# Routine vs Iron Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Iron Diary at none against Routine's 3. Iron Diary also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Routine's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Routine sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Iron Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Routine ships an update every 2 days, Iron Diary every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Routine | Iron Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routine-workout-tracker/id1442589153/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **116** | — |
| Positive reviews | 23.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eye of the Tiger Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1043246008) | [Even Kofoed](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896131110) |

## What reviewers say

### Routine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routine-workout-tracker/id1442589153)

Easily log and track your gym workouts with this intuitive fitness app. Create custom routines, monitor progress with advanced stats and graphs, and utilize features like an auto rest timer and warm-up set generator. It supports various exercise types and integrates with Apple Watch and Apple Health.

**Highlights:** Intuitive workout logging interface, Create custom strength and cardio routines, Log workouts with Apple Watch, Advanced progress tracking with graphs, Auto rest timer and warm-up set generator, Support for various exercise types, iCloud data backup and Apple Health sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lift Plan Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Lift Plan Pro Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Ability to prepare workouts in advance
- 🚀 Great improvement with upgrades
- 👍 Can add workouts on the fly
- 👍 Keeps track of last effort

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently during workouts
- 🐛 App erases logs and progress
- 🐛 Workout data is lost after updates
- 🐛 Cannot save workouts
- 🐛 Poor/Non-existent Apple Watch integration

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during workouts
- App erases workout progress
- Lost all history after app update
- Workout data deleted after update
- Cannot save workouts

**Requested features**

- Manually add exercises not listed
- Update exercise list
- Change bar charts to line graphs
- Create folders for routines
- Fix Apple Watch integration


### Iron Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iron-diary-workout-tracker/id6765935337)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Routine free?

Routine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Iron Diary free?

Iron Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Routine or Iron Diary have ads?

Neither Routine nor Iron Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Routine or Iron Diary?

Routine ships an update every 2 days, and Iron Diary every 6 days. Most recently, Routine was updated on October 16, 2026 and Iron Diary on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*