Setkord vs Strong: A Fair Head-to-Head for Lifters

Setkord and Strong are both focused lifting trackers, and Strong is one of the originals - proven, reliable and familiar to a lot of experienced lifters. Setkord is the newer, local-first option: it works fully offline with no spinners, it is strength-first with no clutter, it adds deeper stats and Pro Insights, and it imports your Strong history for free. If you want a modern offline log that you also own the data in, that is where Setkord fits; if you already trust Strong's simple, no-frills flow, it is a fair reason to stay.

I build Setkord, so read this as an honest comparison from one side of it. Everything I say about Strong is kept general and fair, because getting a competitor's details wrong is the fastest way to lose your trust.

The short version

• /Pick Strong if you want a proven, focused, no-nonsense log that you may already know and trust.
• /Pick Setkord if you want fully offline local-first logging, deeper progress stats and Insights, free import from Strong, built-in accessibility, and a free forever core.

Both do the core job well: log sets, track lifts, see history, estimate maxes. The differences are in offline behaviour, depth of stats and how portable your data is.

Where Strong is genuinely good

Strong has earned its reputation as one of the original serious lifting apps. It is focused, reliable and familiar - it logs sets cleanly and tracks your lifts without trying to be a lifestyle app or a social network. For a lot of experienced lifters it is the app they have used for years and never had a reason to leave, and there is real value in a tool that just works and gets out of the way.

If you already have years of history in Strong and are happy with it, "it works and I trust it" is a perfectly good reason to stay.

Where Setkord is different

Fully offline, local-first

Setkord is local-first: every set logs instantly on your phone with no signal, no spinner and nothing lost, then syncs in the background once you are back online. The app never blocks on a connection, which matters in basements and rural gyms where signal simply is not there.

Deeper progress and Insights

Beyond the basics, Setkord gives you automatic PRs, an estimated 1RM for every lift, muscle-balance stats, top exercises and weekly volume. Pro adds Insights: volume and strength-progression trends, training consistency, muscle-volume trends, a PR timeline, period comparisons, and plateau and fatigue signals that flag when a lift has stalled. If you like to see the trend and not just today's session, there is a lot here.

Free import from Strong

You do not lose your years of history. Setkord imports your Strong data via CSV for free, so you start with your real numbers. And you can export everything back out to CSV any time - your data stays yours.

Built-in accessibility

Full Dynamic Type, a high-contrast mode and VoiceOver are in from day one, including on charts and destructive actions.

A real web app

Signed-in lifters can manage their account at setkord.com, and Pro adds browsing and authoring your training in a browser that syncs straight to your phone.

Free forever core

Setkord's core is free forever - unlimited workouts, automatic PRs, estimated 1RM, routines and stats. Pro removes limits and adds the deeper Insights, PDF export and routine sharing. I will not quote a price here since they change - check the current numbers in the App Store.

Feature comparison

Strong's column is kept general on purpose, because its details can change and I would rather be safe than confidently wrong.

For anything specific about Strong, check its own App Store listing - it will be more current than this table.

Which should you choose?

If Strong already does everything you need and you trust it, there is nothing wrong with staying. If you want a modern app that keeps working with no signal, gives you deeper trend Insights, and lets you both import your old data and export it freely, Setkord is built for that.

The low-risk move: import your Strong history into Setkord for free and run them side by side for a couple of weeks. You are comparing on your own numbers, not a demo.

If you are weighing up other options too, see Setkord vs Hevy, the wider best workout tracking apps roundup, and my list of Hevy alternatives.

Try Setkord

Setkord is free on iPhone, with the core free forever. Importing from Strong takes a couple of minutes, so you can try it against your real history rather than starting blank. If it is not for you, everything exports cleanly to CSV - no lock-in.

FAQ

Can I import my Strong data into Setkord? Yes. Setkord imports your Strong history via CSV for free, so you keep your years of numbers instead of starting over.

What does Setkord add over a basic log? Automatic PRs, an estimated 1RM for every lift, muscle-balance and weekly-volume stats, and Pro Insights like strength-progression trends and plateau signals. It is built to show the trend, not just today.

Is Setkord free? The core is free forever - unlimited workouts, PRs, estimated 1RM, routines and stats. Pro removes limits and adds deeper Insights, PDF export and routine sharing. Check current pricing in the App Store.

Which one works better offline? Setkord is built local-first, so every set logs instantly with no signal and syncs later, with no spinners. Strong's offline behaviour can vary, so check its current listing if offline use is essential for you.