The short answer: if you like Fitbod's idea (the app writes today's workout for you) but not its price or its lack of a free tier, Alpha Progression and Boostcamp are the closest substitutes. If you already know what to lift and want a cheap, fast logger, Hevy or Strong. If you compete in powerlifting, JuggernautAI. And if what you really want is a coach who also handles food and checks in on you every day without another app on your phone, that is what Bay does, over text.
The rest of this guide explains how we got there. Prices were checked against each maker's own site or US App Store listing in early November 2026; they vary by platform, region and promotion, so confirm at checkout.
What Fitbod does, and why people look elsewhere
Fitbod generates each session from your logged history, the equipment you have and a muscle-recovery model, with 1,000+ exercise videos and Apple Watch support. Its own FAQ describes a "proprietary algorithm" built for resistance training and prices full access at $15.99 a month or $95.99 a year, with a 7-day trial and no permanent free tier. Its trainers are available by email, not in the app.
The reasons people search for alternatives tend to be the same four:
- Price. $95.99 a year is at the top of the category for a lifting app.
- No free tier. When the trial lapses you can read old workouts but not log new ones.
- It is strength-only. No food logging, no daily check-in, nothing between workouts.
- It is not a coach you can talk to. You steer it through settings, not conversation.
Which of those bothers you decides the right alternative.
The six alternatives at a glance
| App | Best for | How it adapts | Free tier | US price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitbod | Generated gym sessions, zero planning | Rebuilds each session from history, recovery and equipment | No; 7-day trial | $15.99/mo or $95.99/yr |
| Alpha Progression | Hypertrophy lifters who want a next-set suggestion | Weight and rep recommendation for every working set, RIR targets, deloads (Pro) | Yes: logging, manual plans, exercise library | Pro $12.99/mo or $79.99/yr; 14-day trial on yearly |
| Boostcamp | Following a published program | Auto Progression on Pro; 14,000+ programs free | Yes: tracker, programs, custom builder | Pro $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr; 7-day trial on yearly |
| Hevy | Cheap, fast logging with a social feed | Charts, PRs; Hevy Trainer on Pro | Yes | Pro $2.99/mo, $23.99/yr or $74.99 lifetime |
| Strong | Minimal logger, Apple Watch first | None built in; you bring the program | Yes, with a template limit | PRO $4.99/mo, $29.99/yr or $99.99 lifetime |
| JuggernautAI | Powerlifting and powerbuilding | Readiness and RPE feedback adjust a periodized block | No; two-week trial | $34.99/mo or $349.99/yr |
| Bay | A coach over text: plan, progression, food, daily check-ins | Progression per lift by rule, adjusts to injuries and your log | No tiers | Free right now |
Alpha Progression: the closest like-for-like
Alpha Progression is the app most Fitbod users end up on. The Pro tier generates a plan and then recommends the weight and reps for every working set, with reps-in-reserve targets and scheduled deloads; the free version keeps unlimited logging, manual plans and all exercise videos. It is $12.99 a month or $79.99 a year, and new annual subscribers get a 14-day trial.
Pick it if you want the set-by-set guidance Fitbod gives, slightly cheaper, with a free fallback if you stop paying. Skip it if you want cardio, nutrition or anything outside the gym.
Boostcamp: the best free option
Boostcamp's free tier is unusually generous: the tracker, RPE logging and a library of more than 14,000 published programs (5/3/1, GZCLP, nSuns and the like) cost nothing. Pro, at $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year with a 7-day trial on the annual plan, adds Auto Progression, a questionnaire-built starter program and per-muscle volume tracking.
Pick it if you are happy running a known program and want the app to tell you when to add weight. It is the cheapest paid route to auto-progression on this list, and the only one you can use for years without paying.
Hevy and Strong: loggers, not coaches
Neither Hevy nor Strong will write your program. Both are quick, reliable logs with rest timers, PRs and charts, and both run on a watch. Hevy adds a social feed and routine sharing, and its Pro tier is $2.99 a month, $23.99 a year or $74.99 for life. Strong's PRO is $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $99.99 for life on the App Store.
Pick one of these if you follow a plan you already trust and mainly want Fitbod's logging without its price. You will have to apply progressive overload yourself.
JuggernautAI: for competitive lifters
JuggernautAI is a different product: block-periodized powerlifting or powerbuilding programming that adjusts to a daily readiness rating and your RPE feedback, with meet-day attempt planning. It is $34.99 a month or $349.99 a year (the yearly plan bundles a consultation and seminars), with a two-week trial for new users.
Pick it if squat, bench and deadlift totals are the goal. It is overkill, and expensive, for general fitness.
Bay: a coach over text, not another app
Bay is not a workout app. It is an AI fitness coach you text, over iMessage, RCS or SMS. You tell it your goal, how many days you can train and what equipment you have, and it designs a program the way a coach would: every major muscle twice a week, volume set by your experience, rep ranges set by your goal. Then it sends each morning's session with a concrete weight per lift, and you log sets in shorthand as you go ("bench 185x5x3"). Hit every rep and the weight goes up next time; miss twice and it deloads. Mention a sore shoulder and the lifts that load it are swapped.
What it does that none of the apps above do: it also logs your meals from a text, photo or voice note, checks in every morning and evening, nudges you when nothing is logged, and remembers what you tell it. What it does not do: show you exercise videos in an app, or watch you lift. It is free right now.
Pick it if the gap in your training is consistency rather than exercise selection, or if you want food and training in one place without opening anything.
How to choose
- Do you want the app to write the workout? Yes → Fitbod, Alpha Progression, Boostcamp Pro, JuggernautAI or Bay. No → Hevy or Strong.
- Do you want a free tier to fall back on? Boostcamp, Alpha Progression, Hevy, Strong. Bay is free outright at the moment.
- Is food part of the problem? Only Bay covers it here; everyone else needs a separate tracker.
- Do you need someone to notice when you skip? Only Bay checks in. The apps wait for you to open them.
If Fitbod was never quite the right category, the AI fitness apps round-up groups seven apps by what the AI actually does, including Zing and Freeletics.
Questions, answered.
Tap a question.
Is Fitbod worth $95.99 a year?
If you train in a gym three or more times a week, do not want to think about programming, and will actually open the app, many lifters find it worth it. If you only want a logger, or you want guidance between sessions, cheaper or more complete options exist.
Is there a free Fitbod alternative?
Boostcamp's free tier (tracker plus thousands of published programs) is the closest thing to a free Fitbod. Alpha Progression, Hevy and Strong are free for logging. Bay is free right now and includes the coaching. The free workout apps list ranks all of them by what the free tier covers.
Which Fitbod alternative is best for beginners?
Boostcamp with a beginner program, or Bay, which gives beginners fixed rep targets, starts light and adds weight only once every prescribed rep is hit. See what a beginner's first month with an AI coach looks like.
Do any of these track food as well as training?
Of the apps above, none track food; MacroFactor sells a separate Workouts app alongside its nutrition app. Bay logs meals and training in the same text thread.
Related reading
Bay is a software assistant, not a doctor, dietitian or certified trainer. Nothing here is medical, nutrition or professional advice; check with a professional before changing your diet or training.