Comparison

SetWatch vs Workout Builder

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

Head to head
About

SetWatch

Log strength training workouts directly on your Apple Watch without needing your phone. Track exercises, reps, and rest times, then review your progress. Create custom routines and sync data with the Health app.

Highlights
  • Log exercises with reps, duration, and weights
  • Automatic rest timer
  • Health app integration
  • Create unlimited routines
  • Add custom exercises
  • View workout metrics
Features
Read full description

SetWatch is the essential workout tracker for Apple Watch. Stay focused on your workout, not your phone. With SetWatch, you have everything you need to log strength training workouts right on your wrist. Log exercises, track repetitions, and perfectly time rests - all without ever reaching for your phone. And when you‘re done, you can review all your progress right on your watch. Create routines using a large collection of exercises to perfectly fit your workout plan. SetWatch also syncs your workouts with the Health app, where they are available to other apps and contribute to the Activity rings. Key Features: • Log all your exercises with repetitions, duration, and weights • Automatic Rest Timer • Health App Integration • Create unlimited many routines • Large collection of common exercises included • Add custom exercises • View metrics like Max. 1RM, total volume, and more • Export workouts as a CSV file

About

Workout Builder

Design personalized fitness routines on your iPhone, then seamlessly transfer them to your Apple Watch. Supports a wide range of activities from running and cycling to yoga and strength training, with options for simple goals, advanced intervals, and paced efforts.

Highlights
  • Create custom workouts on iPhone
  • Send workouts to Apple Watch
  • Supports running, cycling, swimming, yoga
  • HIIT & Strength interval training
  • Boxing and skipping interval options
  • Goal-based workouts
  • Advanced interval workouts
  • Paced workouts
Read full description

Workout Builder lets you create custom workouts on your iPhone and send them to your Apple Watch. Build advanced workouts like: - Running workouts for tempo runs, intervals, hill sprints - Cycling workouts for intervals, pyramids, and distance efforts - Swimming workouts for specific distances and times - Flow, Yin, Vinyasa yoga - HIIT & Strength training intervals - Boxing and skipping intervals, with rest included - Plus many, many more sports! Workout Builder has three types of workouts you can send to your Apple Watch - Simple, goal-based workouts – set a time, distance, or energy burn goal - Advanced interval workouts – add multiple sets and reps, along with rest, warmup, and cooldown - Paced workouts – set a time and distance goal and pace your workout

Screenshots

Workout Builder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SetWatch at none against Workout Builder's 1. SetWatch also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%). Workout Builder's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 5) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Workout Builder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SetWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for SetWatch against 4.3 for Workout Builder. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 20 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of SetWatch's written reviews are positive against 71% of Workout Builder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SetWatch ships an update every 3 weeks, Workout Builder fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and July 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SetWatch versus Workout Builder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSetWatchWorkout Builder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)4.3 (20 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better71.0% of reviews
Number of ratings520 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaximilian ZoechMatthew Palmer

Customer experience

SetWatch

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Workout Builder

All ratings20 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral16.1%
Negative12.9%

In-app purchases

None

SetWatch

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Workout Builder

One-time1
  • Workout Builder Premium$9.99

Questions

Is SetWatch free?
SetWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Workout Builder free?
Workout Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SetWatch or Workout Builder?
Workout Builder is rated higher. SetWatch averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Workout Builder averages 4.3 from 20 ratings.
Do SetWatch or Workout Builder have ads?
Neither SetWatch nor Workout Builder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SetWatch or Workout Builder?
SetWatch ships an update every 3 weeks, and Workout Builder fortnightly. Most recently, SetWatch was updated on September 15, 2026 and Workout Builder on July 26, 2026.

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