Comparison

5x5 Workout vs StrengthLog

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

Head to head
About

5x5 Workout

This app simplifies strength training for beginners by focusing on essential compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. It offers a proven program that guides users through workouts, automatically calculates weights, and tracks progress. Get started with a free trial and build strength efficiently.

Highlights
  • Beginner-friendly strength program
  • Focus on compound movements
  • Automatic weight and rep calculation
  • Progress tracking graphs
  • Warm-up calculator
  • HealthKit integration
Features
Read full description

● Easiest program to help build strength for beginners! ● Focuses on key compound movements. Bench, Squat, Deadlift. ● Get started for free! Proven program that works! Just press start. Want to build strength and lift weights, but don't know where to start? Welcome to the 5x5 Workout by Zen Labs Fitness! Designed for first time lifters using 3 core compound movements. Squats, deadlifts, and bench press. This program includes your first 2 weeks for free! Getting started in weight training can be intimidating, but it shouldn't and it won't be with Zen Labs Fitness. There are many flavors of 3x5, 5x5, and other variations. At the very core of the these lifting programs, they share the same proven elements. Results have been proven time and time again for the past decades since the original 5x5 by Mark Berry in the 1930s, Reg Park in the 1950s, Bill Starr in the 1970s, and the many versions you see today. 5x5 Workout by Zen Labs Fitness includes the simplest versions to make getting started easy. 3 days a week, 8 weeks total, and only 45 minutes a day. Alternate between only 2 workouts. Guaranteed results. ≈ Only 2 Simple Workouts ≈ A. Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Row B. Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift ≈ Starting is EASY ≈ 1. Enter your current 1RM (1 rep max) for Bench, Squat, Deadlifts. (or press beginner) 2. Our app will automatically calculate your program tailored you 3. Press start and start building strength! ≈ FEATURES ≈ ◉ First 2 weeks are free! Get started today! ◉ Both 3x5 and 5x5 workout programs ◉ Workout only 3 days a week. Rest in between days. ◉ Core program is only 2 different workouts that you alternate. Simple! We focus on compound movements for efficiency. ◉ Progress graph to keep track of your PRs (personal records) ◉ Multiple cycles. After you finish your 12 week program, start a new cycle! ◉ Warmup calculate to help you properly warm up and prevent injury. ◉ Weight and reps calculator ◉ Accessory workouts to add more volume for advanced users ◉ HealthKit integration ≈ NEW Zen Unlimited Pass - Try it for free! ≈ ◉ Award winning music curated from top DJ's! ◉ Scientifically proven to increase motivation by 35% ◉ Unlimited access to all pro features across ALL Zen Labs Fitness apps Questions/comments regarding the app? Please email us at contactus@zenlabsfitness.com or visit us at www.zenlabsfitness.com. ≈ Connect ≈ Facebook: @C25Kfree Twitter: @C25Kfree Instagram: @officialc25k Hashtag: #C25K https://forums.zenlabsfitness.com Subscription pricing and terms: The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you subscribe before your free trial ends, the rest of your free trial period will be forfeited as soon as your purchase is confirmed. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: https://www.zenlabsfitness.com/privacy-policy/ Legal Disclaimer This app and any information given by it or by Zen Labs LLC are for educational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any fitness program.

About

StrengthLog

This app helps users plan and track their strength training progress with a vast exercise library and detailed analytics. It offers features for both beginners and experienced lifters, including social challenges and custom routine building. A generous free version is available, with an optional premium subscription for advanced tools.

Highlights
  • Unlimited workout logging
  • 600+ exercises with videos
  • Custom routine building
  • Progress tracking and analytics
  • Social challenges with friends
  • Rest timer and plate calculator
  • Body measurement tracking
Features
Read full description

THE WORLD’S MOST GENEROUS WORKOUT TRACKER StrengthLog is the workout tracker for people who take their training seriously, whether you’re just getting started or have been lifting for decades. Plan your training. Log every set. Track your progress. Follow proven training programs or build your own. Compare your strength with other lifters. Set goals, build streaks, and challenge your friends. And unlike many workout apps, StrengthLog gives you everything you need to train effectively for free. Unlimited workout logging. No ads. No trial that suddenly locks you out. 100% gains, 0% ads. BUILT FOR LIFTERS, BY LIFTERS StrengthLog has been developed together with hundreds of thousands of lifters, from beginners to competitive strength athletes. Our library contains 600+ strength, cardio, and mobility exercises with instructions and videos. You can also create your own exercises. Log as you train or plan ahead with our calendar. Follow a ready-made training program, build your own, or simply decide what to do when you get to the gym. Your training history, PRs, statistics, and Strength Levels make it easy to see where you’ve been and where you’re going. TRAIN TOGETHER Connect with friends and make your training a little more social. See when your friends train, celebrate their progress, compare PRs and Strength Levels, and create or join challenges together. Challenge each other to train more often, do more reps, or reach whatever ridiculous goal you can come up with. You choose who you connect with, and your full training log stays private. FREE FEATURES • Log unlimited workouts, forever. • Support for both kg and lbs. • 600+ exercises with instructions and videos. • Create unlimited custom exercises. • Follow popular workouts and training programs. • Build your own routines and programs with linear progression. • Plan workouts and programs in your training calendar. • Track PRs and exercise history. • Compare your strength with other lifters using Strength Levels. • Track training volume, workouts, and other statistics. • Create training goals and streaks. • Complete our monthly challenges. • Connect with friends and challenge each other. • Use our rest timer and plate calculator. • Estimate your 1RM and get suggested PR warm-ups. • Track body measurements and progress pictures. • Connect with Apple Health. GO PREMIUM StrengthLog Premium unlocks our most advanced tools while supporting the continued development of the app. Premium includes: • Build unlimited training routines and programs with double and triple progression. • Our complete library of training programs for strength, bodybuilding, powerlifting, powerbuilding, sports, and more. • Advanced statistics for your training, muscle groups, and exercises. • Muscle heat maps showing what you’ve trained over any period. • Customizable favorite graphs. • Advanced logging with RPE, Reps in Reserve, % of 1RM, and quick set stats. • More tools for analyzing and planning your training. • Unlimited goals and streaks. • Connect your account to ChatGPT or Claude using our MCP integration. Whether you want a simple workout log or enough training data to disappear down a statistical rabbit hole for an entire evening, StrengthLog has you covered. Have an idea, found a bug, or just want to tell us what you think? Contact us at app@strengthlog.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS StrengthLog Premium is an automatically renewing subscription. • Choose between 1, 3, and 12 months. • Your App Store account will be charged upon purchase and your subscription will renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • You can manage or turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings. APPLE HEALTH With your permission, StrengthLog can read relevant data from Apple Health and share your completed workouts with it. You control what data StrengthLog can read or write through your Apple Health permissions.

Screenshots

5x5 Workout4 screens
StrengthLog4 screens

Verdict

The call

5x5 Workout and StrengthLog both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of StrengthLog's written reviews are positive against 53% of 5x5 Workout's. StrengthLog also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and 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

Both are free to download. 5x5 Workout sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and StrengthLog sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $16.90 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StrengthLog holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of 5x5 Workout's written reviews are positive against 88% of StrengthLog's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

5x5 Workout ships an update every 2 months, StrengthLog weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
5x5 Workout versus StrengthLog: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter5x5 WorkoutStrengthLog
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings)4.9 (3.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.8% of reviews88.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K3.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size203 MB158 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperZen LabsStyrkelabbet AB

Customer experience

5x5 Workout

All ratings1,632 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive52.8%
Neutral16.7%
Negative30.6%

StrengthLog

All ratings3,727 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews395 reviews
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative7.6%

User reviews

5x5 Workout

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Concise and well-designed app
  • 🚀 Accountability and precision
  • 💪 Helps achieve fitness goals

Room to improve

  • 🔧 Limited customization options
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Forced subscription model

StrengthLog

From 3.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 💪 Comprehensive workout tracking
  • 📊 Detailed progress analytics
  • 🎥 Helpful exercise videos

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Cluttered main page
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 💰 Premium subscription is expensive
  • ⌚ Apple Watch app issues

Bugs and requests

5x5 Workout

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Settings cannot be changed
  • Lost progress due to app crashes
  • Paid features not unlocking properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow changing weight for individual sets
  • Add a lower body/core focused workout
  • Include dumbbell exercises

StrengthLog

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Disappearing workout data
  • Inability to clear/reset workout history
  • Inconsistent behavior when planning workouts for the same day

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to save and edit custom workout plans
  • Seamless integration with Apple Health
  • Community features like challenges and leaderboards
  • More personalized workout recommendations

In-app purchases

4 purchases

5x5 Workout

Subscriptions3
  • Zen Unlimited Pass Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Zen Power Playlist 3 Months7 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • Zen unlimited pass annual7 Days trial$74.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Features$8.99
3 purchases

StrengthLog

Subscriptions3
  • StrengthLog Premium - 1 month14 Days trial$16.901 Month
  • StrengthLog Premium - 3 months14 Days trial$37.903 Months
  • StrengthLog Premium - 1 year14 Days trial$109.001 Year

Questions

Is 5x5 Workout free?
5x5 Workout is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StrengthLog free?
StrengthLog is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 5x5 Workout or StrengthLog?
StrengthLog is rated higher. 5x5 Workout averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while StrengthLog averages 4.9 from 3.7K ratings.
Do 5x5 Workout or StrengthLog have ads?
Neither 5x5 Workout nor StrengthLog shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 5x5 Workout or StrengthLog?
5x5 Workout ships an update every 2 months, and StrengthLog weekly. Most recently, 5x5 Workout was updated on November 6, 2026 and StrengthLog on November 10, 2026.

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