TemplateThe best Hevy alternative for following a program
Looking for a Hevy alternative? Compare Hevy and Template Trainer on programs, automatic progression, history limits and price, and see which fits your training.
Hevy is a fast, friendly workout logger with a social feed, and it's cheap even when you pay. So why look for a Hevy alternative? Usually because you've stopped wanting a log and started wanting a coach. Outside of Hevy Trainer, a Hevy routine is a template: it shows last time's numbers, and you decide what to lift today. If you're running a program like 5/3/1, GZCLP or nSuns, that means doing the program's maths yourself. Here's how the two apps compare.
Hevy vs. Template Trainer at a glance
| Template Trainer | Hevy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid tier | Free tier; Pro is $2.99/month, $23.99/year or $74.99 once |
| Routines or programs | Unlimited, free | 4 routines free; unlimited with Pro |
| Ready-made programs | 31 classic programs with progression built in | A library of 25+ editable routine programs |
| Automatic weights | Every program, by rules you can read and edit | Hevy Trainer, a Pro feature that builds and adjusts its own plan |
| Percentage programs (5/3/1, nSuns) | Load themselves from your one rep max | Not found in Hevy's documentation |
| Charts and history | All time, free | 30 days or 3 months free; 1 year and all time with Pro |
| Social feed | No | Yes, with following and leaderboards |
| Watch apps | No | Apple Watch and Wear OS |
| Health sync | No | Apple Health and Health Connect |
| Export your data | CSV of every set | CSV export, and CSV import from Strong |
| Where it runs | Any browser on phone or computer; installs to your home screen; logs offline | iPhone and Android apps |
Hevy details come from its own pricing page, help center and app store listing, checked on the date at the top of this page.
A program, not just a log
The difference shows up the moment you run a percentage-based program. Take 5/3/1 Boring But Big. Each week your main sets are a different percentage of a training max, there's a deload every fourth week, and the training max goes up each cycle. In a logging app, you work all of that out yourself, or keep a spreadsheet next to it.
In Template Trainer, the program does it. You type in a one rep max for each lift once. The program's rules load every set at the right percentage of your training max, week by week, and your records rise as you beat them, so the next cycle works from your new numbers. The same goes for GZCLP's stage changes after a missed set, the Texas Method's weekly records, or the Reddit PPL's linear jumps.
Hevy's answer to this is Hevy Trainer, which builds a program for you and raises the working weight when you hit the top of the rep range. It's a good feature, but it's Pro only, and it runs its own plan, not the classic program you picked.
How it works in Template Trainer
Here's what setting up 5/3/1 Boring But Big looks like.
- Find it in the Program Library. Search or filter by Strength, Power or Bodybuilding. Each card shows its workouts, cycle length, number of rules and the muscles it trains.
- Add it to your programs and type in a one rep max for squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press. A recent best set of 5 works too; the app estimates the rest.
- Start the first workout from Today. The main lift is already loaded at 65, 75 and 85% of your training max, with the Boring But Big sets of 10 after it.
- Keep logging. Weeks two and three change the percentages, week four drops to 40, 50 and 60% for a deload, and the last main set each week is an all-out set that can raise your records, all without you touching a calculator.
- Watch it work on Progress, where each lift's estimated one rep max is charted for as long as you've trained, free.
No limits on the free plan
Hevy's free plan is generous for a logger, but it caps you at 4 routines and shows only your last 30 days or 3 months of stats. A 4-day program with a deload week can use up those routines fast, and long-term progress is exactly what you want to see after a year of training.
Template Trainer has no paid tier to unlock: unlimited programs and exercises, every chart for all time, your records and DOTS score, and a CSV download of every set. It does show a small sponsored card on some screens, never on the workout screen.
When Hevy is the better choice
Hevy is the better pick if:
- Training is social for you. Hevy's feed, following and leaderboards keep many lifters consistent. Template Trainer has none of that.
- You log on your watch. Hevy has Apple Watch and Wear OS apps. Template Trainer runs in the browser and has no watch app.
- You want health app sync. Hevy sends workouts to Apple Health and Health Connect; Template Trainer doesn't.
- You mostly freestyle. If you build your own sessions as you go and just want a fast log of what you did, Hevy is quick and polished.
- You're coming from Strong. Hevy can import Strong's CSV export. Template Trainer can't import other apps' history.
Who should switch
Template Trainer is built for lifters who:
- run classic programs like 5/3/1, GZCLP, nSuns, PHUL or the Reddit PPL, and want the app to do the program's maths,
- want to adjust how a program progresses with rules they can read, as in progressive overload,
- don't want to pay to see more than a few months of progress,
- train somewhere with bad signal: workouts log offline and sync later.
Start free, add the program you're running, type in your current lifts, and try it for a week.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Hevy alternative with no routine limit?
Yes. Template Trainer is free with no paid tier and no limit on programs, workouts or custom exercises, and its charts cover your whole history.
Can I import my Hevy workouts into Template Trainer?
No. Template Trainer can't import another app's history. Add the program you're running from the library, type in your current lifts, and carry on from there. Hevy lets you export your data as CSV, so you can keep a copy.
Does Template Trainer have 5/3/1 and GZCLP?
Yes. The library includes 5/3/1 Boring But Big, 5/3/1 for Athletes, nSuns 531 LP, GZCLP, Greyskull LP, StrongLifts 5x5, the Texas Method, Madcow 5x5 and more, each with its progression rules built in.
Is Template Trainer as fast to log as Hevy?
For a planned workout, yes: the weights and reps are already filled in, so you mostly tick sets. Hevy is quicker if you build sessions on the fly, since Template Trainer works from a program.
Does Template Trainer have a social feed?
No. You can send a program to another member by email, but there's no feed, following or leaderboard.
Sources
Hevy is a trademark of its owner, and this page isn't affiliated with it. Its prices and features were checked on October 13, 2026 from the sources above and can change, so check its own site before you buy.
About the author
Jordan DuBois has been lifting for 20 years and won men's lightweight bodybuilding as a natural at a 2013 NPC show in Mesa, Arizona. Jordan holds summa cum laude degrees in applied mathematics and biology from Arizona State University, and founded Template Trainer to run proven programs the way their authors wrote them.