What each week held
Withheld: something was read in 1 week of the last 12. A series needs at least 2 to say anything a single reading does not.
What it declares
- unlimited workout logging
- custom routines
- progress charts/analytics
- cloud sync
- social/community feed
- exercise library
- rest timers
- plate calculator
As the company’s own pages describe it. Forge did not test any of these.
What users raised
- free tier capped at 3 custom routines
- progress charts locked behind paywall
- full workout history locked behind paywall
- cloud sync requires paid subscription
- artificial limitations to push upsell
- slowed development pace vs competitors
Themes people raised in public. A complaint is somebody’s opinion, not a measurement of the product.
Everything on record
5 observed claims. Newest first; the tag on each row is what kind of claim you are reading.
- DISCOURSEUSER OPINIONOct 1, 2026
A recent (2026) breakdown notes Strong's development pace has slowed to maintenance-level releases while Hevy and others ship AI features, and highlights that Hevy shipped an algorithmic program generator ('Hevy Trainer') in February 2026 with a Pro plan priced at $2.99/month.
Suggests competitive momentum is shifting toward Hevy, which may intensify 'paywalled basics' criticism of Strong over time
prpath.app/blog/strong-vs-hevy-2026.html - PRICINGUSER OPINIONOct 1, 2026
A 2026 comparison reports Strong's free tier keeps unlimited workouts but caps users at 3 custom routines and locks progress charts and full history behind Pro, while Hevy's free tier gives 4 routines, 3 months of history, and 7 custom exercises with cloud sync included.
Establishes the specific feature gating details underlying the 'paywalled basics' complaint for baseline tracking
prpath.app/blog/strong-vs-hevy-2026.html - POSITIONINGUSER OPINIONOct 1, 2026
Multiple comparison sites position Hevy as the most generous free alternative to Strong, offering unlimited workout logging, cloud sync, and social features at no cost, with Strong's free tier seen as comparatively restricted.
Signals a competitive narrative pushing cost-sensitive lifters toward Hevy over Strong
gainframe.app/blog/hevy-vs-strong/ - COMPLAINTUSER OPINIONOct 1, 2026
One comparison piece states plainly that Strong's free version limits you to 3 workouts, calling this a business decision rather than a technical constraint, and frames it as deliberately frustrating to drive subscription signups.
Reinforces the 'paywalled basics' narrative as a repeated, independent complaint across multiple sources
setgraph.app/ai-blog/best-app-to-log-workout-tested-by-lifters - COMPLAINTUSER OPINIONOct 1, 2026
Reviewers and comparison sites describe Strong's free tier as deliberately limited to push upgrades: it caps free users at 3 custom routines and locks progress charts and full history behind the paid Pro subscription.
Affects prospective users comparing Strong vs free alternatives when deciding which logger to adopt
setgraph.app/ai-blog/best-app-to-log-workout-tested-by-lifters
A record of what Forge read in public about Paywalled basics — its own pages and what people wrote about it. Nothing here is a test of the product, a ranking or a score, and Forge has no relationship with this company.