A Workout Tracker You Pay For Once

Anvil Workout is a one-time purchase. There's no subscription, no in-app purchase and no account, and every feature is included on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. This page sets out what that gets you, what it doesn't, and the questions worth asking of any tracker you compare it with.

What one payment covers

You buy Anvil Workout once, with your Apple Account. The same purchase covers your iPhone and your iPad, and the Apple Watch app comes with the iPhone app. Updates come with it too, and there is nothing to unlock later.

On a new phone or a second iPad, open the App Store, find Anvil Workout under Purchased and download it again without paying again. There is no Restore Purchases button, because there are no in-app purchases to restore. With Family Sharing turned on, up to six family members can use it, each on their own devices and with their own history.

Deleting the app is different. Your history lives in the app's storage on the device, so it goes with the app, and downloading Anvil again starts empty. If you want a copy first, export a CSV from Settings, but keep in mind that Anvil can't import that file back.

What a subscription can pay for

A subscription isn't a worse model. It pays for different things. Running servers lets a tracker keep your history in an account, sync it between devices, offer a web version, and add social features, coaching or generated programs. A one-time purchase can't easily carry those costs, so Anvil Workout doesn't offer them.

Plans also differ more than the word suggests. Some trackers have a free tier, some sell a lifetime option beside the subscription, and what stays available when you stop paying varies from app to app. Check the plan you're considering on its maker's own pages.

Questions to ask of any tracker

These decide whether your training history stays yours. Here is how Anvil Workout answers each one.

Question	Anvil Workout
What does it cost?	One payment on the App Store, in your currency. No subscription and no in-app purchases.
Is anything behind a further payment?	No. Every feature is included, on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Can my family use it?	Yes. It supports Family Sharing, so up to six family members can use it.
Do I need an account?	No. There's nothing to sign up for and nothing to sign in to.
Does it work without a signal?	Yes. Planning, running and reviewing a workout need no connection. What works offline.
Where is my history stored?	In the app's storage on your device, and never uploaded. Your iPhone and iPad each keep their own.
Can I take my history out?	Yes. Export your workouts, exercises and sets as a CSV file from Settings, at any time. Programs aren't part of the export.
Can I bring my history in?	From Strong or Hevy, as a CSV file. How the import works.
What happens on a new phone?	Your history moves with your iPhone's backup, through iCloud Backup or a computer. Without a backup it stays on the old phone.
What if updates stop?	The app you have keeps working, with your history in it, for as long as your version of iOS runs it.

What you give up

Anvil Workout has no server, and that has a cost. Your iPhone and iPad don't sync with each other, there's no web or Android version, and there are no social features, coaching or generated programs. Your history is as safe as your device backup, because there is no copy of it in an account.

Who Anvil Workout is for

If you follow your own program, want to log fast, would rather pay once and like your training history on your own devices, Anvil Workout is built for you. If you want a feed, a leaderboard, a coach, or your history on several devices at once, a tracker built around an account will suit you better.