Comparison

Plates vs TraceIron

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

Head to head
About

Plates

This app offers a streamlined way to log workout sets and reps, focusing on simplicity for users who prefer a notepad-like experience. It provides clear progress tracking with charts and allows for custom exercises and workout splits without unnecessary features.

Highlights
  • Log sets and reps quickly
  • Track progress with charts
  • Customizable exercises and splits
  • Clean, distraction-free design
  • Workout history and review
  • No learning curve
Features
Read full description

Built for lifters who want less tapping and more training. No bloat, no clutter — just a fast way to log sets, reps and weight and watch your numbers go up. Completely ad-free. Your workout data never leaves your device. Tired of gym apps that do too much? Most apps pack in calorie tracking, instructional videos, leader boards and recommendations you'll never use. Plates does one thing well: log your workout and track progress. No guidance, no hand-holding. It's built for people who already know what they're doing and want a tool that stays out of the way. Fast logging, real history - Quick to use. Open, pick your split, log sets and reps. - Clean, modern design. A focused layout so you can log and review without distraction. - Last time, right there. Every set shows the weight and reps you did last session, so you always know what to beat. - Train your way. Switch between hypertrophy and strength focus to match how you're training. - Graphs and progress. Track volume and strength over time with clear, straightforward charts. - Customisation. Add and edit exercises and build splits that match how you train. - No learning curve. Open it and start logging. Built for people who keep it simple You don't need another app that tries to do everything. You need something that gets out of the way and lets you log your workout. Plates is for lifters who've bounced off other apps because they're too heavy or too complicated. No accounts. No cloud for your training. Your workouts stay on your device.

About

TraceIron

Features
Read full description

TraceIron is a strength training log for lifters who want to know, on every set, whether they are lifting more than last time. And now, with Maestro: an AI training partner that knows every set you have logged. MAESTRO: ANSWERS WITH WHAT YOU HAVE DONE • "Should I add weight on squats?" "Yes. You've closed 5 × 5 at 100 kg two sessions in a row without missing a rep. Try 102.5 kg on Thursday." • It reads your history, your bests and your Ghost Set before replying: your numbers, not textbook advice. And when a day doesn't go well, it tells you why. • It works while you train: "Log 8 at 60 and give me two minutes" and the set is logged with your rest running. • It builds routines, adds any missing exercises and schedules them on your calendar. Every step stays in view. • It never signs for you: before deleting or rebuilding anything, it asks your permission. • It doesn't diagnose or prescribe. If you mention pain or an injury, it will tell you to stop and see a professional. • It only sends data with your consent, doesn't store your conversations and never uses Health data. • Maestro is part of TraceIron+ and works on iPhone and iPad with an internet connection. TRAINING STAYS FREE Every training feature included, no ads and no account to create: open the app and train. Everything Maestro does, you can also do by hand without paying anything. GHOST SET: COMPETE AGAINST YOUR LAST SESSION • Each set shows, inside the field, the weight and reps of the same set in your previous session. • When you log it, TraceIron gives the verdict: below, matched or beaten. For isometric holds it compares seconds. • Beating it turns the bronze outline gold and records a new personal best. LOG A SET IN TWO TAPS • Weight and reps prefilled; one tap on the seal logs the set. • Kilograms or pounds per exercise, and timed isometric exercises. • A certificate when you finish: duration, volume and the records you set. NO BLANK PAGE • Starter plans: full body, upper/lower and push/pull/legs. • Unlimited routines and a calendar to schedule them with reminders. YOUR REST FOLLOWS YOU • Countdown on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with an alert when it ends. • Apple Watch app: follow your rest and complete the set from your wrist. PROGRESS YOU CAN READ • Estimated 1RM, weekly volume, sessions and records per exercise. SHARE IT, TAKE IT WITH YOU • Share routines, exercises and collections with a link that opens in any browser; anyone with the app imports them in one tap. • Export your whole history as JSON or CSV, with volume, 1RM and records already calculated. YOUR DATA, IN YOUR ICLOUD Your workouts are stored on your device, work offline and sync through your private iCloud; we don't keep them on any server. With your permission, it saves each workout to Health and reads your heart rate during the session. THEMES THAT CHANGE THE WHOLE APP • Calibre, the flagship theme, is free: fine watchmaking applied to training, in gold and bronze. Toxic, the first paid theme, changes material, typography, motion and haptics. • See each theme in action before you buy it. One-time purchase; no theme locks a training feature. TRACEIRON+ • Optional monthly subscription: Maestro with 300 credits a month and every paid theme included while it lasts. • 7-day free trial with 40 credits. Subscribers can add 150-credit top-ups that never expire and remain usable even after cancelling. • Each reply spends credits based on what Maestro reads and does; your balance is always in Profile → TraceIron+. • Themes you buy separately stay yours even if you cancel. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Privacy: https://traceiron.com/privacy Terms: https://traceiron.com/terms Available in English and Spanish. Your next session already has a number to beat.

Screenshots

Plates4 screens
TraceIron4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Plates at none against TraceIron's 3. Plates also leads on iOS requirement (16.2 vs 26.5). TraceIron's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. TraceIron sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Plates asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plates ships an update every 10 days, TraceIron every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Plates versus TraceIron: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlatesTraceIron
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.2 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid ThomsonCESAR ANTONIO GUTIERREZ

In-app purchases

None

Plates

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

TraceIron

Subscriptions1
  • TraceIron+7 Days trial$4.991 Month
One-time2
  • 150 Maestro credits$1.49
  • Toxic Theme$2.99

Questions

Is Plates free?
Plates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TraceIron free?
TraceIron is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Plates or TraceIron have ads?
Neither Plates nor TraceIron shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plates or TraceIron?
Plates ships an update every 10 days, and TraceIron every 3 days. Most recently, Plates was updated on October 15, 2026 and TraceIron on October 24, 2026.

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