Comparison

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan vs Elevate

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

Elevate

This app simplifies strength training by allowing users to log workouts, create personalized plans, and track progress. It offers pre-built or custom routines with exercise demos, and visualizes strength gains over time. Users can also connect with a community for support and motivation.

Highlights
  • Effortless workout logging
  • Personalized 8-week training plans
  • Customizable routines
  • Exercise demo videos
  • Progress tracking with graphs
  • Community support and motivation
Features
Read full description

Elevate: Simple, powerful workout tracking for real results Whether you’re lifting at home or in the gym, Elevate helps you train smarter with effortless workout logging, personalised plans, and progress tracking - all in one place. 8-Week Plans Built Around You - Get a training plan tailored to your goals, experience, and weekly schedule - Adjusts to how many days you can train and which muscle groups you want to prioritise - Choose from Push/Pull/Legs, Upper-Lower, Full Body, and more - Or build your own custom routine from scratch - Demo videos included for every exercise - New workout plans added regularly to keep things fresh - Add warm-up sets, drop sets, rest-pause sets - whatever your training style needs Track Progress Like a Pro - See your personal bests for every exercise - Visualise strength gains with clean, easy-to-read progress graphs - Always know what you lifted last time - and what to beat today Join the Elevate Community - Get support, feedback, and motivation from others - Celebrate your wins and stay accountable

Screenshots

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan4 screens
Elevate4 screens

Verdict

The call

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan and Elevate both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Elevate's written reviews are positive against 63% of Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's. Elevate also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's advantage is ratings volume (77K vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, 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 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Elevate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan against 5.0 for Elevate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan has 77K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's written reviews are positive against 100% of Elevate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update every 2 weeks, Elevate every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan versus Elevate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStronglifts 5x5 Workout PlanElevate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (77K ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#189 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStrongLiftsJ CLARKE FITNESS LIMITED

Customer experience

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

All ratings76,863 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews1,428 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral3.9%
Negative33.5%

Elevate

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Elevate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Pro Quarterly2 variants$29.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly1 Year trial$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$199.99
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$239.99
1 purchases

Elevate

One-time1
  • One-off purchase$79.99

Questions

Is Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan free?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elevate free?
Elevate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Elevate?
Elevate is rated higher. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 77K ratings, while Elevate averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Elevate have ads?
Neither Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan nor Elevate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Elevate?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update every 2 weeks, and Elevate every 2 months. Most recently, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan was updated on November 10, 2026 and Elevate on November 4, 2026.

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