KeyLifter vs DCFT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
KeyLifter
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A PERSONAL TRAINER IN YOUR POCKET, GENERATED DAILY. A real trainer charges $60 to $100 an hour. A static workout app hands you the same eight-week block whether you slept four hours or eight, whether your shoulders are wrecked or fresh, whether your gym has a squat rack today or not. KeyLifter fixes both. Every day, it generates a new workout for you based on how the last session went, how recovered each muscle group is, what equipment your gym actually has, and where you are in your progression on every lift. Progressive overload happens without spreadsheets. Deloads happen when your body needs them, not when a static program says so. WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER GYM APP ⢠It writes the workout. You don't pick a template, you don't fill in sets and reps ā you open the app and the day's session is there. ⢠It adapts. Logged a brutal squat day yesterday? Today's leg work backs off. Felt fresh on bench? It pushes the next session harder. ⢠It knows your gym. Save the equipment at every gym you train at. Traveling? Switch profiles and the day's program reworks in seconds. ⢠It tracks recovery, not just volume. Per-muscle freshness scores tell you what's ready to train and what needs another day. INSIDE THE APP WORKOUT Today's session, written for you. Full-screen player with rest timers, RPE logging after each set, and progressive overload flags on every lift so you know exactly what to beat. RECOVERY A body map showing freshness scores for every muscle group. See at a glance what's recovered, what's still cooking, and why the AI programmed today the way it did. HISTORY Every session, every lift, every PR. Watch your bench, squat, deadlift, and accessory work trend up over weeks and months ā not as a graph you have to interpret, but as a clear signal of what's working. PROFILE Your goal (strength, hypertrophy, body recomp, weight loss), your experience level, your current lifts, your gym equipment profiles. Change any of it and tomorrow's workout changes with you. WHO THIS IS FOR ⢠Lifters tired of paying $200 to $1,000 a month for a coach to text them a Google Doc ⢠People who've cycled through three apps and a dozen YouTube programs and still don't know what to do today ⢠Travelers and multi-gym members who waste half a session figuring out substitutions ⢠Beginners who need a real plan with real form cues ā not a generic template ⢠Advanced lifters who want periodization that actually responds to their recovery PRICING Free: one AI-generated workout per week, one equipment profile, basic progression tracking. Try the magic before you pay. Pro ($9.99/month or $79.99/year): daily AI workouts, unlimited gym profiles, recovery-aware programming, body-map targeting, supplement and nutrition tracking. Less than one session with a human trainer, for a month of programming that adapts every single day. Download KeyLifter, answer a few questions about your goal and your gym, and open tomorrow's workout. Legal Terms of Use: https://www.keylifter.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.keylifter.com/privacy
DCFT
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DCFT is the workout planner and personal coach for dual cable machines, also known as functional trainers or cable crossover stations. It turns your home gym into a complete strength training program. Two cable towers or just one: DCFT plans with what you have. BUILT AROUND YOUR EQUIPMENT Tell DCFT what you have: number of plates, plate weight, cable ratio (for example 2:1), bench, single handles, long bar, rope, ankle cuffs or a pull-up assist band. Every plan uses exactly that, and the app shows you which plate to set the pin at for every set. No math at the machine. Works in kg and lb. FITNESS CHECK FOR YOUR STARTING WEIGHTS A short test per movement pattern (push, pull, legs, core) works out your starting weights, so your very first cable workout already feels right. A PLAN FOR EVERY GOAL ⢠Build muscle ⢠Get stronger ⢠Get fitter and lose weight ⢠Stay healthy and mobile at 50, 60 or 70+ Pick your training days and session length, from a 20 minute workout to a full session. Beginners start with two simple full body workouts. COACHING DURING THE WORKOUT ⢠Warm-up sets, rest timer and supersets ⢠Progressive overload: the weight goes up when you are ready ⢠Deload weeks, plateau help and a daily readiness check ⢠Swap an exercise or tell the app that something hurts ⢠Clear setup line: pulley height, attachment and pin position 246 EXERCISES, PLUS 10 FOR WARM-UP AND STRETCHING Chest press, cable row, lat pulldown, face pull, cable fly, squat, Romanian deadlift, Pallof press, woodchop and many more, each with an animated figure and coaching tips. Cable exercises always come first. Missing one? Add it as a custom exercise. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Week view, streaks, personal records, weekly volume per muscle group and a skill path from assisted pull-ups to the muscle-up. DCFT PRO (ONE-TIME PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION) Detailed statistics, exercise notes, Apple Watch app, Live Activity and Apple Health. Try Pro free for 14 days. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no ads, no tracking. Your training data stays on your iPhone, with export and import for backups. Available in 8 languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Portuguese (Brazil).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: KeyLifter at daily against DCFT's every 5 days. KeyLifter also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. KeyLifter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and DCFT sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
KeyLifter ships an update daily, DCFT every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KeyLifter | DCFT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily ā better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch ā better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 ā better | 18.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KeyInventions LLC | Barnabas Hohl |
In-app purchases
KeyLifter
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
DCFT
- 14-Day Free TrialFree
- DCFT Pro$11.99









