Personal Sets vs Strong vs Hevy
Buy once, skip the subscription. If you just want a clean gym log — sets, cardio, templates, progress — you should not have to rent another app every month.
Personal Sets is a local-only workout tracker for iPhone and iPad. Pay $5.99 once. No account. No cloud. No subscription. Your data stays on your device.
Quick comparison
| Personal Sets | Strong | Hevy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | $5.99 one-time | Free (3 routines) + Pro sub / lifetime | Free (capped) + Pro sub / lifetime |
| Typical Pro (US) | — | ~$4.99/mo or ~$29.99/yr (lifetime ~$99.99) | ~$2.99/mo or ~$23.99/yr (lifetime ~$74.99) |
| Account required | No | Usually yes for full experience | Yes for sync / social |
| Where data lives | On your device | Cloud-backed features | Cloud-backed features |
| Strength logging | Sets, reps, weight, RPE, warmups | Excellent | Excellent |
| Cardio | Duration + distance | Yes (Pro features vary) | Yes |
| Social / feed | None by design | Sharing tools | Strong social/community angle |
| Best for | Private log, buy once, no rent | Power users OK with Pro | Lifters who want community + Pro |
Prices are US App Store snapshots and can vary by region or promo. Check in-app before you buy.
Cost over three years
Assume you need more than the free caps:
- Personal Sets: $5.99 total
- Strong Pro annual: ~$90 over 3 years (or ~$99.99 lifetime)
- Hevy Pro annual: ~$72 over 3 years (or ~$74.99 lifetime)
If you lift for years, “buy once” is the boring win. Even Strong/Hevy lifetime unlocks cost many times more than Personal Sets — and still push you into their account/cloud model.
What Personal Sets is (and isn’t)
It is: a private workout log. Strength and cardio. Templates. History. Body metrics (weight, sleep, energy, and more). Weekly notes in your own words. Calendar of training days. Exercise search with simple progress trends. Family Sharing supported.
It isn’t: a social network, a coach feed, or an Apple Watch companion (today). If you want those, Strong or Hevy may fit better — and you should pay for them knowingly.
Who should switch
Choose Personal Sets if you:
- Hate fitness subscriptions
- Want your training history on your phone, not in someone else’s cloud
- Already know your program and just need a reliable log
- Prefer pay once and own it
Stick with Strong/Hevy if you need deep social features, heavy cloud sync across many devices, or their specific Watch workflows.
Bottom line
Strong and Hevy are polished. They also monetize with subscriptions (or expensive lifetime unlocks) and cloud accounts.
Personal Sets is the opposite bet: $5.99 once, local-only, no account, no subscription — a log that stays yours.