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By the team behind DEFIANT. Prices and ratings from the US App Store, checked October 11, 2026. Sources
LiftosaurBest for lifters who like to write their own rules
DEFIANTBest for a weight and rep target on every set, in rep rangesThe short answer
- Pick Liftosaur ifyou want to run a famous program to the letter, write your own progression logic, or need Android, iPad or the web. It's also cheaper.
- Pick DEFIANT ifyou want a polished app that's easy to use mid-set and works out your weight and reps for you from day one, with rep ranges, runs, rings and stretching in the same place.
Side by side
| Liftosaur | DEFIANT | |
|---|---|---|
| Picks your next weight and reps | Yes, by the rules in your program | Yes, every set, recalculated after each set |
| Rep ranges | Yes, with double progression | Yes, on any exercise |
| Programs | About 60 built in, like GZCLP, 5/3/1 and PHUL, plus programs shared by link | 26 ready to run, or one built from eight questions |
| Exercise library | 218 built-in exercises | Over 400, each shown start to finish with the working muscles lit |
| Write your own progression rules | Yes, in its Liftoscript language | No, DEFIANT works them out for you |
| Runs famous programs as written | Yes, with training max percentages | Inspired versions in rep ranges |
| Setup before your targets fit | Pick a program, then tune its rules and equipment rounding | None; answer eight questions or import your history |
| Multiple gyms | Yes, with separate equipment per gym | Yes, with separate machine history per gym |
| Your data | Works without an account; sign in to sync | No account; iPhone and your iCloud; CSV export any time |
| Price | Free version; Premium $39.99/yr, $4.99/mo or $99.99 lifetime | Free version; Pro $69.99/yr or $9.99/mo. First 1,000 downloads get Pro free for life |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android, web | iPhone (iOS 26.1+) |
| Apple Watch app | Yes (Premium) | Yes (Pro) |
What you get without paying
Most workout apps give you a taste for free and save the good stuff for paying members. DEFIANT's free version is the real app. You get a weight and rep target for every exercise, every session, in rep ranges. You also get unlimited routines and custom exercises, all 26 programs, multiple gyms, deload weeks, imports from other apps, GPS runs and a rest timer in your Dynamic Island. There are no ads, and you don't even need an account. Pro adds the extras, like targets that change set by set during your workout, the Apple Watch app and guided stretching. And if you're one of our first 1,000 downloads, you get Pro free for life.
Liftosaur's free version is generous too: its programs, the editor and logging are all free. Its graphs, plate calculator and Apple Watch app need Premium.
| Liftosaur free | DEFIANT free | |
|---|---|---|
| Progress charts | No (Premium) | Yes, your last 3 months |
| Targets without any setup | Follows your program's rules; you tune them yourself | Yes, from your own lifting |
Round 1: Deciding your next set
Liftosaur does exactly what your program's rules say. The built-in programs add weight when you hit your reps, and you can write your own rules, even ones that change your later sets mid-workout. That's powerful, but rules only know what they were told. We've seen lifters get asked for 23 reps of cable pushdowns because the next pin on the stack was too big a jump for the rule. DEFIANT works out each target from how strong you are on that lift right now, keeps it inside your rep range, and adjusts the next set after each one you finish. Had a rough night's sleep? It notices on the first set.
Round toDEFIANT
Round 2: Design and ease of use
Liftosaur describes itself on GitHub as a "weightlifting tracker app for coders", and it shows. Its programs are text you edit, and settings like weight rounding live in equipment menus you have to find. Lifters on its subreddit have also reported lag while editing a program and a bug that stopped exercise swaps from working. DEFIANT is built for the moment you're actually holding the weight: your numbers are already filled in, you tap the check, and the rest timer starts in your Dynamic Island. Everything is one or two taps away.
Round toDEFIANT
Round 3: Getting started
Liftosaur asks you to learn how its programs work. Browse its subreddit and you'll find plenty of friendly help, but also lots of questions about settings, scripts and why a weight got rounded. With DEFIANT you answer eight questions or pick a program, import your history if you have some, and your first workout already has targets that fit you.
Round toDEFIANT
Round 4: Exercise library
Liftosaur has 218 built-in exercises, and you can add your own. DEFIANT has over 400, and every one shows the start and end of the rep with the working muscles lit up, along with a short how-to and the one cue that matters most. Your machines, cables and racks are part of it too, so the app only suggests exercises your gym can actually do.
Round toDEFIANT
Round 5: Programs
Liftosaur ships with about 60 programs and runs them exactly as written, training max percentages and all. That's its home turf. DEFIANT has 26 programs, including versions of 5/3/1 and GZCLP that use rep ranges and weights from your own history, or it builds one for you from eight questions. If you want a famous program to the letter, Liftosaur. If you want one that adapts to you, DEFIANT.
RoundDraw
Round 6: Price
Both have generous free versions. Liftosaur's Premium is cheaper, at $39.99 a year or $99.99 for life, and it's where Liftosaur keeps its graphs, plate calculator and Apple Watch app. DEFIANT's free version already includes your targets and progress charts, Pro is $69.99 a year or $9.99 a month, and our first 1,000 downloads get Pro free for life.
RoundDraw
Round 7: Everything else
DEFIANT remembers what each machine weighs at each of your gyms, treats rings and holds as first-class, runs with GPS inside any workout, and has guided stretching with a voice coach. Liftosaur has body measurements, sleep and nutrition from Apple Health, and a connector so Claude or ChatGPT can write programs for you.
Round toDEFIANT
Scorecard
0Liftosaur5DEFIANT- Deciding your next setDEFIANT
- Design and ease of useDEFIANT
- Getting startedDEFIANT
- Exercise libraryDEFIANT
- ProgramsDraw
- PriceDraw
- Everything elseDEFIANT
Rounds aren't worth the same to everyone. If something on the "Where Liftosaur wins" list matters most to you, Liftosaur might be the better pick.
Where Liftosaur wins
- Famous programs run exactly as written
- Write and share your own progression rules
- Android, iPad and the web
- Cheaper, with a lifetime option
Where DEFIANT wins
- A polished app that's easy to use mid-set
- Targets that fit you with no setup, adjusting set by set
- Over 400 exercises shown start to finish
- Machine weights per gym, plus runs, rings and stretching
Switching from Liftosaur
- In Liftosaur, go to Me → Import / Export and tap Export history to CSV file. Save it to Files, or AirDrop it to your iPhone.
- In DEFIANT, go to Settings → Your data → Import from another app, and choose the file.
- Your Liftosaur program comes across as a plan, with the days and exercises from your latest workouts. Or answer eight questions and let DEFIANT build a new one.
- Every completed workout and set comes across: weight, reps, warm-ups, timed sets and RPE.
- Sets you planned but never finished are left out.
- Liftosaur's exercises are matched to DEFIANT's library, including ones you logged with other equipment, like "Bench Press, Dumbbell".
- Liftoscript rules don't come across. DEFIANT works out your targets from the workouts themselves.
- Importing the same file twice is safe.
Questions
Is DEFIANT better than Liftosaur?
For most lifters, yes. DEFIANT is easier to use, works out your weight and reps with no setup, and adjusts them set by set. Liftosaur is the better pick if you want to write your own progression rules in code, run a famous program exactly as written, or train on Android or the web.
How do I export my data from Liftosaur?
In Liftosaur, go to Me → Import / Export and tap Export history to CSV file. You get one CSV with every set you've logged.
Can I import Liftosaur workouts into DEFIANT?
Yes. Choose Liftosaur's CSV in DEFIANT under Settings → Your data → Import from another app. Your workouts, sets and warm-ups come across, your program is rebuilt as a plan, and your first targets are based on your history.
Is Liftosaur free?
Mostly. Its programs, editor and workout logging are free. Premium adds graphs, the plate calculator, the Apple Watch app and a few more, for $39.99 a year, $4.99 a month or $99.99 for life.
Weight and reps for every set, worked out from your own training. iPhone and Apple Watch. First 1,000 downloads get Pro free for life.
Download on the App Store
Scan with your iPhoneSources
- Liftosaur on the App Store (features and Premium pricing)
- Liftosaur on GitHub ("Weightlifting tracker app for coders")
- r/liftosaur: RP Hypertrophy program thread (setup questions, lag and swap reports)
- Liftosaur features: Premium, import and export
- How DEFIANT picks every target
We make DEFIANT, so this is a vendor's guide, not an independent ranking; we've tried to say plainly where another app is the better pick. DEFIANT isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any app on this page. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it.
