KovaApp comparison
Last reviewed . Kova is our app.
Both apps tell you what weight to lift next, so the choice comes down to what you want for free and how you want progression to work. Alpha Progression is the better pick if you want a generous free version, 795 exercise videos, and Pro recommendations that change from set to set within a workout. Kova: Lift & Strength Tracker is the better pick if you want a plan built around your schedule and equipment, targets that update after each session from the sets you log, and a short reason every time a target changes. Kova is our app, so this page sticks to facts you can check.
| Feature | Kova | Alpha Progression |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A weekly plan plus next-session targets, with the reason for each change shown. | Set-by-set weight and rep targets, with muscle-focused planning tools. |
| Plan builder | Builds a weekly plan from your goals, experience, equipment, schedule, and session length. Full-body, upper/lower, and push/pull/legs-style splits. | Pro: plan generator from your goal, training days, session length, equipment, and muscle priorities. Push/pull/legs, upper/lower, or full body. Free: build your own plans. |
| How the next weight is set | Sets each target from the sets you log. Reach the top of the rep range and the weight can go up next session. Stall repeatedly and it can recommend a deload. Each target shows why it changed. | Pro: recommends weight and reps before every working set, from previous workouts and the sets you already did that day. Suggests more reps when the next weight is too big a jump. |
| Deloads | Can recommend a deload when you stall repeatedly. | Pro: plan deloads and ramp sets and effort (RIR) week by week. |
| Free version | Subscription required. Check available offers and eligibility in the app. | Yes. Unlimited logging, all exercise videos, your own plans, records, and CSV export. No ads and no account needed. 14-day Pro trial on the yearly plan. |
| Exercise library | 100+ exercises with demonstration videos and step-by-step instructions. | 795 exercises filmed in a real gym, with setup, execution, and form cues. |
| Progress tracking | Strength Index across five movement patterns, training heatmap, volume, strength, and PR trends, with automatic PR detection. | Records after every workout, including estimated 1RM and 10RM. Pro adds charts for strength, volume, and sets per muscle. |
| Offline use | Built for spotty gym reception, with local session recovery and cloud sync. | Works fully offline. |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android. No watch app listed. | iPhone and Android, with Apple Health and Health Connect sync. No Apple Watch app listed. |
| Export and gyms | CSV export of workout history. Separate equipment profiles for each gym. | CSV export. Pro: multiple gyms, each with its own equipment and weights. |
Alpha Progression Pro gives a weight and rep target before every working set. It uses your previous workouts, the sets you already did that day, and the weights available in your gym. Targets shift from set to set to allow for fatigue. When the next dumbbell is too big a jump, it asks for more reps first.
Kova sets each exercise target from the sets you logged last time. When you reach the top of your rep range, the weight can go up next session. When you stall repeatedly, Kova can recommend a deload. Each target shows why it changed, so you can tell a strong-session increase from a reset after repeated misses.
Alpha Progression has the stronger free version. You can log unlimited workouts, build your own plans, watch every exercise video, track records, and export CSV, with no ads and no account. The plan generator and the weight recommendations need Pro, which has a 14-day free trial on the yearly plan.
Kova requires a subscription for its plan and targets. Check available offers and eligibility in the app.
Alpha Progression has been on the App Store since 2019 and has thousands of ratings. Kova was released in May 2026 and has few App Store ratings so far. If a long review history matters to you, the Alpha Progression free version is a low-risk place to start.
Want your next weight set for you, with the reason shown? Kova builds a plan around your goals, equipment, and schedule, then adjusts each target from the sets you log.
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Comparing more than two apps? Read the best progressive overload apps, compared, or see how Kova works as a progressive overload app.