# Barbell Plate Calculator vs Five/Three/One

The clearest difference is ads: Five/Three/One at none against Barbell Plate Calculator's shown. Five/Three/One also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 288). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Barbell Plate Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Five/Three/One sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Barbell Plate Calculator against 4.8 for Five/Three/One. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five/Three/One has 1.5K ratings behind it against 288, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Barbell Plate Calculator's written reviews are positive against 78% of Five/Three/One's.

Barbell Plate Calculator ships an update every 4 weeks, Five/Three/One every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barbell Plate Calculator | Five/Three/One |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (288 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barbell-plate-calculator/id1468808885/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fivethreeone-531-workouts/id1560266240/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 288 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **78.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [XD Software Solutions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217986477) | [Strong Pigeon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560266242) |

## What reviewers say

### Barbell Plate Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barbell-plate-calculator/id1468808885)

Easily calculate the barbell plates needed to reach a target weight or determine the total weight on a loaded bar. This app simplifies weightlifting math, allowing you to focus on your workout. It offers customizable options and a timer for tracking exercises.

**Highlights:** Plate calculation for target weight, Reverse calculation for current bar weight, Customizable bar weight, Customizable available plates, Workout timer, Dark mode and custom themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and no frills
- 👍 Beautifully designed and works well
- 👍 Makes life easier
- 👍 Plate calculator works
- 👍 Correctly calculates with 1.25 and 0.5 plates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer function freezes
- 🐛 Paid upgrades not working
- 🐛 Limited in plate calculation
- 🐛 Saving bar weight process is cumbersome
- 🐛 Resetting entire weight stack instead of adding

**Reported bugs**

- Timer function freezes
- Paid upgrades features will not work
- Limited plate calculation (e.g., only does up to 515 lbs)
- Cumbersome process to save bar weight

**Requested features**

- Add home and gym option for inventory
- Show total of each size of plates added
- Allow adding collars
- Option to 'add weight' to stack instead of resetting
- Simpler process for saving bar weight


### Five/Three/One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fivethreeone-531-workouts/id1560266240)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Custom Weight Plates | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Beyond 5/3/1 Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Custom Assistance | $8.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent app for 5/3/1 programming
- 📊 Provides great tracking and progress monitoring
- 🔢 Automatic weight and plate calculations
- ⏱️ Built-in rest timers and workout flow
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗓️ Rigid scheduling and inability to reschedule missed workouts
- 🔒 Limited customization options for assistance exercises
- 🔀 Difficulty in reordering or supersetting exercises
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and data loss issues
- ⚠️ Lack of Apple Watch integration

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barbell Plate Calculator free?

Barbell Plate Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Five/Three/One free?

Five/Three/One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Barbell Plate Calculator or Five/Three/One?

Five/Three/One is rated higher. Barbell Plate Calculator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while Five/Three/One averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Barbell Plate Calculator or Five/Three/One have ads?

Barbell Plate Calculator shows ads; Five/Three/One does not.

### Which is updated more often, Barbell Plate Calculator or Five/Three/One?

Barbell Plate Calculator ships an update every 4 weeks, and Five/Three/One every 2 weeks. Most recently, Barbell Plate Calculator was updated on November 3, 2026 and Five/Three/One on November 7, 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.*