# Barley vs Blocks

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barley at none against Blocks's 2. Blocks's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blocks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Barley asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Barley against 5.0 for Blocks. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Barley ships an update fortnightly, Blocks every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barley | Blocks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barley-workout-tracker/id6752520791/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blocks-workout-tracker/id6761167791/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 4 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [No Translation Layer LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1705015522) | [JOSHUA LUKE HANDLEY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888104494) |

## What reviewers say

### Barley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barley-workout-tracker/id6752520791)

This app helps serious lifters track their strength training progress. It offers a comprehensive exercise library, custom exercise creation, and detailed performance metrics like PRs and RPE.

**Highlights:** Exercise library, Custom exercise creation, Plate calculator, 1 rep max calculators, PR tracking, RPE tracking, Workout statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Blocks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blocks-workout-tracker/id6761167791)

Easily log gym sessions, track progress with automatic rest timers, and build custom routines. This app helps you focus on progressive overload without needing an account initially. Unlock AI coaching and personalized plans with an optional subscription.

**Highlights:** Log exercises, sets, reps, and weights, Automatic rest timer, Track workout history and personal records, Create custom routines or use templates, Offline training support, AI Coach for personalized programs (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forma Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Forma Pro Yearly | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barley free?

Barley is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Blocks free?

Blocks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Barley or Blocks?

Barley and Blocks are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Barley or Blocks have ads?

Neither Barley nor Blocks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Barley or Blocks?

Barley ships an update fortnightly, and Blocks every 9 days. Most recently, Barley was updated on October 30, 2026 and Blocks on November 5, 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.*