Comparison

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan vs EVOLUTION 3

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

Head to head
About

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

This app guides you through a proven barbell strength training program with no guesswork. It plans every exercise, set, and weight for you, allowing you to focus on lifting and see consistent progress. Ideal for beginners or those returning to strength training.

Highlights
  • Proven 3x/week strength program
  • Automated progression
  • Guided workouts with timers
  • Progress charts
  • Simple interface
Features
Read full description

Get stronger with the world’s simplest, most proven barbell program: the 5×5 workout. No guesswork. Just follow along and see real results, in just 3 workouts a week. StrongLifts is made for lifters starting or returning to barbell strength training. The app removes all confusion and complexity by guiding you through every 5×5 workout. It plans every exercise, set, and weight so you always know exactly what to do. The time-tested 5×5 workout gets you stronger, week after week. No experience needed. ▸ Proven 3×/week strength program: Structured workouts, all planned for you. ▸ No guesswork: Fully automated progression for consistent strength gains. ▸ Just follow along: Simple interface with timers. Focus on lifting, not fiddling. ▸ Stay motivated. See your strength go up every week with clear progress charts. ▸ Easy to stick with. Simple, guided 3×/week program. No decisions, just results. Over 3 million lifters worldwide have started or restarted their strength journey with StrongLifts since 2007. The app has been featured and reviewed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. StrongLifts is the best strength app, with more than 200,000 five-star reviews worldwide. StrongLifts is built on the classic 5×5 workout made famous by legends like Reg Park, Bill Starr, and Glenn Pendlay. For more than 70 years, the 5×5 workout has been proven to get new and returning lifters stronger, quickly and safely. Download StrongLifts today and join millions getting stronger. StrongLifts is free to download, but requires a subscription to use. All new users get a 7-day free trial for the yearly plan. Monthly and quarterly plans are also available without a free trial. Subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of each period. Manage or cancel your subscription any time in your App Store account settings. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

EVOLUTION 3

Follow a year-long weightlifting program with expert video tutorials on proper form. Track your progress, weights, and rest times with built-in tools. This ad-free app offers elite Hollywood personal training to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Highlights
  • Year-long workout program
  • Expert video tutorials
  • Progress tracking
  • Built-in timer
  • Barbell calculator
  • Ad-free experience
Read full description

EVOLUTION 3:59 Daily Weight Lifting Program with Expert Video Tutorials About EVOLUTION 3:59 Considered to be “Hollywood’s Hardest Workout” and endorsed by Arnold himself—EVOLUTION 3:59 is the cutting edge gym routine to build the body you’ve always wanted. Follow the exact fitness plan that deemed Joe Manganiello one of Men's Health's 100 Fittest Men of All Time and got him shredded for his role on HBO’s True Blood. This app will provide you the step by step guide to track your entire year of workouts while being coached through video tutorials on proper form by one of Hollywood’s top personal trainers and CrossFit Games champion, Ron Mathews with the exercises demonstrated by Joe himself. Features - Top Hollywood Elite Personal Training & Programming - Simple and easy to follow design - Follow one program for your FULL YEAR of WORKOUTS - No more getting overwhelmed by too many programs to choose from - Exercise Video Library of over 100 expert tutorials on proper form & technique - Notes section for each exercise - no more pen and paper - Track your light, moderate and heavy weights for each exercise - Built-in Timer keeps your rest time on track between sets - Supersets gray-out as you complete for easy tracking of workout - Barbell Calculator helps to quickly add up weight - Ad-free! “I’m going to need you to accept nothing less than your best effort. You owe it to yourself to know, once and for all, how far you can go. It’s time to EVOLVE” ~Joe Manganiello Support If you experience issues with the EVOLUTION 3:59 workout app or have suggestions to improve it, we'd love to hear from you! Just contact us from the app by going to Menu > Tech Support. One Month Subscription Subscription is auto-renewable which means that once purchased it will be auto-renewed every month until you cancel it 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Duration of the subscription is 1 Month with a charge of $9.99 every month. iTunes Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period with the cost of $9.99. Manage your Subscription and Auto-Renewal by going to your Account Settings. Terms of Service https://evolution359.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy https://evolution359.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan4 screens
EVOLUTION 34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan at free with in-app purchases against EVOLUTION 3's subscription. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan also leads on ratings volume (77K vs 238) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). EVOLUTION 3's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 66%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and EVOLUTION 3 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan has 77K ratings behind it against 238, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's written reviews are positive against 76% of EVOLUTION 3's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update fortnightly, EVOLUTION 3 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan versus EVOLUTION 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStronglifts 5x5 Workout PlanEVOLUTION 3
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (77K ratings) — better4.7 (238 ratings)
Positive reviews65.8% of reviews76.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77K — better238
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB181 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStrongLiftsEVOLUTION359

Customer experience

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

All ratings76,719 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,329 reviews
Positive65.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative30.7%

EVOLUTION 3

All ratings238 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral5.5%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative24.0%

User reviews

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

From 77K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💪 Effective strength-building program
  • 📈 Tracks progress and helps with consistency
  • 🤖 Automatic weight progression and plate calculation
  • ⏱️ Convenient timer and rest period tracking
  • 📚 Helpful exercise form videos

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and syncing issues
  • 💰 Subscription model can be expensive for some
  • 🔒 Limited customization options in free version
  • ⚠️ Weights may not be accurate for all users
  • 🕰️ Workouts can be time-consuming for some

EVOLUTION 3

From 238 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💪 Great for physical and mental health
  • 📚 Content aligns with the book
  • 🏋️‍♀️ Variety of exercises and training styles
  • 👍 Easy to navigate and track weights
  • 🎥 Excellent video support for proper form

Room to improve

  • 💸 Expensive subscription model
  • ⏳ Content unlock delays
  • 📱 Inconsistent app performance
  • 📶 Requires WiFi to open initially
  • 🔄 Workouts can be repetitive

Bugs and requests

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Workout data loss and reset issues
  • Inconsistent Apple Watch connectivity
  • Inability to edit or delete custom exercises

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize core exercises
  • Menstrual cycle tracking and programming
  • More pre-built program options
  • Integration with other fitness apps and devices
  • Recommended meal plans and nutrition guidance

EVOLUTION 3

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App won't open
  • Cannot use after switching phones
  • Login fails with error messages in low signal areas
  • Workouts are not correct/repeated
  • Exercise history/progress lost on break

Requested features

7 requests
  • Offer a one-time purchase option
  • Add a timer alarm for workouts
  • Ensure all exercises have videos
  • Allow offline access to workouts
  • Improve weight tracking functionality
Show 2 more
  • Provide a simpler interface
  • Offer a less expensive subscription

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

Subscriptions7
  • Pro Weekly2 variants$4.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Pro Quarterly2 variants$29.993 Months
Show 4 more
  • Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly1 Year trial$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Pro Quarterly$99.993 Months
One-time5
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$199.99
  • Pro Lifetime$199.99
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$239.99
Show 2 more
  • Pro Family Lifetime$299.99
  • Pro Family Lifetime Upgrade$299.99
3 purchases

EVOLUTION 3

Subscriptions3
  • EVOLUTION 3:59 Videos & WODs7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • EVOLUTION 3:59 Videos & WODs7 Days trial$24.993 Months
  • EVOLUTION 3:59 Videos & WODs7 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan free?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EVOLUTION 3 free?
EVOLUTION 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or EVOLUTION 3?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan is rated higher. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 77K ratings, while EVOLUTION 3 averages 4.7 from 238 ratings.
Do Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or EVOLUTION 3 have ads?
Neither Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan nor EVOLUTION 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or EVOLUTION 3?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update fortnightly, and EVOLUTION 3 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan was updated on September 25, 2026 and EVOLUTION 3 on September 24, 2026.

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