Watch first design
iPhone + Watch parity
One-time price
Cons
No free tier — paid upfront
Smaller library
No nutrition or AI
Free tier: None.
Price: One-time purchase.
Head-to-Head: Hevy vs Top 4 Alternatives
Direct comparison against Hevy's free tier:
Feature | Hevy (Free) | Ellim | Strong | JEFIT | FitNotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Routine cap | 4 | Unlimited | 3 | Loose | Unlimited |
Custom exercises free | 7 | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Exercise library | ~400 | 3,500+ | ~300 | 1,300+ | ~250 |
Graph history (free) | 3 months | Full | Limited | Full | Full |
Apple Watch app | Yes | Planned | Yes | Yes | No (Android) |
Nutrition tracking | No | Yes (free) | No | No | No |
AI routine import | No | Yes (free) | No | No | No |
Social feed | Yes | No | No | Community routines | No |
Platform | iOS / Android | iOS | iOS / Android | iOS / Android | Android only |
Full Feature Matrix
Every Hevy-relevant feature, every alternative:
Feature | Hevy | Ellim | Strong | JEFIT | FitNotes | Boostcamp | Liftin' | SmartGym | Fitbod | Caliber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free routine cap | 4 | None | 3 | Loose | None | No custom | None | Limited | No | Limited |
Exercise library | ~400 | 3,500+ | ~300 | 1,300+ | ~250 | ~500 | Medium | ~600 | Large | Large |
Custom exercises free | 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Limited | Limited |
Apple Watch | Yes | Planned | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HealthKit / Google Fit | Both | HealthKit | Both | Both | No | Limited | Both | HealthKit | Both | Both |
Nutrition tracking | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
AI routine import | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Social / community | Yes | No | No | Community | No | No | No | No | No | Coached |
Free tier honest | Capped | Generous | Capped | Ad-supp | Yes | Yes | Yes | IAP | No | Yes |
Seen enough? Switch to Ellim — free, no routine cap →
Hevy Alternative by Need
Best Free Alternative Overall
Ellim — fixes every Hevy free-tier limitation and adds nutrition and AI routine import. The closest to "Hevy Pro for free."
Best for Lifters Who Loved Hevy's Social Feed
Honest answer: nothing fully replaces the Hevy community. JEFIT has community routines but no real feed. If social accountability matters most, consider keeping Hevy free for the feed and using Ellim for the actual tracking — many users do exactly this stack.
Best for Apple Watch Lifters
Strong or Heavyset — both have more mature Watch apps than Hevy today. Ellim's Watch app is in development.
Best for Multiple Concurrent Programs
If you run a strength block + a hypertrophy block + mobility days + a deload week in parallel, you need unlimited routines. Ellim, FitNotes, Liftin'.
Best for Lifters Who Also Track Food
Only Ellim offers nutrition tracking inside the workout app. Everyone else makes you stack with MyFitnessPal.
Should You Just Pay for Hevy Pro Instead?
Hevy Pro removes the routine cap, expands graph history, and unlocks advanced analytics — for $5.99/mo. If you love the Hevy UI and community and only need to fix the routine cap, Pro is reasonable.
But Pro doesn't add what Hevy fundamentally doesn't do: nutrition tracking, AI routine import, exercise library depth. If you want those, paying Hevy doesn't solve it. Move to Ellim and get more on the free tier than Hevy gives on Pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are people looking for Hevy alternatives?
Three reasons: (1) the 4-routine cap on free, (2) no nutrition tracking on any plan, (3) no AI routine import. Hevy is a great logger that doesn't want to be more than a logger.
What is the best free Hevy alternative?
Ellim — unlimited routines, 3,500+ exercises, full graph history, nutrition tracking, AI routine import. All free on iPhone.
Can I import my Hevy data into Ellim?
Hevy exports CSV on the Pro tier. Ellim does not yet have a direct Hevy importer, but you can rebuild routines in seconds using AI routine import — paste your Hevy routine text and Ellim parses it.
Does Hevy still cap 4 routines in 2026?
Yes — the routine cap, 7 custom exercises, and 3-month graph history are still the standard Hevy free-tier limits as of 2026. Hevy occasionally bumps numbers but the structure stays the same.
Which Hevy alternative is best on Android?
FitNotes (truly free, no caps) or JEFIT (deepest library, ads). Ellim is iPhone-only today.
Which Hevy alternative has the best Apple Watch app?
Strong or Heavyset — both ship more mature Watch experiences than Hevy. Ellim Watch coming soon.
Which alternatives let me track nutrition too?
Only Ellim bundles real nutrition tracking. For two-app stacks, pair any tracker with MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
Is there a Hevy alternative with AI features?
Ellim (free AI routine import; Premium Smart Session for AI-generated workouts) and Fitbod (paid AI daily workouts). Hevy itself doesn't ship AI features.
Is Hevy worth paying for?
Only if you love the Hevy UI and social feed enough to overlook missing features. If you want unlimited routines, more exercises, nutrition, and AI — switching to Ellim costs less ($0) and gives you more.
What about Hevy Coach?
Hevy Coach is the trainer-facing companion. It's a different product from the lifter's tracker. Not relevant if you're training yourself.
Why is Ellim free if it has more than Hevy Pro? What's the catch?
No catch on the basics. Ellim's bet is that giving away tracking, the full 3,500-exercise library, unlimited routines, AI routine import, and nutrition logging is the right way to earn switchers — and a small percentage upgrade to Premium ($17.99/mo) for Smart Session (full 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 Hevy alternative in 2026 is Ellim — unlimited routines, deeper library, full history, AI routine import, and nutrition tracking all free. For Android, FitNotes. For Apple Watch, Strong. For program-led training, Boostcamp.
Pick the one that closes the specific Hevy gap that's slowing you down.
Switch in 30 seconds: Download Ellim free on the App Store →
