Comparison Guide
Short answer: Hevy is the better strength logger — per-exercise charts, structured routines, and an open API. WHOOP is the better recovery layer — HRV, strain, and readiness. For most serious lifters the right answer is both: Hevy for the lift, WHOOP for the recovery, and a tool like StrengthInsight to combine screenshots from either into one progression view.
WHOOP and Hevy get compared a lot, but they're not really the same product. They overlap on workout logging, but their reason-for-existing is different:
That means the question "WHOOP vs Hevy" is really three questions: which is better for logging, which is better for progression, and which is better for recovery context. The answers aren't all the same.
| Feature | WHOOP | Hevy |
|---|---|---|
| Set/rep/weight logging | ✓ via Strength Trainer | ✓ Native, structured |
| Programmable routines / templates | ✗ No | ✓ Full routine builder |
| Per-exercise progression charts | ✗ No | ✓ Built-in |
| Estimated 1RM trend | ✗ No | ~ Best set view |
| PR tracking | ✗ No | ✓ Per exercise |
| Plateau detection | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Recovery / readiness score | ✓ Industry-leading | ✗ Not its job |
| HRV tracking | ✓ Continuous | ✗ No |
| Sleep tracking | ✓ Detailed staging | ✗ No |
| Strain score (training load) | ✓ Whole-day | ✗ No |
| Open API for workout data | ✗ No (Strength Trainer not exposed) | ✓ Yes |
| CSV export of lifts | ✗ Limited | ✓ Yes |
| Hardware required | WHOOP band/membership | No — phone only |
| Free tier | Subscription | Free + Pro tier |
If your only criterion is "which app shows me whether my lifts are improving," Hevy wins outright. It's purpose-built for that question. You get:
WHOOP Strength Trainer captures the same raw data — exercises, sets, reps, weights — but doesn't surface a per-exercise trend view. That's the gap most WHOOP-only lifters run into and the reason guides like how to track WHOOP Strength Trainer progression exist.
Hevy doesn't do recovery. That's not a knock — it's not what it's for. WHOOP is built around the question "is your body ready to train hard today?" and it's better at that than almost anything else on the market:
This is the layer Hevy can't replace. Knowing you slept badly and your HRV is suppressed is what lets you make the right call about whether to push a heavy squat day or back off. Without that signal, you're guessing.
For more on the recovery side specifically, see the best fitness trackers for sleep and recovery in 2026.
This is where the two diverge sharply.
Hevy has an open developer API. You can pull workout history (exercises, sets, reps, weights, dates) programmatically. CSV export is supported. If you want to own and analyse your strength data, Hevy lets you.
WHOOP has an API too, but it does not expose Strength Trainer set-level data. You can pull recovery, HRV, sleep, and strain — but not the actual sets/reps/weights from your lifting sessions. This is a real limitation for anyone wanting to do their own progression analysis. Full breakdown: can you access WHOOP Strength Trainer data via API?
The honest answer most lifters arrive at after a few months is: use both.
That stack gives you the complete loop: program intelligently (Hevy), train, recover (WHOOP), and verify it's actually working (StrengthInsight).
📈 See your full progression — WHOOP and Hevy in one view
Upload a screenshot from WHOOP Strength Trainer or Hevy and StrengthInsight extracts every set, rep, and weight — then builds estimated 1RM trends, PR tracking, and plateau alerts automatically.
Try StrengthInsight free →Hevy is the better dedicated strength logger. WHOOP is the better recovery layer. Most serious lifters end up using both.
No. Hevy is a workout logger — it doesn't track HRV, sleep, or recovery. For that you need a wearable like WHOOP or Oura.
Not directly. WHOOP doesn't expose Strength Trainer per-set data via API, so there's no clean import path. The screenshot route via StrengthInsight is the practical workaround if you want one consolidated progression view.
Yes. Hevy's core logging and progression features are free. Hevy Pro adds advanced features like custom exercises, more analytics, and theming.
Only if you want the recovery layer. WHOOP's value is HRV, sleep, and readiness — not workout logging itself. If recovery data isn't a priority for you, Hevy alone is enough.