The Best Fitness Apps for Android, iOS and Apple Watch in 2025

Reddit is one of the most honest places on the internet when it comes to fitness advice. No sponsored posts, no brand deals buried in the comments. Just lifters sharing what works for them after months or years in the gym. So when you want to know which bodybuilding app is actually worth downloading, Reddit threads on r/bodybuilding, r/powerlifting, and r/fitness give you something review sites rarely do: real feedback from people who have tried multiple apps and aren't afraid to be critical.

This article pulls together the most commonly recommended apps from Reddit discussions, explains what makes each one stand out, and helps you figure out which one fits your training style.

What Reddit Lifters Actually Want From a Bodybuilding App

Before diving into specific recommendations, it's worth understanding what the Reddit fitness community tends to prioritize. Across hundreds of threads asking about the best tracking apps, a few themes come up constantly.

Simplicity and speed top the list. Lifters don't want to fumble through menus between sets. The app should let you log a set in two or three taps. If it takes longer than that, people abandon it.

Progress tracking is the second big one. Redditors love being able to see whether they're actually getting stronger over time. Volume charts, personal records, and workout history are features that get mentioned repeatedly.

No paywalls on core features comes up in almost every thread. Users are vocal about apps that lock basic logging behind a subscription. Free tiers that genuinely work get praised; aggressive upselling gets called out fast.

Reliability and minimal bugs round out the common requests. An app that crashes mid-workout or loses your data will get torn apart in the comments.

With those criteria in mind, here are the apps that consistently earn recommendations.

1. Strong

Strong is one of the most frequently recommended apps in Reddit bodybuilding threads, and it has been for years. It's built around a clean, no-nonsense interface that makes logging quick and easy.

The free version covers the basics well: you can log exercises, track sets and reps, and view workout history. The paid version unlocks more features like advanced analytics and unlimited workout routines, but many Reddit users report being perfectly happy with the free tier for a long time.

What Redditors particularly appreciate is how fast it is to use during an actual workout. You're not navigating through complicated menus. You pull up your routine, log each set, and move on. For people who just want to record what they lifted without any friction, Strong delivers.

The exercise library is solid, and you can add custom exercises when needed. Progress graphs are straightforward and give you a clear picture of how your lifts are trending.

2. Setgraph

Setgraph is a workout tracker built specifically for lifters who want to keep things simple without sacrificing useful data. It shows up in Reddit recommendations, particularly among people who are frustrated with apps that try to do too much.

The app focuses on logging sets, reps, and weight with minimal friction. You can track your workouts, view progress over time, and see personal records without having to dig through layers of menus. The interface is clean and the experience is fast, which matters when you're between sets with a minute of rest left.

One thing that gets mentioned positively is how the app doesn't push you toward a specific program or ideology. You train how you want to train, and the app records it. That kind of flexibility appeals to experienced lifters who already know what they're doing and just need a reliable log.

Setgraph also offers an AI-powered feature for generating personalized workout plans, which is useful if you want some structure to your programming without hiring a coach.

You can check out user reviews of Setgraph to get a sense of what people who use it regularly think about the experience.

For anyone exploring what the app looks like in practice, the Setgraph workout tracker gives a full overview of its features.

3. JEFIT

JEFIT has a long history in the bodybuilding app space and maintains a loyal following on Reddit, especially among people who follow structured programs.

The app includes an extensive exercise database with instructional content, which makes it a reasonable choice for newer lifters who are still learning proper form and building their routine library. The community features let you browse and download workout programs created by other users, which is something the more minimalist apps don't offer.

The analytics in JEFIT are more detailed than many competitors. You can break down volume by muscle group, track workout frequency, and see a calendar view of your training history.

The downside that Reddit users raise most often is that the interface can feel cluttered compared to apps like Strong or Setgraph. There's a lot happening on screen, and the experience isn't as streamlined for people who just want to log sets quickly. The free version is also fairly limited, which frustrates users who don't want to pay for features they consider basic.

That said, for people who enjoy detailed data and program variety, JEFIT has more depth than most alternatives.

4. Hevy

Hevy has grown its Reddit following significantly in recent years, partly because of its social features. You can follow other lifters, see their workouts, and share your own progress. For people who find community accountability motivating, that's a meaningful differentiator.

The logging experience is clean and fairly fast. Like Strong, it keeps things simple enough that you can actually use it during a workout without it becoming a distraction. The exercise library is comprehensive and you can add custom movements.

Progress tracking in Hevy is solid. You get charts for individual exercises and can see volume trends over time. The app also shows you estimated one-rep maxes based on your logged sets, which bodybuilders and powerlifters both find useful for gauging strength progression.

The main concern that comes up in Reddit discussions is the subscription model for the full feature set. The free version works, but some users feel the premium features are gated too aggressively. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on how much you actually use the advanced features.

5. BodySpace by Bodybuilding.com

BodySpace is the official app from Bodybuilding.com and benefits from the massive content library behind that brand. It's most useful for people who want pre-built programs from well-known coaches and trainers, since the app connects directly to the site's program database.

Redditors who recommend BodySpace tend to be people who follow established programs like 5/3/1, PHUL, or similar templates. The ability to load a complete program and have it guide you through each session is genuinely helpful if you're not writing your own programming.

The social features are more developed than most apps, which reflects the community-focused nature of Bodybuilding.com as a platform. Fitness tracking, progress photos, and community interaction are all part of the experience.

Where BodySpace gets criticized on Reddit is its performance. Some users report the app being slower or less stable than simpler alternatives. It also tries to do a lot of things, and that breadth occasionally comes at the cost of depth in any single area.

6. RepCount

RepCount doesn't come up as often as the others, but it has dedicated fans who recommend it consistently. The app uses a barcode scanner to recognize gym equipment, which is a unique feature that speeds up exercise logging in commercial gyms.

The interface is polished and the overall experience feels thoughtfully designed. Progress tracking is clean and informative. It's worth trying if you've gone through the more commonly mentioned apps and found them lacking in some specific way.

How to Pick the Right App for Your Training

With several solid options available, the best app for you depends on a few practical factors.

How experienced are you? Newer lifters might benefit from the program libraries and instructional content in JEFIT or BodySpace. Experienced lifters who know their programming often prefer minimal apps like Strong or Setgraph that stay out of the way.

Do you train alone or with others? If training with a partner or community accountability is important to you, Hevy's social features are worth exploring. If you train solo and just need a reliable log, the social layer is unnecessary overhead.

How much do you want to pay? Most of these apps offer usable free tiers. If you want to avoid subscriptions entirely, check what each app locks behind a paywall before committing. Reddit threads are a good resource for current information on what's free and what isn't, since pricing changes frequently.

Do you want structured programs or flexible logging? Some apps are built around following pre-loaded programs. Others are blank slates that record whatever you do. Know which category your training falls into before downloading.

For anyone interested in improving their programming alongside better tracking, expert tips and workout guides can help you think through how to structure your training more effectively.

What Makes a Bodybuilding App Worth Using Long-Term

The apps that stick around on people's phones share a few qualities that go beyond feature lists.

The first is consistency in data. If you're logging your workouts regularly, you're building a training history that becomes increasingly valuable over time. An app that you actually use every session is infinitely better than a feature-rich one that you abandon after two weeks. This is why ease of use matters so much. Reddit users who have tried many apps often end up back on simpler ones because friction kills habits.

The second is meaningful progress visibility. Seeing that your bench press has gone up 20 pounds over three months is motivating in a way that generic fitness content rarely is. Apps that surface your personal records and volume trends give you feedback that matters.

The third is reliability. Your workout log is a record of real effort. An app that loses data or crashes regularly isn't just annoying; it undermines the whole point of tracking.

For lifters who want to go deeper on training principles alongside better logging habits, core techniques and training principles covers the fundamentals worth building around.

And if you're looking for structured training guides to pair with whatever app you choose, the Setgraph training guide library has resources organized around different training goals.

Final Thoughts

Reddit's collective opinion on bodybuilding apps has stayed fairly consistent over the years: simplicity wins, reliability matters, and people hate paying for features they consider basic. Strong, Setgraph, Hevy, JEFIT, BodySpace, and RepCount all have genuine strengths, and none of them is definitively the best for every lifter.

The honest answer is that the best bodybuilding app is the one you'll actually open every time you train. Start with a free option, use it for a month, and see whether it fits the way you work out. If it creates friction, try a different one. The cost of switching is low, but the habit of consistent logging pays off significantly over time.

For more fitness tips and training content, the Setgraph articles section covers a wide range of topics relevant to lifters at every level.

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