Comparison

Barley vs Lightweight

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

Head to head
About

Barley

Features
Read full description

Barley is no-frills workout tracking app for serious lifters. **Features** - Exercise library - Create custom exercises - Barbell plate convenience calculator - 4 different 1 rep max calculators to choose from - Personal Record (PR) tracking for weight, reps, and volume - RPE tracking - Timed exercises - Workout statistics - Workout history - Customer rest timers (including the ability to have RPE-specific rest timers)

About

Lightweight

This app helps lifters track their workouts with fast logging and detailed insights for progressive overload. It focuses on session efficiency, personal records, and data ownership, working offline without an account.

Highlights
  • Fast set logging with gym-focused keypad
  • Previous-session placeholders
  • Rest timer with auto-start and fine-tune
  • Superset support
  • Custom exercise creation
  • Personal record tracking
  • Offline functionality
Read full description

Lightweight is a workout tracker for lifters who actually train. No social feed, no cookie-cutter programs, no bloat. Just fast logging, clean data, and the insights that matter for progressive overload. BUILT FOR THE SESSION • Log sets in seconds with a keypad designed for the gym floor • Previous-session placeholders — see last week's numbers without breaking your flow • Rest timer with auto-start, ±10s fine-tune, and a floating puck that expands on tap • Sound cues and haptics tuned for headphones • Supersets — alternate exercises with a single shared rest • Custom exercises for anything missing from the defaults • Training notes on every session PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD, FRONT AND CENTER • Personal records by weight and estimated 1RM — detected the moment you hit them • Per-exercise history with e1RM progression sparklines • PR progression tab with running-max overlay • Volume by muscle group, session frequency, duration trends YOUR DATA, YOUR DEVICE • Everything works offline — data lives on your phone • No account required to start • Bodyweight tracking with a weekly reminder • Light, Dark, and System themes PREMIUM (OPTIONAL) • Unlimited workout templates (free tier includes 2) • Cloud sync across devices via Apple Sign In • AI insights — session reviews, weekly and monthly reports, plateau detection, volume balance Free tier covers unlimited sessions, full history, charts, PRs, stats, custom exercises, supersets, rest timer, and bodyweight tracking. You never lose access to your own data. No ads. No feed. No streaks-as-a-service. Just your training, logged properly. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Barley4 screens
Lightweight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barley at none against Lightweight's 2. Lightweight's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.4). On price, ads and device support 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. Lightweight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Barley asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barley ships an update fortnightly, Lightweight daily. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Barley versus Lightweight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarleyLightweight
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNo Translation Layer LLCCem Kagan Kayili

In-app purchases

None

Barley

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Lightweight

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$53.991 Year

Questions

Is Barley free?
Barley is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightweight free?
Lightweight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Barley or Lightweight have ads?
Neither Barley nor Lightweight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Barley or Lightweight?
Barley ships an update fortnightly, and Lightweight daily. Most recently, Barley was updated on October 9, 2026 and Lightweight on October 3, 2026.

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