Head to head
Neutral app-vs-app breakdowns.
Deciding between two apps that aren't ours? These are criteria tables with honest winners per row — and only then a note on where Ascend fits.
Strong vs Hevy
Strong and Hevy are the two most-downloaded strength-training trackers on iOS. Both log lifts cleanly. Both sync to Apple Health. The differences are about everything that isn't the lift screen — social feed, programs, exports, free-tier limits. Here's a neutral breakdown, then we'll show you the third option most lifters end up at.
See the breakdownMyFitnessPal vs Cronometer
MyFitnessPal has the biggest food database. Cronometer has the most accurate micronutrient tracking. If you're choosing only between these two, your decision comes down to whether you care about vitamin and mineral targets or just macro hit-rate.
See the breakdownFitbod vs Strong
Fitbod and Strong solve different problems. Fitbod tells you what to do today; Strong records what you actually did. If you can't decide between them, the real question is: do I want a coach, or do I want a journal?
See the breakdownStrava vs MyFitnessPal
Strava and MyFitnessPal don't really compete. Strava is a cardio-focused social network. MyFitnessPal is a calorie tracker. The reason people google this is that they're trying to pick one app for everything and realising it doesn't exist in this comparison.
See the breakdownHevy vs Fitbod
Hevy and Fitbod attract the same buyer with very different pitches. Hevy: huge community-shared program library. Fitbod: AI generates workouts for you. Which one suits you depends on whether you want to follow proven programs or trust a machine.
See the breakdownWhoop vs Oura
Whoop and Oura sit in the same recovery-tracking niche but emphasise different parts of it. Whoop is built around 24/7 strain monitoring. Oura is built around sleep architecture. Both nudge you to recover; neither logs the workouts that caused the strain.
See the breakdown
Comparing against Ascend instead? See Ascend vs each app, the comparison matrix, or the switching guides.
The climb is free. The Club is how you go further.
Core tracking is free forever. Club unlocks the coach, the competition, and the depth — for the price of one protein-shake a month.
Your own coach character
Pick Rae, June or Atlas — a coach that reads your last 90 days and proposes the next move. Free gets nudges; Club gets the full conversation.
Mountain leagues, worldwide
Get ranked against climbers everywhere — every muscle tiered by bodyweight strength. Promote, demote, and prove it weekly.
Weekly + monthly challenges
Fresh goals that keep the streak interesting — solo or with your crew. Something to chase beyond your own numbers.
Deep analytics + PR projections
See exactly when you'll hit your next PR and bodyweight goal — 4, 8, 12 weeks out. The trajectory, not just today's number.
Unlimited crews
Run as many crews as you want — squads, family, gym friends. Shared summits, cheers, and a feed that keeps everyone climbing.
Themes, higher AI limits, full export
Aurora, Volcanic and Summit themes. More AI chat headroom. And CSV + JSON export of everything, anytime — your data stays yours.
14-day free trial · no card · cancel anytime · founder pricing locked forever.