What StrongLifts and Boostcamp each focus on
StrongLifts 5x5 is built around one methodology family: the 5x5 barbell progression created by Belgian lifter Mehdi Hadim, plus in-house variants (5x5 Plus, 5x5 Ultra, 5x5 Lite, an Intermediate progression, and Madcow 5x5). The app's pitch is to let you focus on lifting while StrongLifts does the thinking: it picks the exercise, set, rep, and weight for you inside that one program family, with no other methodologies on offer.
Boostcamp covers the same starting point plus a lot more room to grow. The tracker is the foundation: RPE and RIR logging, supersets, drop sets, warmup templates, plate calculator, rest timers, personal records, and estimated 1RMs, all on the free tier. The programs library sits on top: 11,000+ programs including a free community upload of Stronglifts 5x5 itself, Madcow 5x5, and Starting Strength, alongside 130+ coach-designed programs spanning other methodologies (5/3/1, nSuns, GZCL, Reddit PPL, Sheiko, and more). The custom program builder lets you design your own once you know what you want.
For a lifter who wants exactly one program and no other decisions, StrongLifts' narrow focus is a real feature, not a gap. For a lifter who wants the same 5x5 progression today but expects to outgrow it, Boostcamp's library means that transition happens inside the same app rather than requiring a new one.
The 5x5 program itself: same progression, two different apps
The core 5x5 math is not proprietary. Five sets of five reps on squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, and row, with weight added every successful session, is a public-domain training template with roots in Bill Starr's 1976 book The Strongest Shall Survive. StrongLifts popularized a specific, polished implementation of it and built a business around automating that one progression.
Boostcamp's programs library includes a free, community-uploaded version of Stronglifts 5x5 (see /best/5x5 and /methodology/5x5) with the same set/rep/progression structure, tracked with Boostcamp's full logger: RPE/RIR, plate calculator, rest timers, and auto-progression. It sits next to Madcow 5x5 and Starting Strength in the same methodology hub, so lifters can see the beginner-to-intermediate 5x5 progression path in one place.
The difference isn't the program, it's what's around it. Running 5x5 on StrongLifts means the app's entire roadmap is 5x5 variants. Running the same progression on Boostcamp means the next program (Madcow, 5/3/1, GZCLP, or a custom build) is a tap away in the same app, using the same logging history.
Pricing and what is actually free
StrongLifts is free to download, but the app's own App Store listing states it 'requires a subscription to use.' Pro pricing is $4.99/week, $11.99/month, $29.99/quarter, $59.99/year, or a $199.99 lifetime option; a 7-day free trial is offered only on the yearly plan. There is no ongoing free tier: once the trial period (or download) ends, continued use requires a paid plan.
Boostcamp's free tier covers the entire 11,000+ programs library (including the free 5x5 community program), the full workout logger, RPE and RIR logging, plate calculator and rest timers, personal records and estimated 1RMs, weekly Sunday reports, and the year-end Wrapped recap, with no time limit. Boostcamp Pro is $59.99/year ($4.99/month billed annually) with a 7-day free trial, or $14.99/month with no trial. Pro adds 20+ exclusive coach programs, the Strength Score, the per-muscle volume heatmap, personalized programs, advanced exercise analytics, and unlimited custom program creation.
At the annual tier the sticker price is identical: $59.99/year on both apps. The difference is what you get without paying at all. StrongLifts' free download does not include ongoing training access; Boostcamp's free tier is a complete programs library and tracker on its own.
Platforms and Apple Watch support
StrongLifts has the stronger Apple hardware story. The app runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac (Apple Silicon), and Apple Vision, and the Apple Watch integration is full-featured: you can log an entire workout, including plate calculator and rest timer, from the wrist without touching your phone. Android support covers phones and tablets, though there is no Wear OS app.
Boostcamp's iOS app supports iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision, plus a fully featured Android app; there is no native Apple Watch companion. What Boostcamp does offer on iOS is a Live Activity that surfaces the current set, rest timer, and next lift on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, so you can glance at your workout without unlocking the phone, though it still requires the phone nearby rather than standalone-from-the-wrist logging.
For lifters who train with their phone in a locker and want the watch as their only logging surface, StrongLifts' wrist support is a genuine advantage. For lifters who keep the phone at the rack, the gap matters less.
