Comparison

Compound Theory vs RecompX

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

Head to head
About

Compound Theory

This strength training tracker offers a vast library of proven workout programs and allows users to build their own custom routines. It provides insights into muscle recovery, strength standards, and integrates with Apple Health for a comprehensive view of fitness progress.

Highlights
  • Extensive library of pre-built strength programs
  • Customizable workout routine builder
  • Muscle recovery tracking with visual indicators
  • Strength standards comparison
  • Apple Health integration for recovery insights
  • One-tap set completion and auto-progression
  • Apple Watch workout tracking
Features
Read full description

Compound Theory is a no-nonsense strength training tracker built for lifters who already know what they're doing, and the ones who want to. PROVEN PROGRAMS, BUILT IN Linear: StrongLifts 5×5, Starting Strength, Greyskull LP, GZCLP, Reddit PPL, Reddit Basic 3×5. Intermediate: Madcow 5×5, Texas Method. Peaking: Candito 6 Week, Juggernaut Method 2.0. Full 5/3/1 family: Original, BBB, FSL, SSL, Triumvirate, Monolith, Leader/Anchor, Beginner, 2 day Minimalist. Power/hypertrophy: PHUL, PHAT, nSuns 4 Day, Jacked & Tan 2.0, Powerbuilding Template, Juggernaut Base. Not sure where to start? The Find Your Program quiz picks the best match for your goal, experience, and schedule in under a minute. MUSCLE FRESHNESS Every exercise row carries a recovery dot, green, yellow, or red, so you know which movement patterns are ready for another hard session. Tap in for a per pattern recovery bar, last loaded time, and the workouts that contributed. STRENGTH STANDARDS See where your Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Overhead Press rank against the rest of the lifting population, adjusted for your bodyweight, age, and sex. Per lift progress bars show how far you are from Intermediate, Advanced, or Elite. RECOVERY INSIGHTS Connect Apple Health and the app watches your HRV, sleep, and recent training load. When recovery looks reduced, a banner on Home suggests a lighter day. Every past alert stays in Progress so you can scroll back through the data that drove every recommendation. LIFT, LOG, DONE One tap set completion with a crisp haptic click. Auto calculated warmups. Plate math that respects the plates you actually own. Rest timer that auto starts when you finish a set. Weight auto progresses after every workout. Supersets drawn as paired cards with rest pause timer behavior. BUILD YOUR OWN Have a program the presets don't cover? Custom Programs now lets you design anything from a flat StrongLifts-style linear plan to a multi-week wave with per-set percentages of your training max, AMRAP markers, and auto TM advancement on 5+ rep finishers. Nest LEVIASUNS, an nSuns variant, or your own coach's block in minutes. Export the whole program (or a program + history bundle) as a single .ironprog file, share it, and import on another device without losing a set. BODYWEIGHT, DONE RIGHT Pull ups and dips accept signed weights (+25 for a belt plate, −40 for band assistance) and factor your real bodyweight into total volume. Push ups and planks just track reps. WATCH + HEALTH Track workouts on Apple Watch: start a set on your wrist, see the rest timer tick down, end the workout without pulling out your phone. Optional auto RPE suggestion from heart rate recovery (beta). Workouts sync to Apple Health as strength training sessions. Body weight, heart rate, and calories flow both ways. STREAK THAT UNDERSTANDS YOUR SCHEDULE A 3×/week program means Tuesday is a rest day, not a gap. Your streak only breaks when you miss a scheduled session. iCLOUD SYNC + IMPORT Your workouts live on every device signed into your iCloud account. Coming from StrongLifts, Strong, or a spreadsheet? One tap CSV import brings years of workouts with you. MAKE IT YOURS Seven themes. 29 app icons including Terminal, Space, Matrix, Holographic, Neon, Gold, Carbon Fiber, Blueprint, and more. WHAT YOU WON'T FIND No social feed. No trainer DMs. No push notifications begging you to open the app. No dark pattern paywalls gating basic set tracking. Pro unlocks advanced analytics (Muscle Freshness, Strength Standards, Recovery Insights), every program template, premium themes, and alternate icons. Available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time lifetime unlock. Built for the barbell. Designed for the people who lift it. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://compoundtheory.x90sky.sh/privacy

About

RecompX

This app helps you achieve body recomposition by focusing on building muscle and losing fat simultaneously. It tracks key metrics like waist size, strength gains, and protein intake, offering personalized guidance and educational content.

Highlights
  • Waist-to-height ratio tracking
  • Personalized workout plans
  • Strength progression tracking
  • One-tap protein logging
  • AI coaching with Recco
  • Short educational lessons
Features
Read full description

Build muscle and lose fat at the same time — with a plan that fits you and a coach who knows your training. RecompX is a body recomposition app for people who want to look and feel stronger without endless bulking and cutting. Answer a short quiz and get a plan built around your starting point, your equipment and how many days you can train. TRAIN • A ready-to-go plan for gym, home or bodyweight • Every set pre-filled from last time, so you always know what to beat • Rest timer, plank hold timer and live "new best" moments • Swap, add or remove exercises — your template, your rules TRACK • Strength charts for every lift • Waist and weight trends — because the scale alone doesn't show recomposition • Streak calendar and shareable progress cards GROW • A muscle map that lights up as you train • Ranks from Den to Summit that reward showing up, not lifting heavy • Badges for real milestones • Short, cited lessons on training, nutrition and recomposition ASK RECCO • An AI coach that knows your plan and your logged workouts • Ask what to train, how many reps, whether you're on track • 5 free messages a day STAY ON TRACK • Reminders at the time you choose, built from your real progress RecompX is free: workouts, tracking, rank and lessons. Founding members can reserve lifetime unlimited Coach and help keep RecompX running. RecompX offers general fitness information and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Screenshots

Compound Theory4 screens
RecompX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RecompX at none against Compound Theory's 3. RecompX also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Compound Theory sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. RecompX asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Compound Theory against 4.9 for RecompX. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RecompX has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compound Theory ships an update every 6 days, RecompX every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Compound Theory versus RecompX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompound TheoryRecompX
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings18 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB70 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperShane YoungGautam Sharma

Customer experience

Compound Theory

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

RecompX

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Compound Theory

Subscriptions2
  • Compound Theory Pro7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Compound Theory Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Compound Theory Pro$99.99
None

RecompX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Compound Theory free?
Compound Theory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RecompX free?
RecompX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Compound Theory or RecompX?
Compound Theory is rated higher. Compound Theory averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while RecompX averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.
Do Compound Theory or RecompX have ads?
Neither Compound Theory nor RecompX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Compound Theory or RecompX?
Compound Theory ships an update every 6 days, and RecompX every 10 days. Most recently, Compound Theory was updated on October 24, 2026 and RecompX on October 25, 2026.

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