Comparison

531 Trainer vs Forge 5/3/1

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

Head to head
About

531 Trainer

Simplify your strength training with this app. It calculates your daily workouts based on your max lifts, eliminating the need for spreadsheets or manual calculations at the gym. Easily progress to the next cycle with automatic weight increments.

Highlights
  • Calculates daily workouts
  • Automatic weight progression
  • One Rep Max calculator
  • Assistance work percentage calculator
  • Supports kilograms or pounds
  • Visual weight plate guidance
Features
Read full description

5/3/1 made easy You no longer need to deal with clunky spreadsheets or fumble around at the gym trying to find your numbers. Everything is right on your phone and easy to access. Simply enter your max for military press, deadlift, bench press and squat once and have each day's workout calculated for you. When you finish a cycle, hitting just one button increments the weight for each of your lifts leaving you ready to quickly continue your training. Features: - One Rep Max Calculator - Assistance Work Percent Calculator - Uses Kilograms or Pounds - Program persistence - Visual information on what weight plates to use Icons Provided By Icons8 icons8.com/web-app/364/Settings icons8.com/web-app/437/Twitter icons8.com/web-app/435/Facebook icons8.com/web-app/94/Lock icons8.com/web-app/152/Unlock

About

Forge 5/3/1

This powerlifting app helps users follow the Wendler 5/3/1 Boring But Big program with personalized workouts. It offers detailed tracking, history, and gym-ready features, with optional premium upgrades for advanced customization and data management.

Highlights
  • Personalized 5/3/1 BBB workouts
  • Classic Wendler progression
  • Log sets, reps, and weights
  • Volume and estimated 1RM tracking
  • Offline functionality
  • Plate calculator
  • Customizable training percentages
Features
Read full description

Forge 531 is your powerlifting companion for Wendler 5/3/1 Boring But Big—built for lifters who want precision, customization, and privacy. No ads-driven onboarding and no required account. PROGRAM & WORKOUTS (included) • Enter one-rep maxes for squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press—Forge generates personalized 5/3/1 BBB sessions from your training maxes • Classic Wendler progression with Boring But Big assistance work • Four-week cycles including deload; intuitive week navigation and cycle management • Metric or imperial units—switch anytime in Settings TRACKING & HISTORY (included) • Log sets, reps, and weights for every workout • Volume totals (weight × reps) • Estimated 1RM from AMRAP sets (Brzycki) • Full history with analytics so you can see progress over time GYM-READY DESIGN (included) • Optional keep screen awake during sessions • Dark theme suited to dim floors • Fast movement between weeks and workout detail PRIVACY & SIMPLICITY (included) • No account—ever. Nothing to register; nothing you must log into later • Your data stays on your device—not tied to a Forge cloud profile • Works offline for everyday training PREMIUM — SMART PLATES & LOADS (14-day free trial, then one-time purchase — no subscription) • Plate calculator — visual plate combinations for any target weight • Plate settings — barbell weight and inventory that match your gym • Full calculator access lines up with your metric/imperial choice once Premium is active PREMIUM — TRAINING CONTROL (same trial / purchase model) • Training max % adjustments — tune percentages off Wendler defaults • Progressions customization — adjust weekly progression percentages • Warm-up sets — bar-only and configurable percentage warm-ups before working sets (deload options in Settings) PREMIUM — DATA PORTABILITY (Not included in the free trial — unlocks with Premium purchase) • Import/export — backup and restore workout history via CSV HOW PREMIUM WORKS New users receive a 14-day trial for most Premium features listed above.** Import/export requires a Premium purchase and is not part of the trial.** After the trial ends, Premium remains available as a one-time purchase—no subscription.

Screenshots

531 Trainer4 screens
Forge 5/3/14 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Forge 5/3/1 at 5.0 against 531 Trainer's 4.3. Forge 5/3/1 also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 82%). 531 Trainer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Forge 5/3/1 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 531 Trainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Forge 5/3/1 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 531 Trainer has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of 531 Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Forge 5/3/1's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

531 Trainer ships an update fortnightly, Forge 5/3/1 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
531 Trainer versus Forge 5/3/1: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter531 TrainerForge 5/3/1
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (10 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS7.1 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB26 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKevin FrenchDev IT Digital LLC

Customer experience

531 Trainer

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%

Forge 5/3/1

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

In-app purchases

None

531 Trainer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Forge 5/3/1

One-time1
  • Premium Features$4.99

Questions

Is 531 Trainer free?
531 Trainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Forge 5/3/1 free?
Forge 5/3/1 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 531 Trainer or Forge 5/3/1?
Forge 5/3/1 is rated higher. 531 Trainer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Forge 5/3/1 averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do 531 Trainer or Forge 5/3/1 have ads?
Neither 531 Trainer nor Forge 5/3/1 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 531 Trainer or Forge 5/3/1?
531 Trainer ships an update fortnightly, and Forge 5/3/1 every 3 weeks. Most recently, 531 Trainer was updated on October 2, 2026 and Forge 5/3/1 on October 2, 2026.

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