Comparison

GymPaper vs Forward

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

Head to head
About

GymPaper

Features
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GymPaper is completely free - your smart training companion for strength and cardio workouts, with no account, cloud, or ads. Leave your old notebook and every overcomplicated app behind. GymPaper brings the simplicity of pen and paper, enhanced with meaningful analytics - and a privacy-first approach. Your data is yours: no account required, never sold to third parties, permanent access and a full export of your entire history whenever you want. Built for people who want to focus on their gains, not on managing a profile or a social media presence. No cloud, no ads, no distractions. EVERYTHING IS FREE: • Strength & cardio tracking - sets, reps, weights, duration & distance, with a UI built for gym-flow speed • Live Activity - your rest timer right on the lock screen & Dynamic Island, including total workout time • Custom plate calculator • RPE tracking per set • Custom rest times per exercise • Personal Records - automatic detection of your best lifts (1, 3, 5, 10 reps) • Smart workout history to nail progressive overload • Exercise database with dozens of built-in exercises + your own • Apple Health sync • Offline & private: all data stays on your device, no server, no third-party tracking The only optional extra is full data export (CSV/JSON) - and even that's more of a thank-you to anyone who wants to support development with a voluntary tip than an actual paywall. Whether it's bodybuilding, powerlifting, cardio, or general fitness - GymPaper helps you stay on top of it. Available in German, English, and Spanish. Download now and start tracking - completely free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Forward

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Log a set in one tap. Forward is a gym workout tracker for lifters who run rotating splits, so your training never drifts across the week. FASTER LOGGING - Sets arrive pre-filled from last time, so one tap logs each one - A custom keypad built for numbers, not a fiddly system keyboard - Warm-up, drop and failure set types, one tap away - A rest timer that starts itself and lives in the Dynamic Island ROTATING SPLITS, DONE RIGHT - Training 3 on, 1 off? Your split advances when you FINISH a session, so it never drifts across weekdays like calendar-based apps - Build any rotating or weekly split, PPL, upper lower, full body, with rest days - Reorder days and exercises whenever your plan changes SEE REAL PROGRESS - Automatic personal records and estimated 1RM - Trend charts for every exercise - Per-muscle volume so you can balance your training - Body weight tracking - Streaks, weekly goals and achievements BUILT FOR THE GYM FLOOR - First-class supersets - Plate calculator - Warm-up ramp generator - Per-exercise notes for your own cues BRING YOUR HISTORY - Import your workout log from another tracking app with a CSV file - Export your whole history to CSV any time. Your data is yours PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your workouts are stored on your iPhone. There is no account to create, no servers, no analytics, no ads, and nothing is ever sold or shared. Keep iPhone Backup on and your history moves with you to a new phone. Free, with every feature unlocked.

Screenshots

GymPaper4 screens
Forward4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forward at none against GymPaper's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. GymPaper sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GymPaper ships an update fortnightly, Forward every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
GymPaper versus Forward: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGymPaperForward
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErik ReuterLinga Reddy Gudisha

In-app purchases

3 purchases

GymPaper

Subscriptions2
  • GymPaper Pro Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • GymPaper Pro Yearly3 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • GymPaper Pro Lifetime$44.99
None

Forward

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GymPaper free?
GymPaper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Forward free?
Forward is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GymPaper or Forward have ads?
Neither GymPaper nor Forward shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GymPaper or Forward?
GymPaper ships an update fortnightly, and Forward every 9 days. Most recently, GymPaper was updated on September 12, 2026 and Forward on August 26, 2026.

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