Boostcamp
Why it's on this list
Boostcamp is the only app in this comparison that logs both RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and RIR (Reps in Reserve) as native, set-level fields on the free tier, alongside supersets, drop sets, and customizable warmup templates. The plate calculator and rest timer are also free, with no tier gate. Strong supports RPE but not RIR and gates its plate calculator behind PRO; Hevy has no native RPE/RIR field at all, relying on set notes or tags instead; Fitbod and JEFIT fold effort feedback into their own systems (an algorithm and an Elite tier, respectively) rather than exposing it as a reviewable field on every set.
Set-level logging also goes beyond a single fixed target: a set can be defined with a rep range (8 to 12, for example) or an RPE range (RPE 7 to 9) instead of one exact number, and exercises can be logged as timed, for planks, holds, or carries, rather than forced into a reps-only model. That's more structure than a typical fixed weight-and-reps log captures. The interface is also a flat, card-based, modern design across logging, programs, and analytics, built more recently than the UI of several older trackers in this category.
Personal records go further than a simple list: Boostcamp auto-flags max weight per rep range, max volume per session, max reps at a given weight, and an estimated 1RM (e1RM) curve calculated from your logged top sets, the moment you hit them. Weekly Sunday reports summarize new PRs, volume by muscle, and adherence, and Boostcamp Pro ($59.99/year or $4.99/month annual, 7-day trial) adds the Strength Score, a single 0-100 composite across squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, and rows (bodyweight-adjusted via the IPF DOTS formula), a per-muscle volume heatmap with 7-day, 30-day, 90-day, and yearly views, and a personalized program builder that generates a starter periodization plan from a short questionnaire. None of Strong, Hevy, Fitbod, or JEFIT offers a comparable cross-lift composite score or muscle-level volume heatmap at any price. Building a custom program manually, in-app or on desktop, is free and unlimited either way; the questionnaire-based personalized builder is the part that's Pro-only.
The honest gap: Boostcamp has no native Apple Watch app, while Strong, Hevy, and JEFIT (via Elite) all support Apple Watch logging from the wrist. The closest counterpart is an iOS Live Activity that surfaces the current set, rest timer, and next lift on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, useful for a glance without unlocking the phone, but it is not standalone wrist logging. For lifters whose primary logging surface is the watch, that is a real reason to look at Strong or Hevy instead.