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Best Free Workout Routine Builder Apps: 4 Apps Compared (2026)

This is a different question from "best free workout app": these four are ranked specifically on building a routine from scratch, not following one someone else designed. All four let you create custom exercises, sets, and structure on a free tier, then log against what you built.

Last updated October 2026
RankAppUS App StorePricingPlatforms
#1Boostcamp4.8 ★ (9.4K)Free tier + Pro at $59.99/yr ($4.99/mo annual, 7-day trial) or $14.99/moiPhone, iPad, Android
#2StrengthLog4.87 ★ (3.2K)Free + optional Premium (annual subscription with 14-day trial)iPhone, Android
#3FitNotes—Free, no ads, no in-app purchasesAndroid only
#4RepCount4.9 ★ (12K)Free (unlimited routines) + Premium $4.99/mo or $29.99/yriPhone only
#1

Boostcamp

US App Store
4.8 ★ (9.4K)
Pricing
Free tier + Pro at $59.99/yr ($4.99/mo annual, 7-day trial) or $14.99/mo
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Android

Why it's on this list

Boostcamp gives you two ways to build from scratch, both free and unlimited: a custom program builder inside the app, and a separate desktop Web Program Creator, a spreadsheet-style tool with keyboard shortcuts for adding sets, editing sets, and rearranging exercises and days, that none of StrengthLog, FitNotes, or RepCount offer as a standalone desktop tool. Sets aren't limited to a fixed weight and rep count either: build with rep ranges, RPE ranges, or timed exercises (planks, holds, carries) instead of a reps-only model. Whatever you build gets the same full free tracker as any pre-built program: RPE on every set, supersets, drop sets, personal record tracking, and the plate calculator (10 free uses, unlimited with Pro).

The free-tier limits are on saved workout templates (a quick single-session save, separate from a full multi-week program) and custom exercises (3 free), not on building or running custom programs. Boostcamp Pro ($59.99/year or $4.99/month annual) doesn't remove a program cap, since there isn't one; it adds Personalized Programs, built from a short questionnaire, for lifters who want a plan built for them rather than building one manually, plus Auto Progression and unlimited custom exercises.

Best for: Lifters who want a desktop spreadsheet-style builder in addition to an in-app one, rep/RPE ranges and timed exercises when building, and a full free tracker plus an 14,000+ program library if they change their mind about building from scratch
#2

StrengthLog

US App Store
4.87 ★ (3.2K)
Pricing
Free + optional Premium (annual subscription with 14-day trial)
Platforms
iPhone, Android

Why it's on this list

StrengthLog lets you follow or create your own training programs, with unlimited workouts and access to a 500+ exercise database to build from, entirely on the free tier. There is no cap on how many custom routines you create, and no paywall on the builder itself.

What you don't get on the free tier: advanced statistics and charts, which sit behind StrengthLog Premium (annual subscription, 14-day trial). For a lifter who wants an uncapped free builder and doesn't need deep analytics on top of it, StrengthLog is a genuine pick.

Best for: Lifters who want an uncapped number of custom routines on the free tier and don't need advanced analytics
Visit StrengthLog →
#3

FitNotes

US App Store
—
Pricing
Free, no ads, no in-app purchases
Platforms
Android only

Why it's on this list

FitNotes supports building dynamic, multi-day custom routines with auto-increment for progressive overload, and it does this with zero ads and zero in-app purchases of any kind, not a free tier of a paid app, genuinely free with nothing to upgrade to. The trade-off is platform and depth: it's Android-only, and it doesn't offer a pre-built programs library, a plate calculator, or RPE/RIR fields, it's intentionally a minimal, fast routine builder and logger.

For an Android lifter who wants to build their own multi-day routine without ever seeing a paywall, FitNotes is one of the cleanest options available.

Best for: Android lifters who want a genuinely ad-free, purchase-free custom routine builder with no premium tier at all
Visit FitNotes →
#4

RepCount

US App Store
4.9 ★ (12K)
Pricing
Free (unlimited routines) + Premium $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr
Platforms
iPhone only

Why it's on this list

RepCount's free tier includes unlimited custom routines and unlimited custom exercises, with no ads and no upgrade prompts while building or logging. At 4.9 stars across roughly 12,000 US ratings, and featured in Apple's "Apps We Love," it's one of the highest-rated free builders on iOS.

RepCount Premium ($4.99/month or $29.99/year) adds advanced statistics, supersets, and drop sets on top of the free builder; those specific features sit behind the paywall, unlike the routine builder itself, which doesn't. It's iPhone-only and ships no pre-built programs library, so it's a pure build-your-own tool rather than a hybrid.

Best for: iPhone lifters who want unlimited free custom routines and exercises with no ads, and don't need a pre-built programs library
Visit RepCount →

Frequently asked questions

What's the best free app for building your own workout routine?

Depends on whether you want a desktop builder too. Boostcamp is the only one of these four with a separate spreadsheet-style Web Program Creator in addition to an in-app builder, plus a full free tracker and an 14,000+ program library if you ever want a pre-built option instead. StrengthLog and RepCount both offer uncapped free custom routines with no programs library at all. FitNotes is the cleanest genuinely-free option (zero ads, zero purchases) but Android-only and without a plate calculator or RPE/RIR fields.

Is Boostcamp's custom program builder actually free, or is it Pro-only?

Both builders are free with no cap: the in-app custom program builder and the desktop Web Program Creator at boostcamp.app. The free-tier limits are on saved workout templates (a quick single-session save) and custom exercises (3 free), not on building or running full custom programs. Boostcamp Pro ($59.99/year or $4.99/month billed annually, 7-day trial) adds Personalized Programs, which build a plan for you from a short questionnaire, an alternative to manual building, not a requirement for it.

What about Hevy or Strong for building a custom routine?

Both let you build custom routines on their free tiers, but both cap the number of saved custom routines and custom exercises before their paid tiers remove the limit, Hevy also has a desktop web client at hevy.com for building routines on a larger screen, while Strong has no desktop builder. See the full head-to-head at /vs/hevy and /vs/strong for exact free-tier caps and pricing.

Which of these apps can I use to build a routine on desktop, not just mobile?

Only Boostcamp. Its Web Program Creator is a standalone desktop tool, spreadsheet-style, with keyboard shortcuts for adding sets, editing sets, and rearranging exercises and days. StrengthLog, FitNotes, and RepCount are mobile-only (iPhone and/or Android); none of the three has a desktop or web builder.

How current is this comparison?

Boostcamp's builder and pricing claims were verified directly against the app's own live program-creator and pricing pages on July 23, 2026. StrengthLog, FitNotes, and RepCount's facts are reused unchanged from Boostcamp's existing primary-source-verified research (App Store listings and official marketing pages) on the "Best Free Workout Apps" and "Best Budget Workout Apps" comparisons. Free-tier limits and pricing change over time; check each app's current listing before deciding based on this page alone.

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Already using a different app and want a direct head-to-head? See how Boostcamp compares.

Try Boostcamp free on iOS and Android

A full workout tracker (RPE, supersets, drop sets, rest timers, PRs, Weekly Report), 14,000+ programs, and a custom program builder. All free, ad-free, no paywall on the programs library.