Articles

7 Best MacroFactor Workouts Alternatives in 2026 (Ranked & Compared)

MacroFactor Workouts costs $71.99 a year with no free tier. Seven alternatives ranked, from Alpha Progression to free Boostcamp and Hevy, with prices checked.

Josh IbbotsonJosh Ibbotson
·October 13, 2026·9 min read
Woman doing a dumbbell bench press in a gym, illustrating a guide to MacroFactor Workouts alternatives

7 Best MacroFactor Workouts Alternatives in 2026 (Ranked & Compared)

Quick answer: Alpha Progression is the closest match to MacroFactor Workouts, with a plan generator and set-by-set progression for $79.99 a year. Boostcamp is the best free alternative with structured programs. Hevy is the best free logger, Liftosaur suits lifters who write their own progression rules, and Gym Note Plus suits fast plain-text logging.

MacroFactor Workouts launched in January 2026 from the team behind the MacroFactor nutrition app. It builds a routine from your goals and equipment, then adjusts weights as you log.

The catch is on the paywall screen.

Why are people looking for a MacroFactor Workouts alternative?

There is no free tier. The MacroFactor Workouts App Store listing offers a 7-day free trial and then a subscription. Once the trial ends, logging a set means paying.

The price adds up. MacroFactor's own pricing page lists $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months or $71.99 a year. A bundle with the nutrition app costs $89.99 a year.

Free bundle access for existing nutrition subscribers has an end date. The same page says people with an active MacroFactor subscription from before January 1, 2026 get Workouts free until January 12, 2027. After that, keeping Workouts means paying for the $89.99 bundle. If that is you, this is the moment to compare options.

It needs a recent iPhone. The listing requires iOS 18.0 or later, which rules out older phones.

None of this means the app is bad. MacroFactor Workouts rates 4.84 from roughly 4,700 ratings. The question is whether you use enough of it to justify $72 a year.

Which apps replace MacroFactor Workouts' smart progression?

1. Alpha Progression: best like-for-like swap

Platform: iOS App Store · Price: Free tier, Pro at $12.99 a month or $79.99 a year

The closest feature match. Alpha Progression builds a plan around your goal, schedule and equipment, then suggests weight and reps before each set from your previous sessions. It logs reps in reserve and handles periodization and deloads, which covers most of what MacroFactor Workouts does.

Alpha Progression app screens showing a generated training plan, a set logging screen with RIR entry, and a weekly volume breakdown per muscle group

It rates 4.92 from about 2,200 ratings. Unlike MacroFactor Workouts, it has a real free tier: unlimited logging, your own plans, exercise videos and CSV export, with no account required.

  • Best for: Lifters who want automatic progression and are happy to keep paying for it.
  • Watch out for: Pro costs $8 a year more than MacroFactor Workouts. iPhone only. More options in Alpha Progression alternatives.

2. Fitbod: best if you want each session built for you

Platform: iOS App Store and Android · Price: No free tier. Trial, then monthly plans listed at $12.99 and $15.99, or a year of Fitbod Elite at $79.99 and $95.99

A different approach, at a higher price. Fitbod generates each workout on the day from which muscles it thinks have recovered. MacroFactor Workouts gives you a program and progresses it. Fitbod keeps changing the session.

Fitbod app screens showing a generated session with target muscle recovery percentages, the exercise logging screen for dumbbell front raise with reps and weight fields, and a muscle heat map of days since your last workout

It rates 4.81 from about 287,000 ratings, the largest sample on this page.

  • Best for: People who get bored on fixed programs.
  • Watch out for: Like MacroFactor Workouts it has no free tier, and the current yearly price is higher. See Fitbod alternatives.

What is the best free MacroFactor Workouts alternative?

3. Boostcamp: best free structured programs

Platform: iOS App Store and Android · Price: Free program library and tracker, with a paid Boostcamp Pro tier

The structure without the subscription. Boostcamp's listing advertises more than 130 coach-designed programs, and the library, tracker and rest timer are free. You follow a written program instead of having one generated.

Boostcamp app screens showing programs by named coaches, the program tracker logging a bench press session, and automatically calculated weight progressions

It rates 4.85 from about 10,500 ratings.

  • Best for: Anyone who wants a proper program and refuses to pay for one.
  • Watch out for: Auto progression, Strength Score and the muscle volume heatmap sit behind Pro, so the free version follows the program as written.

4. Hevy: best free logger with charts

Platform: iOS App Store and Android · Price: Free tier, Hevy Pro at $2.99 a month, $23.99 a year or $74.99 lifetime

For when you already know what to train. Hevy does not plan or progress anything for you. You build the routine and it logs it quickly, charts each lift and flags records.

Hevy app screens showing a live workout log with completed bench press sets, a heaviest weight progress chart with a personal record badge, and the community feed with a shared chest day session

It rates 4.92 from about 97,700 ratings. The $74.99 lifetime tier costs about the same as one year of MacroFactor Workouts.

  • Best for: Lifters leaving MacroFactor Workouts with a program they already like.
  • Watch out for: The free tier caps routines, custom exercises and graph history, and there is a social feed you may not want. Compare it in Hevy alternatives.

5. Liftosaur: best for writing your own progression rules

Platform: iOS App Store, Android and web · Price: Free, with $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime

Smart progression you control. Liftosaur uses a scripting language, Liftoscript, to define sets and progression logic, such as adding 2.5 lb after each successful session. The app updates the next workout automatically. It ships with GZCLP, 5/3/1 and other programs already written.

Liftosaur app screens showing an overhead press session with warm-up sets and a plate calculator, a squat max weight graph alongside weekly shoulder volume, and body measurement tracking

It rates 4.86 from about 420 ratings.

  • Best for: Lifters who want automatic progression and want to see exactly why the weight went up.
  • Watch out for: Writing scripts is a learning curve. You can run the built-in programs without touching code.

6. Strong: best simple, proven logger

Platform: iOS App Store and Android · Price: Free with 3 custom routines, Strong PRO at $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime

The plain gym log. Strong records sets, shows what you did last time and includes warm-up and plate calculators. It has no plan generator and gives no progression advice.

Strong app screens showing a live session with set-by-set entry, a bench press exercise page with instructions and history tabs, and the plate calculator

It rates 4.86 from about 108,500 ratings.

  • Best for: People who used MacroFactor Workouts mostly as a logbook.
  • Watch out for: The free version is limited to three custom routines. See Hevy vs Strong for the head-to-head.

7. Gym Note Plus: best for logging in plain text

Platform: iOS App Store · Price: Free tier, Pro at $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime

For people who would rather type than tap. You write the session like a note, for example Bench 3x8 @ 80. Gym Note Plus turns it into structured sets with charts, personal records and weekly volume per muscle group.

Gym Note Plus app screens showing a workout typed as plain text, a best max weight progression chart for Bulgarian split squats, and the dashboard with weekly goal, muscle recovery map, muscle distribution and workout volume heat map

It rates 4.84 from a small base of 19 ratings, so treat that score with caution.

  • Best for: Lifters who already follow a program and want logging to take seconds.
  • Watch out for: It does not create plans or recommend next week's weights. iPhone only.

How do the options compare?

MacroFactor WorkoutsAlpha ProgressionFitbodBoostcampHevyLiftosaurStrongGym Note Plus
Standout featureAuto-adjusting programsPlan generator with RIRDaily generated sessionsFree coached programsFree logging and chartsScriptable progressionSimple proven loggerPlain-text input
Yearly price$71.99$79.99$79.99 to $95.99Free library, Pro extra$23.99$39.99$29.99$39.99
Lifetime optionNoNoNoNo$74.99$99.99$99.99$99.99
Usable free tierNoYesNoYesYesYesYes, 3 routinesYes, short notes
Progresses weights for youYesYes (Pro)YesPro onlyNoYesNoNo
App Store rating4.844.924.814.854.924.864.864.84
AndroidYesNoYesYesYesYesYesNo

Prices and features shift over time, so check the current listings before you subscribe. Figures come from each App Store listing and MacroFactor's pricing page in October 2026.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick Alpha Progression if you want the same job done and price was not the main issue.
  • Pick Boostcamp if the subscription was the problem. Coached programs, free.
  • Pick Hevy if you already have a program. The lifetime tier costs about one year of MacroFactor Workouts.
  • Pick Liftosaur if you liked automatic progression and want to set the rules yourself.
  • Pick Strong if you only ever used it as a logbook.
  • Pick Fitbod if variety keeps you training, and accept that it costs more.
  • Pick Gym Note Plus if you think in notes rather than forms.

For more apps with no recurring bill, see workout apps without a subscription.

Is a gym app even the right tool?

Many lifters still log in a paper notebook or their phone's notes app, and both work. Here is how they compare with a traditional gym app and Gym Note Plus.

FeaturePhysical NotebookNotes AppTraditional Gym AppGym Note Plus
Logging speedFastFastSlower, tap per setFast, type freely
Data visualizationNoneNoneChartsCharts and volume
FlexibilityTotalTotalFixed fieldsYour own shorthand
SearchabilityFlip pagesText search onlyFull historyFull history
CostA few dollarsFreeOften a subscriptionFree tier, Pro optional

If you keep your log in Apple Notes or a notebook, you already have the hard part: the habit. What you lack is the charts. That is the gap Gym Note Plus fills.

Gym Note Plus keeps the notes workflow and adds the analysis:

  • Type it your way. Write squat 3x5@135 or bench 225 8,8,6 and it parses the sets.
  • See progress automatically. Estimated 1RM charts, weekly volume per muscle group and personal record detection.
  • Know what to beat. Before a session it shows what you lifted last time.
  • Bring old logs in. Photograph a notebook page and it reads the handwriting.

Want to see it first? Paste your last session into the free notes to workout translator.

MacroFactor Workouts is a good app. The real question is whether you still use the part of it that costs $72 a year.

A simple plan for switching

  1. Write down your current program before your trial or bundle access runs out, including your latest working weights.
  2. Decide whether you want to be coached or just log. Coached means Alpha Progression, Boostcamp or Liftosaur. Logging means Hevy, Strong or Gym Note Plus.
  3. Start on a free tier. Boostcamp, Hevy, Liftosaur and Strong all cost nothing to try for a month.
  4. Run it for four weeks before you judge it.
  5. Pay only once something is missing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does MacroFactor Workouts cost?

MacroFactor Workouts costs $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months or $71.99 a year, according to MacroFactor's pricing page. A bundle that includes the MacroFactor nutrition app costs $89.99 a year. The App Store listing offers a 7-day free trial, and prices vary by country and tax.

Is there a free version of MacroFactor Workouts?

No. MacroFactor Workouts has a 7-day free trial and no free tier. Existing MacroFactor nutrition subscribers from before January 1, 2026 get free access until January 12, 2027. For a free alternative, Boostcamp offers free coached programs and Hevy offers free logging with charts.

Is MacroFactor Workouts better than Hevy?

MacroFactor Workouts and Hevy do different jobs. MacroFactor Workouts generates a program and adjusts weights as you log, but requires a subscription. Hevy is a fast logger with charts and a free tier, and it does not plan your training. Pick MacroFactor Workouts for coaching and Hevy for logging.

What is the closest app to MacroFactor Workouts?

Alpha Progression is the closest app to MacroFactor Workouts. Alpha Progression builds a plan from your goal and equipment, suggests weight and reps before each set, tracks reps in reserve and schedules deloads. Pro costs $79.99 a year, slightly more than MacroFactor Workouts, but Alpha Progression also has a free logging tier.

Is MacroFactor Workouts on Android?

Yes. MacroFactor's pricing page says MacroFactor Workouts is available on both the App Store and Google Play. On iPhone, the App Store listing requires iOS 18.0 or later, so older iPhones that cannot update to iOS 18 will not run MacroFactor Workouts.

How does Gym Note Plus compare to MacroFactor Workouts?

MacroFactor Workouts plans your training and progresses your weights. Gym Note Plus does neither. With Gym Note Plus you type the workout you already planned as plain text, and the app builds charts, personal records and weekly volume from it. Pick MacroFactor Workouts for programming and Gym Note Plus for fast logging.

Final Takeaways

  • MacroFactor Workouts costs $71.99 a year with no free tier, and free bundle access for older nutrition subscribers ends January 12, 2027.
  • Alpha Progression is the closest match, but it costs slightly more.
  • Boostcamp is the best free option if you want a structured program.
  • Hevy and Strong are the simplest loggers, and both sell lifetime tiers.
  • Check what you actually used last month before renewing anything.
  • If you already log in notes, Gym Note Plus turns that text into charts. The wider field is ranked in best workout tracking apps.
Articles
Josh Ibbotson

Josh Ibbotson

Josh is the creator of Gym Note Plus, building tools that make workout tracking as simple as taking notes.

Ready to try it out?

Download Gym Note Plus and start tracking your workouts the way you want.

Download on App Store

More from the blog

Track workouts your way

Gym Note Plus turns your notes into insights.

Get the app