Comparison

THE BULK vs Cornerstone Strength

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

Head to head
About

THE BULK

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Build Muscle Without Overthinking It Bulking should be simple. Most lifters fail to gain muscle because they lack consistency, not information. The Bulk is a minimalist muscle building tracker designed to help you gain weight, build muscle, and stay consistent in the gym. No complicated calorie tracking. No spreadsheets. No endless planning. Just the habits that actually grow muscle. WHO THE BULK IS FOR The Bulk is designed for people who want to gain muscle and track their bulking progress without complexity. Perfect if you: * Are starting your first bulk * Struggle to gain weight * Feel stuck at the same bodyweight * Want to build your next 5–10 kg of muscle * Want a simple gym and habit tracker for hypertrophy MUSCLE-FOCUSED TRACKING Track the behaviors that actually drive muscle growth: * Daily calorie intake * Protein intake * Strength training sessions * Progressive overload * Recovery and rest * Bodyweight progress Everything is built around one goal: consistent muscle gain. MINIMALIST INTERFACE BUILT FOR LIFTERS The Bulk removes distractions and focuses on execution. Clean dark interface Fast daily tracking Clear visual progress Built for the gym, not for spreadsheets. CLEAN BULK GUIDANCE Stay in the right calorie surplus to gain muscle without unnecessary fat. Avoid dirty bulking. Avoid accidental cutting. Build quality size. MOMENTUM SYSTEM Muscle growth comes from stacking good days. Track your streaks. Build momentum. Stay consistent with training and nutrition. When consistency increases, results follow. WHY THE BULK WORKS Muscle growth depends on a few key principles: * Progressive overload * Consistent training * Adequate protein intake * Small calorie surplus The Bulk turns these principles into a simple daily system. No guessing. No overthinking. Just execution. PERFECT FOR * Natural lifters * Beginners learning to bulk * Intermediate gym athletes * Anyone trying to gain weight and build muscle * Lifters who want a focused hypertrophy tracker START YOUR NEXT 10KG TRANSFORMATION Stop guessing. Start building muscle. Download The Bulk and make muscle gain simple. Terms: https://thebulk.app/terms-and-conditions

About

Cornerstone Strength

This app helps users track workouts, build strength, and gain muscle with custom programs and advanced analytics. It offers detailed logging for exercises, progress tracking, and a large exercise library.

Highlights
  • Custom workout program creation
  • Advanced training algorithm
  • Detailed workout logging (weight, reps, RPE, RIR)
  • Progress charts and analytics
  • Extensive exercise library
  • Personal record detection
  • Workout sharing
Features
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STOP GUESSING. TRAIN WITH CONFIDENCE. Cornerstone Strength helps you know what to do next, and understand why. Every set you log becomes useful context: what the plan called for, how you performed, how hard it felt, and how your training is trending. Cornerstone turns that context into clear guidance while keeping you in control. KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT Get your next weight, sets, and reps suggested right on the workout screen. Smart Suggestions use your recent performance, logged effort (RPE/RIR), time between sessions, and program targets. Every suggestion includes a plain-language reason. Apply it with one tap, adjust it, or keep your plan. It is a starting point, not a rule. EVERY WORKOUT HAS A PURPOSE Choose from programs written by real strength coaches using proven periodization for strength, hypertrophy, athleticism, or a mix. Enter your numbers and train, customize a program, or build your own from scratch. Percentage-based programs calculate working weights from your training maxes automatically, so the plan is ready when you are. SEE THE TREND BEFORE THE NEXT PR Understand whether the work is working: - Estimated 1RM (e1RM) trends - Training volume by muscle group - Weekly volume and muscle-balance insights - Personal-record history and automatic PR detection - Workout consistency and streaks - Month, 3-month, year, and all-time views LOG WITHOUT LOSING YOUR FLOW - Weight, reps, RPE, RIR, and AMRAP support - Previous performance beside today’s set - Structured program sessions or quick workouts - Background rest timer with audio and vibration alerts - Exercise swaps, notes, and duration tracking - Band tracking for accommodating resistance - Apple Health workout sync 500+ EXERCISES Find movements for a commercial gym, garage gym, or anywhere in between. Browse by muscle group or equipment, including barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, machines, cables, bodyweight, trap bars, specialty bars, and more. SHARE THE WORK Turn a completed workout into a clean card with PRs, top lifts, and muscle-group balance. Share it to Instagram Stories, save it to Photos, or send it to a training partner. START WITH 30 DAYS OF PRO- FREE Every new account gets 30 days of Cornerstone Pro with every program, Smart Suggestions, and full analytics unlocked. No credit card required. When the 30 days end, keep logging free forever or subscribe to keep Pro. BUILT FOR LIFTERS - Dark and light themes - Fast, focused interface - No ads Cornerstone does more than remember what you lifted. It helps the next training decision feel clear. --- Privacy Policy: https://cornerstonestrength.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Subscription details: - Cornerstone Pro Monthly: $7.99/month - Cornerstone Pro Annual: $49.99/year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase.

Screenshots

THE BULK4 screens
Cornerstone Strength4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cornerstone Strength at every 3 weeks against THE BULK's every 4 months. Cornerstone Strength also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. THE BULK sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Cornerstone Strength sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

THE BULK ships an update every 4 months, Cornerstone Strength every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
THE BULK versus Cornerstone Strength: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTHE BULKCornerstone Strength
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEscuela de Apps by Serrano de ToroK&G Apps

In-app purchases

3 purchases

THE BULK

Subscriptions2
  • Bulk PRO Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Bulk PRO Yearly$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • Bulk PRO Lifetime$24.99
2 purchases

Cornerstone Strength

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$49.991 Year

Questions

Is THE BULK free?
THE BULK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cornerstone Strength free?
Cornerstone Strength is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do THE BULK or Cornerstone Strength have ads?
Neither THE BULK nor Cornerstone Strength shows ads.
Which is updated more often, THE BULK or Cornerstone Strength?
THE BULK ships an update every 4 months, and Cornerstone Strength every 3 weeks. Most recently, THE BULK was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cornerstone Strength on October 31, 2026.

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