Verdict. Personal Trainer wins on offline-first usage, pay-once pricing, and friend leaderboard. Strong wins on iOS-first polish and a larger user base.
TL;DR. Strong is the established set logger with a polished UI. Personal Trainer adds three things Strong doesn't: automatic progressive-overload suggestions based on per-set difficulty, a 72-hour muscle-group recovery dial across 15 groups, and a crew system with friend leaderboards and plan sharing. Pricing model also differs — Personal Trainer is a one-time VIP unlock, Strong is a recurring subscription for Strong Pro.
| Feature | Personal Trainer | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Works fully offline (core loop) | Yes | Yes |
| Set logging (weight / reps / RPE-style) | Yes (4-tier difficulty) | Yes (RPE optional) |
| Automatic next-weight suggestion | Yes — driven by difficulty rating, rounded to plates | No — shows last-session numbers only |
| Rest timer with audible bell | Yes (15 s – 10 min) | Yes |
| Tempo / work timer | Yes | No |
| Exercise library size | Curated + 20+ added in v1.0.1 (Apr 2026) | Larger built-in catalog |
| Custom exercises | Yes (VIP) | Yes (Pro) |
| Muscle-group recovery tracker | Yes — 72 h, 15 groups | No |
| Personal records auto-detected | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly progress graphs | Free | Strong Pro only |
| Friend / crew system | Yes — friend codes, leaderboard | No |
| Plan sharing | Yes — VIP sender, free receiver | No |
| Achievements / streaks | 53 across 8 categories | No |
| Languages | 6 (EN, FR, ES, DE, IT, PT-BR) | English + select |
| Pricing model | One-time VIP unlock | Subscription (Strong Pro) |
| Ads / tracking | None | None |
| Platforms | Android, iOS | Android, iOS, watchOS |
Last verified 2026-05-12. Strong feature set based on publicly documented behavior at time of writing.
Yes. Personal Trainer's free tier covers the full workout loop — unlimited logging, the full exercise library, rest timer, progressive overload, and history. Strong's free tier caps workout templates and locks weekly graph data behind Strong Pro.
Yes. After each set you tag a difficulty rating (Easy / Just right / Hard / Failed) and Personal Trainer suggests the next-session load, rounded to standard plate increments. Strong shows last-time numbers but does not automate progression.
Both work offline. Personal Trainer is local-first by design: all data lives on-device with optional encrypted cloud sync. Strong syncs through its own account system.
Pay-once VIP unlock if you want plan sharing and unlimited custom movements. No subscription.