Strong is one of the most respected dedicated strength tracking apps available, and it has earned that reputation by doing one thing exceptionally well: logging barbell workouts. FITIV does strength tracking too — and adds HRV readiness, cardio tracking, GPS, and recovery scores that tell you whether you should actually be lifting heavy today.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | FITIV | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Strength tracking (sets/reps) | Yes | Yes — best-in-class |
| Exercise database | Hundreds of exercises, plus custom exercises | 200+ exercises with demonstrations, plus custom exercises |
| Custom exercises | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch integration | Yes — set and rep logging, rest timers, live heart rate | Yes — set logging and live heart rate |
| Workout builder / programming | Yes | Yes — detailed |
| Progressive overload tracking | Yes — AI progressive overload on demand, with RIR tracking | Yes |
| Estimated 1RM and PRs | Yes | Yes |
| HRV readiness score | Yes | No |
| Recovery score | Yes | No |
| Training load (TRIMP/TSS) | Yes | No |
| Cardio / running tracking | Yes — GPS, HR zones, pace | Manual cardio logging, no GPS |
| Cycling / rowing tracking | Yes | Manual logging only |
| VO2 max estimate | Yes | No |
| Garmin | Garmin workouts via Apple Health, plus Garmin heart rate broadcast as a live sensor | No |
| Bluetooth HR monitor support | Yes (Polar H10, Wahoo TICKR) | No |
| Community / challenges | Yes | No |
| Plate calculator | Yes — standard, short, and EZ bars | Yes |
| Workout templates | Yes — build your own, or from a photo or description | Yes — build your own |
What Strong Does Best
Strong is purpose-built for the gym, and that focus shows. Its library of more than 200 built-in exercises comes with written instructions and animated demonstrations. For powerlifters, bodybuilders, and gym athletes, the library covers the movements most programs use, and you can add your own.
The user interface for logging sets is refined through years of iteration. Logging a working set in Strong is fast: load the exercise, enter reps and weight, hit confirm, and the rest timer starts automatically. The flow is clean and interrupts your workout as little as possible.
Strong's templates make it easy to save and repeat your routines, and lifters running a simple progressive barbell program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5 can set it up as a template in minutes.
The plate calculator — which tells you exactly which plates to load on each side of the bar for a target weight — is a small feature that regular barbell athletes genuinely miss when it is absent. Both apps have one: FITIV's supports standard, short, and EZ bars in pounds or kilograms.
For athletes who train exclusively with weights and have zero interest in cardio tracking or biometric readiness scores, Strong is an excellent, focused tool.
What FITIV Does Best
The fundamental question Strong cannot answer is: should you lift heavy today? Strong will dutifully log whatever weight you put on the bar, but it has no idea if you slept five hours, your HRV crashed overnight, and your body is running on empty. FITIV does.
FITIV's integration of HRV readiness and training load into the workout experience changes how you interact with your training plan. When your readiness is low, FITIV's daily recommendation tells you to focus on light activity or rest. When your readiness is Prime, FITIV tells you it's an ideal day to go after a new personal record. This feedback loop — biometrics informing training decisions — is something Strong does not attempt.
Training load in FITIV counts both lifting and cardio through your heart rate. If you ran a hard tempo run Tuesday and are planning a heavy squat session Wednesday, FITIV's rolling load metrics reflect both stimuli. Strong sees only the squat session; it has no knowledge of the run.
Apple Watch integration is deeper in FITIV. You can start a workout, log sets, monitor heart rate in real time, manage rest timers, and check your Training Readiness, all from your wrist. Strong's Apple Watch app logs sets and shows your heart rate, but it has no readiness or recovery data.
For hybrid athletes — CrossFit athletes, obstacle course racers, triathletes who strength train, recreational lifters who also run — FITIV provides a unified view of all training stress that Strong cannot replicate.
GPS tracking for outdoor workouts is entirely absent from Strong. If you run, cycle, hike, or do any outdoor cardio, you need a second app. FITIV handles all of it.
Honest Assessment: Where Strong Wins
If your training is exclusively strength-focused and you have no interest in HRV, recovery scores, or cardio tracking, Strong is the more specialized and refined tool for that specific job.
Strong is also available on Android, so it works for lifters and training partners who don't use an iPhone.
Athletes who already use a separate running or cycling app and only need a gym tracker will get more depth from Strong's dedicated strength features than from FITIV's broader-but-somewhat-shallower strength module.
The Hybrid Athlete Case
The clearest use case for FITIV over Strong is the hybrid athlete who trains for both strength and some form of cardio. If you run even one day per week alongside your lifting — which describes most people with fitness goals — you need a tool that understands your full training picture.
Strong sees only the gym. FITIV sees everything.
Who Should Choose FITIV
- Hybrid athletes who train for strength and cardio and want one app for both
- Athletes who want recovery-informed training — knowing if they should go heavy today
- Anyone who wants GPS running, HRV readiness, and strength tracking in one app
- Apple Watch users who want wrist-based biometrics alongside their strength logging
- FITIV is the clear choice if you want your training load and readiness to reflect both your lifts and your runs
Who Should Choose Strong
- Athletes who train exclusively for strength and do zero cardio tracking
- Lifters who run a simple barbell program and want a dedicated logger
- Barbell athletes who want the most minimal possible set-logging flow
Already set on switching? See our Strong alternative guide.
Strong is a trademark of Strong Fitness PTE. Ltd. Apple Watch and Apple Health are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. FITIV is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies mentioned.
Competitor details checked October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does FITIV have a plate calculator?
Yes. Enter a target weight and FITIV shows exactly which plates to load on each side. It supports standard barbells, short bars, and EZ bars, in pounds or kilograms.
How large is FITIV's exercise database compared to Strong?
Strong includes more than 200 built-in exercises with animated demonstrations. FITIV's library includes hundreds of exercises covering the most commonly used strength movements, with the ability to add custom exercises. For most gym athletes, both apps cover their needs.
Does FITIV's Apple Watch integration work for strength training?
Yes. You can log sets and reps directly from your Apple Watch, manage rest timers on your wrist, and monitor heart rate between sets — all without touching your phone.
Can Strong track HRV or recovery?
No. Strong is a pure workout logger. It does not measure or use biometric readiness data. You would need a separate app like Athlytic or WHOOP alongside Strong to get that layer.
What if I only lift weights — is FITIV worth it over Strong?
If you truly only do barbell or machine training with no cardio, Strong is the more refined tool for your specific use case. FITIV's advantages are most pronounced for athletes who mix training modalities. That said, even pure strength athletes who want recovery data will find FITIV's readiness scores useful for informing intensity decisions.
Does FITIV support strength programs like 5/3/1?
FITIV's strength templates let you construct custom programs and save them for reuse. You can also photograph a written program or describe it in plain text, and FITIV's Text and Image to Workout feature builds the template for you. Strong includes a few example templates, but neither app ships a library of named programs like 5/3/1, so in both you build the program yourself. FITIV's advantage is that you can check your Training Readiness before every session, whatever program you run.
