Before the list: no app on here is objectively "the best" — the right one depends on whether you want social features, AI-generated programs, a huge exercise database, or just a fast, private place to log your lifts. We'll call out what each is actually known for.
The apps
One of the most established names in workout logging, known for a clean, minimal interface built around fast set-by-set entry. It's a solid pick if you want no-frills tracking without much else competing for your attention.
Popular for combining solid tracking with a social feed, letting you share workouts and follow friends. A good fit if part of your motivation comes from a training community, and it syncs your data across devices via the cloud.
One of the longer-running apps in this space, with a large built-in exercise database and community-driven routines. Worth a look if you want a big library of pre-built programs to pick from rather than building your own from scratch.
Known for algorithmically generating your next workout based on your history and available equipment. A good option if you want the app to help decide what to train next, rather than following a fixed plan every week.
Our own app, built around a simple idea: your workout data belongs on your device, not a server. It covers the core logging experience — custom templates, rest timers, full history, and step tracking via Apple Health — with no account required and no analytics or ad trackers. It's free to download, with an optional LockedIn Pro subscription for anyone who wants to support ongoing development.
What actually matters when choosing one
Feature lists all start to look similar after a while. These are the questions worth asking instead:
- Do you want social features, or do you want privacy? A social feed is motivating for some, unnecessary for others. If you'd rather your training data never leaves your device, that narrows the field fast.
- Do you want a plan built for you, or do you want to build your own? AI-generated programs are convenient; custom templates give you full control.
- Does it cost anything, and what do you get for free? Some apps gate basic logging behind a paywall — others, like LockedIn, keep core tracking free and only charge for optional extras.
- How fast can you log a set mid-workout? This is the one that matters most day-to-day. Open the app, pick your template, and see how many taps it takes to log your first set.
Try LockedIn — Gym Workout Tracker
Free to download. No account, no ads, no analytics — just your training data, on your device.
The bottom line
All five of these are genuinely capable apps — the "best" one is whichever matches how you actually want to train and how you feel about your data. If that's a fast, private, no-account way to log your lifts, that's exactly what we built LockedIn for.