Barley vs HappyLifts
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barley
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.
- Exercise library
- Custom exercise creation
- Plate calculator
- 1 rep max calculators
- PR tracking
- RPE tracking
- Workout statistics
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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)
HappyLifts
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HappyLifts is a workout tracker built around flexible programming and straightforward workout logging. No accounts, no social features, and no unnecessary AI features. The app is actively developed, and we use it ourselves. Feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions are always welcome and help us make the app better. HappyLifts doesn't lock you into one way of training. Choose how each exercise is programmed: set weight and rep targets, or use RIR targets for autoregulation. A workout can include exercises using either approach. The interface is clean, sleek, and modern, with an intuitive layout designed to keep workout logging simple. During an active workout, swipe between exercises instead of scrolling through a crowded screen. Track your training history from the Profile page, including previous workouts and overall progress. You can also open individual exercises to review how your performance has changed over time. Optionally save completed workouts, workout duration and estimated active calories to Apple Health. HappyLifts includes the essential tools you need during a session, including configurable rest timers and a plate calculator. A built-in exercise library covers common gym movements, and you can create your own exercises whenever you need something that is not included. HappyLifts Plus is completely optional and unlocks RIR set planning, the plate calculator, and longer chart durations. If you do choose to upgrade, it helps support the app and lets us keep working on new features and improvements. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barley at none against HappyLifts's 3. Barley also leads on iOS requirement (18.4 vs 26.6). HappyLifts's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). 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
Both are free to download. HappyLifts sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Barley asks for nothing beyond the download.
Barley ships an update fortnightly, HappyLifts every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barley | HappyLifts |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 — better | 26.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | No Translation Layer LLC | JATI BARDSLEY |
In-app purchases
Barley
No in-app purchases
HappyLifts
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Yearly$19.991 Year
- Lifetime$59.99
