Comparison

Smolov Squat Program vs Five/Three/One

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

Head to head
About

Smolov Squat Program

This app automates weight calculations for the 13-week Smolov Squat Program. Track your progress through this intensive routine designed for experienced lifters to maximize squat gains.

Highlights
  • Automated weight calculation
  • Workout tracking
  • Progress logging
  • Adaptable to other exercises
  • 13-week program structure
Features
Read full description

Smolov is the number one app for calculating, tracking , and logging your Smolov Squat Program workouts. Stop using old school spreadsheets and print out. This app will automatically calculate the weights at specific reps and sets that you should use based on the 13 week Smolov Squat program. Easily keep track of your workouts each week as you progress through this 3 month long, intensive squat routine. This program is commonly used for back squats but can adapted to other exercises such as bench press, shoulder/overhead press, and deadlifts. Its also meant for experienced lifters and should only be performed by those that are intermediate to advanced l Smolov was originally designed by the Russian Master of Sports, Sergey Smolov and has been known to add some massive gains to your lifts!

About

Five/Three/One

This app helps weightlifters follow Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program by automating cycle calculations, plate suggestions, and progress tracking. It eliminates the need for paper logs or spreadsheets, focusing on strength gains. Features include rest timers, workout scheduling, and Apple Health integration.

Highlights
  • 5/3/1 cycle planning and scheduling
  • Progress charting
  • Rest timer with notifications
  • Automatic plate calculation
  • Next cycle calculation based on performance
  • Home screen widget
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

The latest app for weightlifters doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program! Five/Three/One is a focused and intuitive app helping you achieve what really matters: Getting Stronger. No more bringing a crumbled workout sheet to the gym, no more messing around spreadsheets to update your weights. From calculating your cycles, to telling you what plates to put on the bar, Five/Three/One does it all. Features include: - Planning and scheduling your whole 5/3/1 cycle - Charting your progress - Rest timer with notifications - Automatic plating calculation - Calculating your next cycle based on your performance - Notes associated with each sets - Home screen widget showing your your current and upcoming workouts - Lbs/kg support Optional paid features: - Customize which plates you're using and change your barbell's weight - Customize templates assistance work and define your own exercises - Beyond 5/3/1 templates and options, from Joker Sets to FSL, Pyramid and much more! Integrates with Apple Health : The app saves the workouts you've performed as well as the calories you've burnt in Apple Health. As weightlifters doing 5/3/1 ourselves, we made the app we wanted after being dissatisfied with what was out there. More than just a glorified spreadsheet, we designed it to be focused on each task at hand. With even more great features in the pipeline, we're stoked to release the app for others to use and can't wait to hear your feedback! We use it, we love it, and we're sure you will too.

Screenshots

Smolov Squat Program4 screens
Five/Three/One4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Five/Three/One at Free against Smolov Squat Program's $1.99. Five/Three/One also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 74). Smolov Squat Program's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Five/Three/One is free to download; Smolov Squat Program costs $1.99 up front. Five/Three/One sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Smolov Squat Program asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Smolov Squat Program against 4.9 for Five/Three/One. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five/Three/One has 1.2K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Smolov Squat Program's written reviews are positive against 78% of Five/Three/One's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smolov Squat Program ships an update every 3 months, Five/Three/One every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Smolov Squat Program versus Five/Three/One: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmolov Squat ProgramFive/Three/One
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (74 ratings) — better4.9 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews78.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings741.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB37 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDavid BaiStrong Pigeon LLC

Customer experience

Smolov Squat Program

All ratings74 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Five/Three/One

All ratings1,218 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews132 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral9.1%
Negative12.9%

Bugs and requests

Smolov Squat Program

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Five/Three/One

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Workout data occasionally lost or not syncing properly
  • Calendar and scheduling issues when trying to reschedule missed workouts
  • Plate calculation bugs leading to incorrect weight displays
  • Occasional app freezes and crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow more flexibility in scheduling and rescheduling workouts
  • Provide customization options for assistance exercises
  • Implement superset and out-of-order exercise completion
  • Add support for Apple Watch integration
  • Incorporate additional 5/3/1 program variations (e.g., Bodybuilder, Monolith)

In-app purchases

None

Smolov Squat Program

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Five/Three/One

One-time6
  • Custom Weight Plates$2.99
  • Tip$4.99
  • Beyond 5/3/1 Pack$5.99
Show 3 more
  • Custom Assistance$8.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
  • Enormous Tip$24.99

Questions

Is Smolov Squat Program free?
Smolov Squat Program costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Five/Three/One free?
Five/Three/One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Smolov Squat Program or Five/Three/One?
Smolov Squat Program is rated higher. Smolov Squat Program averages 4.9 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Five/Three/One averages 4.9 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Smolov Squat Program or Five/Three/One have ads?
Neither Smolov Squat Program nor Five/Three/One shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smolov Squat Program or Five/Three/One?
Smolov Squat Program ships an update every 3 months, and Five/Three/One every 2 weeks. Most recently, Smolov Squat Program was updated on September 9, 2026 and Five/Three/One on September 29, 2026.

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