RawLift vs Strong for powerlifting
Strong is a fast, minimal workout log with a full Apple Watch app. RawLift is built for powerlifting: free RPE that feeds a live estimated 1RM per lift, your total on the first screen, a meet planner and food logging. Pick Strong for the simplest log, RawLift if you train for a total.
Feature by feature
| Feature | RawLift | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| RPE / RIR per set | ✓ Free, RPE 6–10 in half steps or RIR | ✓ RPE 6–10 (RIR shown as a mapping) |
| Estimated 1RM | ✓ Free, live per lift, warm-ups excluded | ◐ Yes; full exercise charts need PRO |
| Powerlifting total | ✓ Free, on the first screen | ✕ Not listed |
| DOTS / Wilks / IPF GL | ◐ DOTS in the meet planner (Pro); free DOTS calculator on this site | ✕ Not listed |
| Meet planning | ◐ Pro: target total, meet date, realism verdict. Attempts in development | ✕ Not listed |
| Programs | ✕ Not yet (in development); your own plan with auto progression | ◐ Build your own routines; no program library |
| Food logging | ✓ Free, barcode scanner, calorie and protein targets | ◐ Manual calorie entry only |
| Bodyweight | ✓ Free, 7-day trend | ✓ Yes; body measurements need PRO |
| Warm-ups kept out of stats | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes, warm-up tag |
| Rest timer on Lock Screen | ✓ Lock Screen and Dynamic Island | ✓ Lock Screen and Dynamic Island |
| Apple Watch app | ✕ No | ✓ Yes, standalone |
| Android | ◐ Web app (installs to home screen) | ✓ Yes |
| Import from other apps | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Price (US) | ✓ Free to log; Pro prices at launch | ✓ Free (3 routines); PRO $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr |
| App Store rating | Not yet (pre-launch) | 4.9 (109K ratings) |
Checked on November 15, 2026 against each app's own website and its US App Store listing. ✓ yes · ◐ partly or paid only · ✕ not offered or not listed by the vendor · ? not confirmed. Apps change; corrections to support@rawlift.app.
Choose Strong if
- you want the simplest possible log and a standalone Apple Watch app
- you already have years of history in it
Choose RawLift if
- you train squat, bench and deadlift and want your total, not just exercise charts
- you rate sets with RPE or RIR and want the estimate to use it, free
- you are working toward a meet or a weight class and want food and bodyweight in the same app
What Strong does well
- Fast, minimal logging that many lifters have used for years
- Warm-up sets are tagged and kept out of charts and metrics
- Plate and warm-up calculators (PRO)
- Full Apple Watch app that works without the iPhone
Independent rankings: BarBend: Best Weightlifting App for Experienced Weightlifters.
Where RawLift is still behind
- Pre-launch: no App Store ratings yet
- No program library yet; training blocks and meet-day attempts are in development
- No Apple Watch app and no import from other apps yet
The same top set in both apps
Say you squat 405 lb for 3 at RPE 8. In Strong you log the set and its RPE, and the set shows up in your exercise history; the full charts for it are part of PRO. In RawLift the same set counts as 5 reps' worth of effort, so it moves your estimated squat max to about 472 lb, and your total moves with it on the first screen. The math is the same as in the 1RM calculator.
Warm-ups
Both apps let you mark warm-up sets and keep them out of the numbers. In Strong it is a set tag; in RawLift a set marked as a warm-up never counts toward your estimated max or your charts. Why it matters is in do warm-up sets count?
Questions
Is Strong good for powerlifting?
Strong is a solid log for any barbell training: it records RPE, keeps tagged warm-up sets out of its charts and has plate and warm-up calculators in PRO. It does not list a powerlifting total, DOTS or meet planning, so you work those out yourself.
Does Strong calculate DOTS or Wilks?
Neither Strong's website nor its App Store listing mentions DOTS, Wilks or IPF GL points. RawLift shows your DOTS score in the meet planner, and the free DOTS calculator on this site works without an account.
Can I move my Strong history to RawLift?
Not yet. Strong exports your workouts as a CSV file, but RawLift cannot import it. To start in RawLift, enter your current tested or meet maxes, and your total and estimates are there from day one.
Which is cheaper, Strong or RawLift?
Both are free to start. Strong's free tier allows 3 custom routines, and PRO costs $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year on the US App Store. RawLift is free for logging, maxes, total, food and bodyweight; Pro adds the coaching features.
Sources
- Strong homepage
- Strong on the App Store
- Strong PRO features
- Strong: about RPE
- Strong: set tags
- Strong: nutrition
- Strong: export
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