Ironside← Back to homeIronside vs Hevy: A Workout Tracker Without the Pro Subscription
An honest comparison for lifters deciding between the two.
Ironside is a Hevy alternative for lifters who don't want a subscription. It's a one-time purchase with unlimited workout templates, full analytics, CSV import from Hevy, and local-first storage — no Pro tier. Hevy still wins if you want a social feed; Ironside wins if you want everything unlocked for $0/month.
Ironside vs Hevy at a glance
| Ironside | Hevy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | One-time purchase. $0/month, no ads, no paywalled features. | Free tier plus Hevy Pro subscription (~$5.99/mo) for advanced features. |
| Routine / template limits | Unlimited workout templates. | Free tier caps routines (~4) and custom exercises; Pro removes limits. |
| Advanced analytics | Estimated 1RM, volume, and PR trend charts plus plateau and momentum insights — all included. | Advanced analytics are behind Hevy Pro. |
| CSV import / export | Imports Hevy, Strong, FitNotes, JEFIT, and generic CSVs. Export CSV anytime. | CSV export available from settings. |
| Data storage | Local-first — your history stays on your device. Apple Health sync. | Cloud-synced with an account. |
| Social features | None — Ironside is a private tracker. | Social feed and community — a genuine Hevy strength. |
| Apple Watch | No watch app yet. | Has an Apple Watch app. |
Where Hevy is the better fit
Hevy is a polished app with a strong community. If logging alongside friends, following other lifters, and a social feed are part of why you train — or you log primarily from an Apple Watch — Hevy is a good choice, and its free tier may be all you need.
Ironside is built for the opposite lifter: you want your full history, unlimited templates, and every analytics feature without a monthly fee, and you'd rather your training data live on your device than in a cloud account. Ironside also includes iOS widgets and an optional BYO-AI coach (Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini with your own API key, running on-device) — with an Android version planned for late 2026.
Switching from Hevy
Ironside imports Hevy's CSV export natively, so switching takes a few minutes:
- In Hevy, open settings and export your workout data as CSV.
- In Ironside, go to You → Settings → My Data → Import CSV and choose the file (also available during onboarding).
- Your workouts, exercises, sets, reps, and weights come over, and your PR, volume, and 1RM charts recompute automatically.
Note that importing replaces any existing local history in Ironside, so export first if you've already logged workouts. The import runs entirely on your device — nothing is uploaded. The full walkthrough (written for Strong, but the Ironside side is identical) is athow to import your data into Ironside.
More comparisons
Coming from Strong instead? Read Ironside vs Strong. You can also explore everything Ironside does or check the Help & FAQ for details on importing, templates, and insights.
Try Ironside
One-time purchase. Unlimited templates, full analytics, and your data stays on your device.
Download Ironside on the App Store