best free workout apps
the short list.
free means different things in this category. some apps are free forever for the core thing you came for. some are free until you want a third routine. some are a seven-day trial with a price tag behind it. this list is ordered by how much you can do before you pay, and every entry says where the wall is.
- 1arcbest for a free plan built for you
- 2nike training clubbest for the largest free catalog
- 3hevybest for free tracking on every platform
- 4stronglifts 5x5best for one free barbell program, start to finish
- 5boostcampbest for free access to a catalog of known programs
- 6strongbest for the cleanest free logger, within limits
how we picked.
- what do you get before you pay?
- is the free tier usable on its own, or a demo of the paid one?
- ads, limits, or both?
- what does the upgrade buy you?
arc is our app, so read our own entry with that in mind. we've written the catch for arc the same way we wrote it for everyone else, and every app here is one we'd send someone to if it fits them better. prices are checked against each app's public pricing page on the date above.
1. arc
best for a free plan built for you
- price
- free, coach add-on from $9.99/mo
- platform
- ios
the intake, the program arc builds from it, the set-by-set guidance, and the progress tracking are all free, ad-free, and unlimited. coach is a paid add-on layered on top, and the program stands on its own.
the catch: arc is iphone-only. and the free tier is the whole program, which makes the paid side thinner than you might expect: coach adds answers and form video, and the plan itself stays free.
2. nike training club
best for the largest free catalog
- price
- free
- platform
- ios, android, apple watch
free the whole way through, on ios and android. multi-week plans and follow-along video sessions across every level. nothing else on this list gives away this much.
the catch: guided sessions are its strength, and progressive barbell work is where it thins out. weaker fit if your goal is a heavier squat six months from now.
arc vs nike training club →3. hevy
best for free tracking on every platform
- price
- free with ads, pro $2.99/mo or $23.99/yr
- platform
- ios, android, web, apple watch, wear os
free with ads, and the free tier is a real tracker: routines, logging, previous performance shown as you go, plus 26 pre-built programs. ios, android, web, apple watch, and wear os.
the catch: ads on the free tier, and pro at $2.99/mo is cheap enough that most regular lifters end up paying it.
arc vs hevy →4. stronglifts 5x5
best for one free barbell program, start to finish
- price
- free 5x5 program, pro from $11.99/mo or $59.99/yr
- platform
- ios, android, apple watch, mac
the 5x5 program is free and complete: the app tells you the weight and reps for every set and adds weight for you. no trial clock on it.
the catch: the free tier runs 5x5 and stops there. everything else sits behind pro at $11.99/mo.
arc vs stronglifts 5x5 →5. boostcamp
best for free access to a catalog of known programs
- price
- free, pro from $11.99/mo or $59.99/yr
- platform
- ios, android
free access to a large catalog of established strength programs, with the app logging the prescribed sets as you run them. useful if you already know which program you want.
the catch: it assumes you can choose. the catalog is the whole interface, so the hardest decision is still yours, and pro from $11.99/mo opens the rest.
arc vs boostcamp →6. strong
best for the cleanest free logger, within limits
- price
- free (3 custom routines), pro $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr
- platform
- ios, android, apple watch
free for up to three custom routines, and inside that limit it's the best-designed logger in the category. pro is $4.99/mo for unlimited routines, detailed charts, and csv export.
the catch: three routines is a real ceiling if you train more than one way, and strong gives you somewhere to record a program. finding the program stays your job.
arc vs strong →frequently asked.
which workout apps are free with no ads and no limits?
arc and nike training club. arc is free for the program it builds you plus tracking, with an optional paid coach add-on. nike training club has no paid tier at all. hevy's free tier is generous and ad-supported, and strong's is capped at three routines.
is a free workout app good enough, or do i need to pay?
free covers what most people need: a program, instructions for each set, and a record of what you lifted. paying tends to buy variety, deeper analytics, or human coaching. it's worth spending money once you know which of those you're missing.
what's the catch with free workout apps?
usually one of four: ads, a cap on routines, a trial clock, or the free tier omitting the part that decides your program. the entries above each say which one applies.
start lifting.
arc builds you a program from a few questions and walks you through every set, free on iphone.