Gymex vs Fitbod, Hevy, Strong,
Caliber, Future & MyFitnessPal

An honest, head-to-head comparison of the leading iOS workout and AI coaching apps. Feature matrix, pricing, pros and cons, and a clear verdict for different lifter profiles.

By the Gymex Product Team · Last updated 20 October 2026 · ~7 min read

How We Compare

How we compare

This is a publisher comparison, not an independent review: Gymex builds one of the apps on this page. We verify product claims against official competitor pages, distinguish algorithms from conversational AI, record the check date, and link our sources below. Store prices vary by country. Read our editorial and corrections policy.

TL;DR

The short answer

If you are comparing Gymex to Strong, Hevy, or MyFitnessPal, you are comparing different categories. Here is the decision in under a minute.

Pick Gymex if…

You want a single app — on iPhone or Android — that writes your programs, detects plateaus, logs sets by voice, tracks macros, and stores progress photos. Gymex is free to start; Core is £7.49/month without AI, while AI coaching begins on Premium at £15/month.

Pick Hevy if…

You want a low-cost, polished cross-platform logger with a strong social layer and an algorithm-based Trainer that builds a personalised program and recommends progressive overload.

Pick a human-coach service (Caliber / Future) if…

You specifically want weekly video calls, accountability texts, and a human programming for you, and you are happy paying £150 to £300 a month. Gymex is the software layer of that experience driven by AI instead.

Best AI coach (iOS & Android) · Gymex Best value AI coach · Gymex Best free logger · Hevy Best human coach · Caliber / Future Best calorie tracker · MyFitnessPal
Feature Matrix

Side-by-side capability table

Every row is a capability a serious lifter typically cares about. Scroll horizontally on mobile.

Feature comparison of Gymex Fitness versus Fitbod, Hevy, Strong, Caliber, Future, and MyFitnessPal (MFP), 2026. Yes = supported, Partial = limited, No = not supported, Human = delivered by a human coach.
Capability Gymex Fitbod Hevy Strong Caliber Future MFP
Manual set loggingYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
Automatic PR detection (4 types)YesPartialPartialPartialYesYesNo
Conversational AI coachYesPartialNoNoHuman coachHuman coachNo
Personalised program generationYesYesYes — TrainerNoHumanHumanNo
Voice set loggingYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
Automatic progressionYesYesRule-basedNoHumanHumanNo
Plateau detectionYesPartialNoNoHumanHumanNo
AI RIR inferenceYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
Macro + barcode trackingYesNoNoNoNoNoYes
Body measurements (13+)YesNoPartialNoYesYesPartial
Progress photos with sliderYesNoNoNoYesYesNo
Social feed + messagingYesNoYesNoPartialPartialYes
Apple HealthYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Offline + encrypted cacheYesPartialYesPartialPartialPartialYes
Android availableYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Published monthly price£7.49–£20$15.99$2.99$4.99From ~$200 coaching$199 coachingVaries
Head to Head

Gymex versus each competitor

What each app actually does well, and when to pick it over Gymex.

Gymex vs Strong

Winner: Gymex

Strong is the classic minimalist logger — fast set entry, clean history, not much else. That simplicity is its appeal, but it stops short of everything else a serious lifter wants. Gymex includes the same fast set logging, then adds a conversational AI coach, voice logging, plateau detection, nutrition tracking, body metrics, and progress photos.

Strong is better if

  • You already have a human coach writing programs
  • You want the cheapest paid logger
  • You only need a simple logger, nothing more

Gymex wins on

  • AI programming and auto periodization
  • Voice set logging during training
  • Nutrition, body metrics, photos in one app
  • Free tier, then from £7.49/mo

Read the full Gymex vs Strong guide →

Gymex vs Hevy

Winner: Gymex

Hevy is a polished cross-platform logger with strong community features. Its Pro-only Trainer uses an algorithm — Hevy explicitly says it is not AI — to build personalised programs and recommend progressive overload from completed reps. Gymex differentiates with conversational coaching, RIR-led programming, voice logging, nutrition tracking, and recovery context from wearables, with a free tier and paid plans from £7.49/mo.

Hevy is better if

  • You want a free logger above all else
  • You want the biggest community-shared routines library today
  • You want inexpensive algorithm-based programming

Gymex wins on

  • Conversational AI coaching and auto periodization
  • Voice set logging
  • Nutrition + body metrics + social in one app
  • Recovery data from WHOOP, Oura and Apple Health / Health Connect

Read the full Gymex vs Hevy guide →

Gymex vs Fitbod

Winner: Gymex

Fitbod is the closest software-only comparison. It uses AI to recommend workouts and adapt to your history. But it is a solo workout engine — no conversational coach, no voice logging, no nutrition, no body metrics, no social. Gymex delivers Fitbod's core value plus everything Fitbod leaves out.

Fitbod is better if

  • You only want solo AI-recommended workouts
  • You prefer session-by-session generation over a written program
  • You prefer their specific UX and have used it for years

Gymex wins on

  • Conversational AI chat with access to your data
  • Voice logging + RIR inference
  • Nutrition, body metrics, photos, social included
  • Free tier, then from £7.49/mo

Read the full Gymex vs Fitbod guide →

Gymex vs Caliber

Different category

Caliber pairs an app with a human coach — real people programming and checking in. Excellent for users who need accountability and a relationship, but it is priced like a trainer, not a software product. Gymex ships the software half driven by AI: programming, plateau detection, RIR inference, weekly recaps. For most lifters who just want their program sorted and their plateaus called out, the AI version is enough — and a fraction of the price.

Caliber is better if

  • You specifically want weekly video calls
  • You need a human in the loop for accountability
  • Budget is not a constraint

Gymex wins on

  • Price — from £7.49/mo vs ~£150/mo
  • Voice logging and AI RIR inference
  • Built-in nutrition and social
  • Instant responses vs wait-for-coach

Gymex vs Future

Different category

Future is a premium human-coach service priced around £199 a month. Same category as Caliber. Same reasoning applies: if you want the accountability of a human, Future is the product. If you want the software capability of a coach driven by AI, Gymex covers it for a tiny fraction of the cost.

Future is better if

  • You want accountability texts from a real coach
  • You need someone to review your form via video
  • Budget allows £199/mo on fitness

Gymex wins on

  • Price — ~95% cheaper than a human coach
  • Voice-logged sets and AI recaps on demand
  • Nutrition and body metrics built in
  • No waiting for a coach to respond

Gymex vs MyFitnessPal

Winner for lifters: Gymex

MyFitnessPal is a calorie-tracking app with the largest food database on the market. Excellent at its job, but it is only a nutrition app — no workout programming, no PR detection, no AI coaching. Gymex covers macro tracking with barcode scanning and AI meal logging plus the full strength-training stack. For lifters, it replaces MFP entirely.

MyFitnessPal is better if

  • You only want calorie tracking, no training features
  • You need the largest food database for obscure products
  • You want a dedicated calorie tracker rather than a training app

Gymex wins on

  • Single-app experience for training + nutrition
  • AI meal logging from natural language
  • Strength analytics MFP cannot produce
  • Free tier, then from £7.49/mo
Which App

Pick your app in 10 seconds

Match your situation to the box that fits.

If you are

A serious lifter on iPhone or Android

Intermediate or advanced. You want AI programming, plateau detection, and to stop juggling three apps.

→ Gymex
If you are

A bodybuilder tracking macros

You want lifting, macros, and progress photos in one app. MFP plus Strong plus a photo app is too many apps.

→ Gymex
If you are

Currently paying a human coach

You want to cut £150-£200 a month and still get programming, plateau detection, and weekly recaps.

→ Gymex (from £7.49/mo)
If you are

After a free logger only

You just want to record sets on any platform for free, with no AI coaching, nutrition, or body metrics.

→ Hevy
If you are

A runner or triathlete

Cardio-first with GPS and routes. Strength tracking is not your primary need.

→ Strava or Garmin Connect
If you are

Happy with Strong, using it forever

You only want to log sets, you already have a coach, and you are not looking for an upgrade.

→ Stick with Strong
FAQ

Common comparison questions

The questions lifters ask when deciding between these apps.

Is Gymex a better alternative to Hevy or Strong?
It depends on the job. Strong is a focused logger. Hevy combines social logging with an algorithm-based Trainer that creates personalised programs and gives progressive-overload recommendations. Gymex adds conversational coaching, RIR-led programming, voice logging, nutrition, and recovery context. Hevy is the stronger low-cost social logger; Gymex suits lifters who want a broader coaching system.
Is Gymex cheaper than Caliber or Future?
Yes, by a large margin. Caliber and Future are £150 to £300 per month because they include a human coach. Gymex delivers the software layer driven by AI for £7.49 to £20 per month, with a free tier to start.
Does Gymex replace MyFitnessPal for nutrition tracking?
For most lifters, yes. Gymex tracks macros with barcode scanning, AI meal logging from natural-language descriptions, meal-type assignment, and visual progress rings. It also adds the full strength-training stack that MyFitnessPal does not have. If you need an extremely niche food database and do not lift, MFP may still be the right choice.
Is Fitbod or Gymex better for AI-generated workouts?
Both generate workouts with AI. Gymex adds a conversational coach you can chat with about your training, voice logging, plateau detection, nutrition, and social. Fitbod is narrower — solo AI-recommended workouts without those layers.
Does Gymex work with Garmin watches?
Not directly yet. On Premium, Gymex reads recovery and activity data from WHOOP, Oura, Apple Health and Health Connect. Hevy, Strong and JEFIT offer watch apps for logging, which Gymex does not currently have.
Is Gymex available on Android?
Yes. Gymex is available for Android phones through Google Play and for iPhone through the App Store.
Does Gymex have a free tier?
Yes. The free tier includes workout logging, nutrition tracking, body metrics, basic progress photos, community, messaging, manual program building, and offline sync, with a 30-day history window. Paid monthly plans are Core £7.49, Premium £15, and Pro Premium £20. Annual options and final local prices appear in your app store.
I use Strong plus MyFitnessPal plus a photo app. Does Gymex replace all three?
Yes. That stack is exactly the problem Gymex is built to solve. Workout logging, macro and barcode tracking, and body measurements with progress photos are all first-class features in the same app. Most lifters can retire MFP and a photo app on day one.
Sources

Sources checked 20 October 2026

Core competitor claims and published USD prices were checked against Hevy Trainer, Hevy pricing, Fitbod FAQs and pricing, and each vendor's linked product page. Local store pricing can differ. Gymex facts come from the feature page and pricing page.

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Start free with logging, nutrition, body metrics, and social. Upgrade for AI coaching and voice logging on Premium from £15 a month.

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