The WOD Generator vs Penance
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The WOD Generator
Discover over 15,000 diverse workouts across 20+ categories, perfect for training anywhere. Save your favorites and track your progress with advanced logging and timing features available through an upgrade.
- 15,000+ workouts
- 20+ workout categories
- Favorite WODs
- Workout timer
- Workout logging
- KG/LBs and FT/metres support
- Dark mode
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WOD Generator with a huge variety of intense workouts (15,000+ with more being added all the time). Simply choose from one of the 20+ categories to generate a random workout of the day. Favorite any WODs you like to come back to. Time and log your workouts with the Pro upgrade. I started CrossFit about 10 years ago, and built The WOD Generator to help people like you (and me!) train when you can't get to a box (for whatever reason). I'm always looking to improve it, so please get in touch if you have any suggestions or feedback :) Categories include: - Travel - Bodyweight - Open WODs - Benchmark WODs - Hero WODs - Power - Endurance - Partner - AMRAP - EMOM - RFT - Chipper - Tabata - Kettlebell - Dumbbell - Gymnastics - Short - Lower - Upper - Full body - Ladder & pyramid - Suspension training (e.g. TRX style) - Warm-ups Features include: - Favorite WODs to access them again - Use KG or LBs, FT or metres - Full definitions, linked in WOD! - Dark mode option - %RM calculator and weight converter - No ads - Filter by the equipment you have (basic for free, advanced for Pro) - Auto-generate warm-ups (Pro) - Filter by known skills (Pro) - Injury filter to exclude body parts (Pro) - Smart WODs tailored to you based on your workout history (Pro) - Time each WOD (Pro) - Record your workouts (Pro) - Custom timer (Pro) - Custom categories (Pro) Disclaimer: - This application is not affiliated or associated with CrossFit, Inc. - The workouts, exercises, and other movements provided in this application are for informational and educational purposes only, and are not intended for use as a substitute for professional programming. - Always consult a physician or qualified healthcare provider before beginning any exercise or fitness program. Please note, by using this app you agree to the terms (https://thewodgenerator.com/terms) and privacy policy (https://thewodgenerator.com/privacy).
Penance
This app offers a mindful approach to managing dietary indulgences. Instead of strict tracking, it encourages acknowledging over-budget calories with a small activity and reflection, promoting presence over performance.
- Personalized daily calorie budget
- Real-time balance meter
- Smart indulgence detection
- Tailored exercise suggestions
- Reflection tags for pattern tracking
- Optional HealthKit integration
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Penance — A ritual container for mindful indulgence. Not a calorie counter. Not a diet app. Penance is a different approach: when you go over your daily budget, acknowledge it with a small activity and a brief reflection, then move forward clean. How It Works Set your budget — Penance calculates a personalized daily calorie threshold based on your BMR and activity level. Adjust it anytime. Live your life — Eat what you eat. Penance syncs with HealthKit to see your food logs, or you can manually log indulgences. Face the tab — When you go over budget, those calories go "on the tab." You decide what to acknowledge—nothing is forced. Do the penance — A small, achievable activity (never more than 45 minutes). Not punishment. Not burning it off 1:1. Just a small act of presence. Reflect and move on — Tag what triggered it, add a thought if you want, receive absolution. Patterns emerge over time. What's Included • Personalized daily calorie budget based on BMR calculation • Real-time daily balance meter showing intake vs. budget • Smart indulgence detection—only over-budget calories count • Exercise suggestions tailored to your penance target • Activity credit for surplus exercise • Reflection tags to track patterns over time • Morning reckoning mode for daily check-ins • Receipts view showing your history and insights • Full privacy—all data stored locally on your device What Makes Penance Different • No streaks, no scores — Presence over performance. There's no leaderboard, no guilt-inducing streak counter, no gamification. • You decide — The app never forces a penance. See something on the tab? You can face it or "turn the other cheek" and let it go. • Achievable by design — Penances are intentionally small. The point isn't suffering—it's acknowledging a choice and taking a brief action. • Activity credit — Went for a long run yesterday? Surplus activity reduces your penance target. • Morning reckoning — Prefer to review yesterday's tab with your coffee? Set a daily check-in time instead of real-time alerts. • Private by design — All data stays on your device. No accounts, no servers, no sync, no analytics. Your indulgences are yours alone. HealthKit Integration Penance reads from Apple Health to: • Calculate your BMR-based calorie budget • Track daily food intake vs. budget • Credit extra activity toward lighter penances HealthKit is optional—you can skip it during setup and log everything manually. The Philosophy This isn't a ledger. It's a practice. Most diet apps treat eating as accounting—calories in, calories out, stay in the green. But that framing creates anxiety, guilt, and eventually abandonment. Penance takes a different view: indulgence is part of life. When it happens, you don't need punishment or permission. You need a moment of presence—a small act, a brief reflection—and then you move forward. The religious language is playful, not preachy. "Penance" and "absolution" are winks, not doctrine. The only thing sacred here is your attention.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Penance at none against The WOD Generator's 6. The WOD Generator's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.2). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. The WOD Generator sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Penance asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for The WOD Generator against 5.0 for Penance. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The WOD Generator has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | The WOD Generator | Penance |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (1.7K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 93.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tauro Software SL | Kenneth Howe |
Customer experience
The WOD Generator
Penance
Bugs and requests
The WOD Generator
Reported bugs
2 issues- Workout details disappearing when app backgrounded
- Video playback issues
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to add custom exercises
- Suggested weight/rep ranges for workouts
- Rehab/injury-specific workout options
- Workout timer integration
- Randomized WOD selection
Penance
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The WOD Generator
- Pro Monthly$3.491 Month
- The WOD Generator Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- The WOD Generator Pro Annual$14.991 Year
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- Annual3 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Give BackFree
- Lifetime$74.99
Penance
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The WOD Generator free?
Is Penance free?
Which has better reviews, The WOD Generator or Penance?
Do The WOD Generator or Penance have ads?
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