Comparison

Starting Strength (Legacy) vs Brolift

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Starting Strength (Legacy)

This app guides beginners through a proven strength training program with detailed instructions, video demonstrations, and interactive logging. It simplifies tracking progress and calculating weights for exercises like squats, presses, and deadlifts.

Highlights
  • Beginner barbell exercise instructions
  • Novice strength training program guidance
  • Interactive workout logging
  • Warmup and workset weight calculator
  • Exercise video and photo instructions
  • Cloud sync for training data
  • Customizable progression
Features
Read full description

Please note, this is the legacy version. An all new version of the Starting Strength App is on the store, search "Starting Strength Official" The Starting Strength Method is the fastest, most efficient and straightforward way to increase total body strength for complete beginners. ====== Here's some reviews from our users 5/5 "What do you get when you combine the best method to get stronger with detailed instructional videos, thorough explanations AND an actual day to day program? THIS APP! Finally! Perfect for both beginners and experienced lifters and worth much more than the price I paid for. Thank you Starting Strength! 5/5 "I've tried 2-3 other apps. I've kept paper logs. Nothing has been easier to use than this app. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't enter my warm up sets...its because you don't need to! You enter your work set weight and it tells you exactly what to load on the warmup-ups..." 5/5 "Wonderful, straight-forward way to keep DOING THE PROGRAM. A simple and clear way to apply the SS principles and track your work.” 5/5 "Like others, I was on the fence about buying this app to help kickstart my starting strength program. This app deserves it's high average rating, and you should pull the trigger if you are reading this.” 5/5 "I tried a few free apps before buying this app, this one is well worth the money. Best app out there for barbell training" ====== Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide and considered the most productive method in existence for anyone beginning a strength training program. "The best book ever written on strength training" - Jim Wendler, champion powerlifter. ++++++++++ Features: - Complete, easy-to-follow instructions for performing the basic barbell exercises: the squat, press, deadlift, bench press and power clean. - Walks you through the famous Starting Strength Novice Program -- shows you how to start, what weight to add and when to add extra exercises. - Enough programs to get you through the first year of training including accessory exercises of chinups and back extensions. - Designed for use at the gym with quick access to multiple angle videos and photo instructions of each exercise. - Lift instructions and diagrams from the Starting Strength Book by Mark Rippetoe. - Interactive logging tools journal your strength progression. - Warmup and workset calculator shows you exactly how many plates to put on each side of the bar. - Workset Rest Timer, customisable for each exercise. - Customise your progression for each exercise. - Add and save additional notes for each workout, and access previous notes easily. - Never lose your training data again! Cloud Sync backs up your training log data and restores it across multiple devices. - Download training log data as CSV (requires account) - Helpful hints and tutorials help you learn and progress safely. - How to program the basic exercises into the most effective program for long-term progress. - Metric (kgs) or Imperials (lbs), and change at any time. Have any comments, questions or suggestions? Please email us at hello@shabu.co Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/7754358

About

Brolift

Easily track your gym workouts, log sets and reps, and plan future sessions. Share custom workouts with friends and sync your heart rate and calorie data from Apple HealthKit.

Highlights
  • Track gym workouts
  • Log weight and reps
  • Create custom workouts
  • Share workouts with friends
  • Apple HealthKit syncing
  • Sync heart rate and calories
Features
Read full description

Brolift is a workout log built for lifters. Open it at the rack, log every set in a tap, and watch your strength add up: every rep and every PR, on the record. LOG SETS FAST • Weight and reps steppers with a set timer and a workout timer • Add, copy and delete sets without leaving the card • See the reps you need for a new PR before you lift • Notes, RPE, photos and videos on any workout • Plan workouts ahead and start them when you get to the gym KNOW HOW HARD YOU PUSHED • Heart rate from Apple Health, charted across the whole session with a marker for every exercise • Press and drag the chart to read your BPM at any moment • Average, low and peak heart rate, plus active and total energy • A heart-rate chart for every exercise, next to its sets WATCH YOUR PROGRESS • Estimated 1RM and max-weight charts for every exercise, over 3 months, 6 months, a year or all time • Personal records by weight and by reps, with the date you set them • Activity heatmap, weekly volume, muscle focus and a 12-month view • Lifetime stats you pick: total workouts, heaviest lift, current streak, PRs this month and more • Body measurements over time DESCRIBE IT. LIFT IT. • Describe a workout in a sentence, like "heavy push day, 45 minutes, bench focus", and Brolift builds it from your exercise library and loads it into the tracker • Generated on device with Apple Intelligence. Nothing you type leaves your iPhone • Requires Apple Intelligence on a supported iPhone YOURS, PRIVATELY • No account and no sign-up. Your workouts are stored on your iPhone and synced with iCloud • A full exercise library, plus your own custom exercises • Six themes, or mix your own accent color • Powerlifting mode with your squat, bench and deadlift total Brolift reads heart rate and energy from Apple Health, with your permission. Heart rate needs a device that records it, such as Apple Watch. Health data is used only to show your own workouts and is never used for advertising or shared with third parties.

Screenshots

Starting Strength (Legacy)4 screens
Brolift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starting Strength (Legacy) at 83% against Brolift's 0%. Starting Strength (Legacy) also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 5). Brolift's advantage is price (Free vs $14.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 8). On ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Brolift is free to download; Starting Strength (Legacy) costs $14.99 up front. Starting Strength (Legacy) sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 3 months. Brolift asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Starting Strength (Legacy) holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starting Strength (Legacy) has 2.6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Starting Strength (Legacy)'s written reviews are positive against 0% of Brolift's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starting Strength (Legacy) ships an update every 5 weeks, Brolift every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Starting Strength (Legacy) versus Brolift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarting Strength (Legacy)Brolift
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (2.6K ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.6K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#43 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size239 MB49 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperShabu Pty Ltdmax Studener

Customer experience

Starting Strength (Legacy)

All ratings2,550 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews240 reviews
Positive82.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative9.2%

Brolift

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Starting Strength (Legacy)

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Issues with timer functionality
  • Problems with weight and plate tracking
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Bugs when switching between exercises

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to modify exercises and programming
  • Implement advanced programming options beyond novice linear progression
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Add Apple Health integration
  • Enhance UI and user experience

Brolift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Starting Strength (Legacy)

Subscriptions3
  • 3 Months Pro$19.993 Months
  • Pro Quaterly$19.993 Months
  • Annual Pro$39.991 Year
One-time5
  • Single Form Check$24.99
  • Unlock Pro Forever$59.99
  • 3 x Form Checks$69.99
Show 2 more
  • 10 Form Checks$209.99
  • 20 x Form Checks$399.99
None

Brolift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starting Strength (Legacy) free?
Starting Strength (Legacy) costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Brolift free?
Brolift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starting Strength (Legacy) or Brolift?
Starting Strength (Legacy) is rated higher. Starting Strength (Legacy) averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Brolift averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do Starting Strength (Legacy) or Brolift have ads?
Neither Starting Strength (Legacy) nor Brolift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starting Strength (Legacy) or Brolift?
Starting Strength (Legacy) ships an update every 5 weeks, and Brolift every 2 weeks. Most recently, Starting Strength (Legacy) was updated on November 1, 2026 and Brolift on November 3, 2026.

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