Forge 5/3/1 vs stronglifts
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Forge 5/3/1
This powerlifting app helps users follow the Wendler 5/3/1 Boring But Big program with personalized workouts. It offers detailed tracking, history, and gym-ready features, with optional premium upgrades for advanced customization and data management.
- Personalized 5/3/1 BBB workouts
- Classic Wendler progression
- Log sets, reps, and weights
- Volume and estimated 1RM tracking
- Offline functionality
- Plate calculator
- Customizable training percentages
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Forge 531 is your powerlifting companion for Wendler 5/3/1 Boring But Big—built for lifters who want precision, customization, and privacy. No ads-driven onboarding and no required account. PROGRAM & WORKOUTS (included) • Enter one-rep maxes for squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press—Forge generates personalized 5/3/1 BBB sessions from your training maxes • Classic Wendler progression with Boring But Big assistance work • Four-week cycles including deload; intuitive week navigation and cycle management • Metric or imperial units—switch anytime in Settings TRACKING & HISTORY (included) • Log sets, reps, and weights for every workout • Volume totals (weight × reps) • Estimated 1RM from AMRAP sets (Brzycki) • Full history with analytics so you can see progress over time GYM-READY DESIGN (included) • Optional keep screen awake during sessions • Dark theme suited to dim floors • Fast movement between weeks and workout detail PRIVACY & SIMPLICITY (included) • No account—ever. Nothing to register; nothing you must log into later • Your data stays on your device—not tied to a Forge cloud profile • Works offline for everyday training PREMIUM — SMART PLATES & LOADS (14-day free trial, then one-time purchase — no subscription) • Plate calculator — visual plate combinations for any target weight • Plate settings — barbell weight and inventory that match your gym • Full calculator access lines up with your metric/imperial choice once Premium is active PREMIUM — TRAINING CONTROL (same trial / purchase model) • Training max % adjustments — tune percentages off Wendler defaults • Progressions customization — adjust weekly progression percentages • Warm-up sets — bar-only and configurable percentage warm-ups before working sets (deload options in Settings) PREMIUM — DATA PORTABILITY (Not included in the free trial — unlocks with Premium purchase) • Import/export — backup and restore workout history via CSV HOW PREMIUM WORKS New users receive a 14-day trial for most Premium features listed above.** Import/export requires a Premium purchase and is not part of the trial.** After the trial ends, Premium remains available as a one-time purchase—no subscription.
stronglifts
This app simplifies tracking your strength training progress with a clean interface. It automates weight increases, calculates warmups, and provides a rest timer to keep you focused on your lifts.
- Automated weight progression
- Smart deloads for failed sets
- Automatic warmup set calculation
- Built-in rest timer
- Visual plate calculator
- Workout history and progress tracking
- Apple Health integration
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Track your Stronglifts 5×5 workouts with a clean, focused interface designed to keep you lifting — not tapping. SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE The Stronglifts 5×5 program alternates between two workouts (A and B) using five compound barbell exercises: Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Row, Overhead Press, and Deadlift. This app handles the programming so you can focus on your lifts. SMART PROGRESSION - Automatically increases weight after successful sets - Tracks consecutive failures and applies deloads when needed - Warmup sets calculated automatically based on your working weight DURING YOUR WORKOUT - Tap sets to log reps as you complete them - Built-in rest timer with automatic recommendations - Collapse completed exercises to stay focused on what's next - Visual plate calculator shows exactly which plates to load WORKOUT HISTORY - Review past workouts with completion status at a glance - Track your progress over time APPLE HEALTH INTEGRATION - Completed workouts saved to Apple Health as strength training sessions PLATE CALCULATOR - Standalone plate calculator for quick reference - Visual bar diagram with color-coded plates Built for lifters who want to get stronger without distractions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: stronglifts at none against Forge 5/3/1's 1. stronglifts also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Forge 5/3/1's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.2). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Forge 5/3/1 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. stronglifts asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Forge 5/3/1 against 5.0 for stronglifts. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Forge 5/3/1 ships an update every 3 weeks, stronglifts every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Forge 5/3/1 | stronglifts |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Muscott Digital, LLC | Jeff Namkung |
Customer experience
Forge 5/3/1
stronglifts
In-app purchases
Forge 5/3/1
- Premium Features$4.99
stronglifts
No in-app purchases









