RP Hypertrophy app alternatives
Published November 12, 2026
The best RP Hypertrophy alternative for most lifters leaving over the $34.99/month price is RIRLift: it keeps training in reps in reserve, sets every weight from the reps and RIR you log, and lets Coach plan a block week by week, free on iPhone and Apple Watch. Alpha Progression is the closest paid match, with week-to-week set, rep and RIR changes in Pro for $12.99/month and an Android app. MacroFactor Workouts, JuggernautAI and Fitbod follow for narrower needs.
Free on iPhone and Apple Watch · No account · Coming to Android: join the waitlist
The alternatives, ranked
Ranked for a lifter leaving RP to pay less who still wants a block that builds, weights set from logged effort and RIR on every set. RIRLift does that free on iPhone and Apple Watch; Alpha Progression is the paid pick if you want the plan to change your sets for you on Android.
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1. RIRLift
Best for: RIR training without the subscription: every weight set from your reps in reserve, free
- Price
- Free; Pro $9.99/month or $79.99/year in the US
- Platforms
- iPhone and Apple Watch
Where it wins
- Next weight after every set, free, on iPhone and Apple Watch
- Coach plans a block week by week, with sets, reps and RIR for each week
- Deload offered per lift when it stalls
- Imports Hevy, Strong and FitNotes history
Where it falls short
- Pump and soreness ratings don't change set counts
- No scheduled deload week; it steps back when a lift stalls
- iPhone and Apple Watch only; Android is a waitlist
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2. Alpha Progression
Best for: The closest match: periodized mesocycles for less
- Price
- Free logger; Pro $12.99/month or $79.99/year in the US
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
Where it wins
- Pro varies sets, reps and RIR week to week, with a deload at the end
- A weight and reps for every set, adjusted from set to set
- Free tier logs unlimited workouts with 795 exercise videos
Where it falls short
- Recommendations and periodization are Pro
- Weekly changes follow the plan, not your feedback
- No Apple Watch app
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3. MacroFactor Workouts
Best for: Rule-based auto-progression and Jeff Nippard programs
- Price
- $11.99/month, $47.99 per 6 months or $71.99/year in the US; 7-day trial
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
Where it wins
- Generates a program with set, rep and RIR targets
- Adjustable periodization and weekly set counts per muscle
- Imports Jeff Nippard programs you already own
Where it falls short
- Paid after the 7-day trial
- Can't import past workouts from other apps
- No Apple Watch app
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4. JuggernautAI
Best for: Strength first: powerlifting and powerbuilding
- Price
- $34.99/month in the US; 2-week trial on its website
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
Where it wins
- A readiness check-in adjusts each day's training
- Adjusts set to set, session to session and block to block
- Plans hypertrophy, strength and peaking phases to a meet date
Where it falls short
- The same monthly price as RP
- Built around the squat, bench and deadlift
- Needs a barbell, plates and a rack
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5. Fitbod
Best for: A new session each day around recovery
- Price
- $15.99/month or $95.99/year in the US; 7-day trial
- Platforms
- iPhone, Apple Watch, Android
Where it wins
- Scores recovery per muscle and works around tired ones
- Apple Watch app
- 1,000+ exercises with multi-angle video
Where it falls short
- Logging new workouts needs a subscription after the trial
- Alternates heavier and lighter days by design
- Exercises rotate in by default
What to look for in an RP replacement
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Does it change your volume, or only your weight?
RP's core is set counts that move with your pump and soreness ratings. Alpha Progression changes sets on a plan, MacroFactor Workouts progresses weight and reps by fixed rules, and RIRLift changes weight and reps from your sets, leaving set counts to you. Fitbod builds a new session each time.
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What a year costs
RP is $299.99 a year in the US. Alpha Progression Pro is $79.99, MacroFactor Workouts $71.99, Fitbod $95.99 and RIRLift Pro $79.99, with RIRLift's weight suggestions free. JuggernautAI matches RP's $34.99 a month.
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Where your effort comes from
RP, Alpha Progression, MacroFactor Workouts and RIRLift all work in reps in reserve. JuggernautAI adjusts from RPE and a daily readiness check. Fitbod takes RIR as an extra signal.
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Phone in the locker?
Of these five, only Fitbod and RIRLift have an Apple Watch app. RIRLift's Watch app is free and sets the next weight between sets.
Switching off RP, in practice
Leaving RP at renewal, four days a week
Eighteen months on RP, upper/lower four days a week. The $299.99 renewal is due, and the lifter wants to keep training in reps in reserve.
| App | What it does here | For this lifter |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Progression | Rebuild the plan in Pro with periodization on: sets, reps and RIR change week to week, with a deload at the end. | The closest match, at $79.99 a year. |
| RIRLift | Rebuild the four routines, the free limit, and log RIR. Weights come from each set; sets stay as written, and a stalled lift gets a deload offer. | Fits if you'll manage set counts yourself and want to pay nothing. |
| MacroFactor Workouts | Generate an upper/lower program with set, rep and RIR targets; weights and reps then progress on their own. | Fits at $71.99 a year, if you can start a fresh log. |
| JuggernautAI | Built around the squat, bench and deadlift, at RP's monthly price. | Not for this lifter unless strength becomes the goal. |
Alpha Progression replaces RP's weekly ramp. RIRLift replaces its price.
First push day after RP, logged in RIRLift
Same lifter, week 1 in RIRLift. The machine incline press is planned at 10 reps with 2 left, in an 8–12 range.
| Exercise | You logged | Next session | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Incline Press | 140 lb, 10 / 9 / 9, 1 left | 140 lb × 10 | Every set inside 8–12 but none at 12, and the weakest set fell short of today's 10. Weight and target both hold. |
| Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 20 lb, 15 / 15 / 14, 1 left (target 14) | 20 lb × 15 | Not every set reached 15, so the dumbbells stay. The weakest set hit today's 14, so the target moves to 15. |
No soreness rating and no week number: next session's weights came from the sets.
Plans for lifters leaving RP
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The best workout routine for the days you can train
4 days a week: upper/lower
The four-day upper/lower week from the first example, within the 4 free routines.
4× a week · 68 sets a week · ~40 min
Add to RIRLiftSee the planAdd to RIRLift
Scan with your iPhone camera to add this plan.
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The best workout plan for muscle gain, for where you are now
Legs are ahead, upper body lags
Extra upper-body volume, for lifters who used RP's Emphasize on chest, back or arms.
4× a week · 70 sets a week · ~45 min
Add to RIRLiftSee the planAdd to RIRLift
Scan with your iPhone camera to add this plan.
Make it fit you
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Set targets in reps in reserve
Set each exercise's target, like 2 left, and log what you actually had. RPE targets convert too: RPE 8 is 2 left.
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Start from your current weights
RIRLift imports Hevy, Strong and FitNotes files, not RP's export. Tap Edit starting weights under the routine picker and enter your current working weights. They show as Yours, and the next weight is worked out from them.
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Change volume between blocks
RIRLift won't add sets on its own. Check the weekly muscle map, then add a set to the routine yourself or ask Coach to draft the next block.
When a different app fits better
- You want the app to set your volume from pump and soreness. Stay with RP. Nothing here does it the same way.
- You train on Android. Alpha Progression, MacroFactor Workouts or JuggernautAI. RIRLift is iPhone and Apple Watch only.
- Strength is the goal, with a meet on the calendar. JuggernautAI, which RP's own help center recommends for strength.
Questions
What is a good alternative to the RP Hypertrophy app?
RIRLift, if you want to keep training in RIR without paying: every weight comes from your reps in reserve, and Coach can plan sets and RIR week by week, free on iPhone and Apple Watch. Alpha Progression is the closest paid option, at $12.99/month, and runs on Android.
Is there a free RP Hypertrophy alternative?
RIRLift's free tier sets a weight for every set and runs on Apple Watch, with up to 4 active routines. Alpha Progression's free tier is a logger; its recommendations are Pro.
Is Alpha Progression better than RP?
It's cheaper, has a free tier and plans weekly changes in advance. RP changes sets from your feedback instead. Alpha Progression vs RP Hypertrophy goes row by row.
Can I run RP-style mesocycles in a regular tracker?
Yes, by hand: write the block, add sets as the weeks go, deload at the end. RIRLift handles the weights and offers a deload when a lift stalls. The mesocycle guide covers the rest.
Read next
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RP Hypertrophy app review
What RP does with your sets, and whether it's worth $34.99.
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JuggernautAI vs RP Hypertrophy
If strength, not size, is the reason you're leaving.
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Alpha Progression review
The top pick here, free tier and Pro.
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What is a mesocycle?
Running a block without RP deciding the sets.
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Free workout tracker apps
Free tiers compared.
More ways lifters use RIRLift
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RP Hypertrophy app review
How RP sets your volume from pump and soreness, what it costs, and who should pick something else.
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Alpha Progression review
What Alpha Progression's free tier and Pro do with your sets, and what's missing.
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The hypertrophy app that sets your load from reps in reserve
RIR on every set, weekly sets per muscle, and deloads when a lift stalls instead of on a calendar.