The honest comparison · 2026
Forge vs Strong
One app logs what you decided to lift. The other decides for you and adapts as you go. Here is the honest split, priced out.
The short version
Strong has one job and a decade of practice at it. You log a set in about two taps, glance at your history, and get back under the bar. Lifters on 5/3/1 or a PPL split treat it as the fastest paper-notebook replacement in the gym, and 108,000 ratings at 4.9 stars back that up. The standalone Apple Watch app is the best in its class, and the free tier skips ads entirely.
What Strong will never do is tell you what to lift. There is no programming anywhere in the product, so a beginner who downloads it gets an empty notebook and a search engine. Charts and cloud sync sit behind the paywall, and the 2020 switch from a one-time purchase to a subscription still burns in the reviews. Forge was built for the person Strong abandons, the lifter who does not already know what to do in the gym. Your trainer writes the plan and adjusts it as you progress, and the 24/7 chat handles every why along the way.
On price Strong wins without argument. Its annual plan is $29.99 against Forge's $59.99, and the $99.99 Forever option ends the billing for good. If your programming comes from a coach or a proven template and you need a flawless log, buy Strong and keep the change. Forge was priced for the lifter who wants the plan written for them, adapted week to week, with a personality pushing through the hard sessions.
Every row, called honestly
Forge takes 5. Strong takes 5. The rest are even. Read the rows Strong wins before you read ours.
Where Strong wins
Credit where it is due. These are the rows Strong takes, stated plainly.
The fastest log in the category
About two taps per set, with supersets and failure tags one tap deeper. r/Fitness threads on the best tracker still land on Strong first.
A lifetime price that ends the debate
$29.99 a year, or $99.99 once and done. Strong's lifetime plan costs less than two years of Forge.
The best Apple Watch app in lifting
Fully standalone, so the phone stays in the locker. Forge has no watch app at all.
A real free tier
Unlimited logging with no ads and no time limit. The three-routine cap only bites lifters who rotate many programs.
Where Forge wins
The other side of the ledger.
Strong abandons the plannerless
Open Strong without a program and you get an empty notebook. Forge hands that same lifter a plan built for them and adjusts it every week.
Coaching, around the clock
Forge's trainers answer questions any hour, in character. Why this exercise. What to swap when the machine is taken. Strong answers nothing.
The plan adapts
Strong's history charts show what happened. Forge reads the same numbers and changes what happens next, which is the difference between a record and a coach.
A voice in your corner
Strong is deliberately faceless. Forge gives you Sergeant Stone, Maya, Mike, or Reese, so the motivation style matches the lifter.
What each one costs
Strong
- PRO Monthly$4.99
- PRO Yearly$29.99
- PRO Forever$99.99 lifetime
Verified via the App Store in early 2026. Older $23.99 yearly and $79.99 lifetime tiers are grandfathered for past buyers, and trial availability is unconfirmed.
Forge
- Weekly$6.99
- Monthly$19.99
- Yearly$59.99
7-day free trial on the yearly plan. Cancel anytime. Every plan includes all four trainers, adaptive programming, logging, and 24/7 chat.
Which one is right for you
Pick Strong if
- You already follow a program like 5/3/1 or a PPL split
- You want the fastest set logging in the category
- You train with an Apple Watch and leave your phone in a locker
- You want a lifetime purchase and no more bills
Pick Forge if
- You do not have a program and want one built for you
- You want the plan to adapt as your numbers move
- You want a coach to ask questions at any hour
- You train better with a personality pushing you
FAQ
Forge vs Strong Questions
Straight answers about switching between Forge and Strong
Partly. The free tier logs unlimited workouts with no ads, capped at three custom routines, with charts and cloud sync locked. PRO costs $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the PRO Forever lifetime plan is $99.99.
Strong. Its annual plan is $29.99 against Forge's $59.99, and the $99.99 lifetime option ends the billing entirely. Forge costs more because programming and coaching are the product. Strong sells you the notebook alone.
No, and it never has. Strong assumes you arrive with a program from a coach, a book, or a template like 5/3/1. If you need the plan itself, Forge's trainers build it and keep adjusting it as your numbers move.
Yes, and the watch app is a standout. It runs fully standalone, so you can leave the phone in a locker. Forge has no watch app on any platform, so if logging from your wrist matters, Strong wins that row easily.
Strong sold a one-time purchase, then moved to subscriptions in 2020 and paywalled features some users had bought. Old buyers kept their access, but the resentment lives on in reviews. The current pricing is at least simple, with a free tier, $29.99 a year, or $99.99 forever.
Strong hands a beginner an empty logbook and no guidance, which is why its fans are lifters who already follow a program. Forge starts a beginner with a plan and a trainer who explains every choice along the way.
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Read itReading is done. Go train.
Start the 7-day free trial, run three workouts with your AI trainer, and compare the experience against anything on this page.
- 7-day free trial
- $59.99/year
- Cancel anytime