Comparison

RIRLift vs Iron Diary

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

Head to head
About

RIRLift

This app is a dedicated workout logbook for serious lifters using Apple Watch. It focuses on tracking reps in reserve, building repeatable routines, and monitoring weekly volume without unnecessary social features or generic fitness noise.

Highlights
  • Apple Watch-first workout logging
  • Planned routines with sets and rep ranges
  • Track reps in reserve (RIR)
  • Weekly hard-set volume by muscle
  • Custom exercise creation
  • Workout review and history
Features
Read full description

Get stronger with a plan, an AI coach, and a workout log that helps you decide what to do next. RIRLift brings strength training together on iPhone and Apple Watch. Build your program, track your sets, and get guidance grounded in the training you actually do. MEET RIV, YOUR AI LIFTING COACH Ask about your progress, plan your next workout, or adjust a session when your schedule changes. Riv works with your training history to put its advice in context. Preview proposed workout and program changes before applying them. KNOW WHAT TO LIFT NEXT Log your weight, reps, and reps in reserve — how many more reps you could have completed. RIRLift uses your logged performance and effort to guide your next working weight, with explanations you can inspect. BUILD A PLAN THAT FITS YOUR LIFE Start with a program based on your goals, experience, schedule, and equipment, or build your own routines. Follow a multiweek Journey to keep your sessions organized and see how your lifts develop across your program. TRAIN ON IPHONE OR APPLE WATCH Follow planned workouts and log sets from your wrist, even with your iPhone left behind. Keep your exercises, rep targets, rest timers, and effort targets close at hand throughout the session. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Track personal records, strength trends, and weekly hard sets by muscle. Use the muscle map to understand where your training volume is going, alongside recovery estimates based on your logged work. KEEP YOUR WORKOUT MOVING • Exercise demonstrations and instructions • Warm-up sets, supersets, drop sets, and rest-pause work • Exercise swaps when equipment is unavailable • A plate calculator to help load the bar • Workout notes, history, and custom exercises • Optional workout saving to Apple Health BRING YOUR TRAINING HISTORY Import workout exports from Hevy, Strong, or FitNotes so you can keep building on the work you have already done. START FREE Log workouts on iPhone and Apple Watch, keep up to four routines per program and two saved programs, and get started with Riv. AI Coach usage limits apply. RIRLift Pro adds more AI Coach access, unlimited routines and saved programs, advanced insights, Coach Fine-tune, and more. Subscription options and pricing are shown in the app. Build your plan. Log your effort. Know your next step. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Iron Diary

This app offers a fast and private way to log workouts, track progress, and plan training sessions. It allows customization of exercise fields, supports supersets, and includes a built-in exercise library. Users can also leverage AI to generate workout plans and integrate with Apple Health for readiness summaries.

Highlights
  • Customizable exercise logging
  • Supersets and rest timers
  • AI-powered workout planning
  • Apple Health integration
  • Local-first data storage
  • JSON export/import
Features
Read full description

Iron Diary is a FREE, fast, and private workout log for people who take training seriously. Whether you're chasing a bigger squat, more muscle, or just steady progress, Iron Diary makes logging effortless and keeps your data yours — on your device, no account required. LOG EVERY SET, YOUR WAY • Weight, reps, duration, distance, and calories — pick the right fields per exercise • Track RPE and tempo when you want them, hide them when you don't • Supersets, rest timers, warmup sets, and per-set notes • 600+ built-in exercises, plus add and edit your own PLAN AHEAD WITH ON DECK • Queue a full program as a series of upcoming workouts • Start the next session in one tap PLAN WORKOUTS WITH AI • Build a ready-to-paste prompt for ChatGPT, Claude, or any LLM • Import the generated program straight into your queue APPLE HEALTH READINESS • See your workouts from Apple Health alongside your diary • A daily readiness summary from HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep YOUR DATA, YOUR DEVICE • Local-first: your training history lives on your device • No account, no ads, and we never sell your data • Full JSON export and import — back up and move your data anytime BUILT FOR LIFTERS • Pounds or kilograms, meters or feet • Clean, fast, distraction-free logging during your workout Download Iron Diary and start training with intent.

Screenshots

RIRLift4 screens
Iron Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Iron Diary at none against RIRLift's 6. RIRLift's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (16 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. RIRLift sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Iron Diary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for RIRLift against 5.0 for Iron Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RIRLift has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RIRLift ships an update every 5 days, Iron Diary monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RIRLift versus Iron Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRIRLiftIron Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (16 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size239 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScribeletSOLEER LLC

Customer experience

RIRLift

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Iron Diary

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

RIRLift

Subscriptions5
  • RIRLift Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • RIRLift Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • RIRLift Pro Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • RIRLift Pro Yearly$79.991 Year
  • RIRLift Pro Yearly1 Year trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • RIRLift Lifetime$199.99
None

Iron Diary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RIRLift free?
RIRLift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Iron Diary free?
Iron Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RIRLift or Iron Diary?
Iron Diary is rated higher. RIRLift averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Iron Diary averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do RIRLift or Iron Diary have ads?
Neither RIRLift nor Iron Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RIRLift or Iron Diary?
RIRLift ships an update every 5 days, and Iron Diary monthly. Most recently, RIRLift was updated on October 25, 2026 and Iron Diary on October 14, 2026.

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