This one's different from our other comparisons. Lyfta isn't a venture-scaled giant - it's a two-person Norwegian team (one of them a PhD in exercise physiology) shipping updates nearly every week, with 4.8 stars on both stores to show for it. BULQ is also an indie app. So consider this a comparison between neighbors: we'll tell you exactly where Lyfta beats us, because it does in places. All Lyfta claims checked against its site and store listings, July 2026.
The short version
Choose Lyfta if you want the biggest exercise video library in the category (5,000+ with HD form guides), unlimited free routines, a web dashboard, or integrations with Strava, MyFitnessPal and Fitbit. Choose BULQ if you want custom exercises and full body tracking free (both are paid in Lyfta), an in-workout plate calculator, automatic insight cards, and a price around a third of Lyfta's - $2.99/month, $19.99/year, $49.99 lifetime vs Lyfta's $9.99/$49/$149. Your Lyfta CSV imports into BULQ in one tap.
Free tier vs free tier
Both apps are ad-free at every tier, and both have genuinely generous free tiers - just cut along different lines. Lyfta gives away breadth: the full 5,000+ exercise library with HD video, unlimited routines, and classic expert programs (StrongLifts 5×5, nSuns, GZCL) at no cost. What it holds back is personalization and history: creating your own exercises is premium, the body measurements tracker is premium, and the unlimited progress timeline is premium.
BULQ cuts the other way: personalization is free - unlimited custom exercises, unlimited custom plans, full body measurements (weight, body fat and ten more metrics) - while charts beyond the last 30 days are what Pro unlocks.
| Free tier | BULQ | Lyfta |
|---|---|---|
| Workout logging | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited |
| Routines | 5 | ✓ Unlimited |
| Custom exercises | ✓ Unlimited, free | Premium |
| Body measurements | ✓ Full, free | Premium |
| Exercise library | 770+ illustrated | ✓ 5,000+ with HD video |
| RPE logging | ✓ | ✓ (+ RIR) |
| Supersets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plate calculator | ✓ In-workout | - |
| Muscle map on workout summary | ✓ | - |
| Automatic insight cards | ✓ | - |
| Progress history / charts | 30 days free, all-time in Pro | Capped free; unlimited timeline is Premium |
| Built-in programs | ✓ Free | ✓ Free (exclusive ones Premium) |
| Ads | None, ever | None |
Lyfta details verified against lyfta.app and store listings, July 6, 2026. Corrections welcome.
What Lyfta does better
The exercise library is remarkable. 5,000+ movements with HD video form guides, free to browse. BULQ's 770+ illustrated cards cover what nearly everyone actually trains, but Lyfta's library is in a different weight class - if video demonstrations guide your training, this row alone might decide it.
Unlimited free routines. BULQ's free tier caps routines at 5 (enough for a PPL or upper/lower split plus spares - but a cap). Lyfta doesn't cap them at all.
Reach. Lyfta runs on iOS and Android, has a web dashboard, supports both Apple Watch and Wear OS, and integrates with Apple Health, Health Connect, Google Fit, Strava, MyFitnessPal and Fitbit. BULQ today is Android + Wear OS + Health Connect, with an iOS version on the way - if you need the wider footprint right now, Lyfta has it.
Where BULQ pulls ahead
Your own exercises, your own body data - free. The two features lifters personalize most are exactly what Lyfta gates: custom exercise creation and the body measurements tracker are both premium there. In BULQ they're free and unlimited. If you train with a homemade cable variation or track a cut weekly, you hit Lyfta's paywall in week one.
In-workout tooling. A plate calculator that opens from the logging input bar, per-set and per-exercise rest-timer overrides, and a muscle-map summary with volume comparison after every session. Lyfta's analytics are strong, but its in-set toolbelt is thinner.
Insight cards. BULQ surfaces what changed without being asked - latest PR, a PR gone stale, a neglected muscle group, a volume anomaly - free, on the dashboard. Lyfta's deeper analysis lives in its premium tier.
A third of the price. Lyfta's subscription page lists Premium at $9.99/month, $49/year (with a 14-day trial) or $149 for lifetime access. BULQ Pro is $2.99/month, $19.99/year, $49.99 lifetime - roughly a third of Lyfta's on every plan. And BULQ's Pro tier has less to unlock in the first place, because the toolkit - custom exercises, body tracking, plate calculator, muscle map - is already free.
Local-first. BULQ works without an account - your log is a database on your phone; sign-in exists only for optional cloud backup.
Switching takes one CSV file
Export a CSV from Lyfta, then import it in BULQ's settings. BULQ auto-detects Lyfta's format - including its set types - and rebuilds your history. And the door swings both ways: BULQ exports your full log as JSON and CSV, free, on every tier. Between two indie apps, data freedom should be table stakes.
Get BULQ on Google PlayVerdict
Lyfta is what a good indie fitness app looks like: focused, fast-moving, honest about being small. If your priorities are a giant video library, unlimited free routines, or the widest platform reach today, pick it - you'll be well served.
BULQ's bet is on a different lifter: the one who customizes - their own exercises, their own plans, their own body metrics - and wants all of that free, with sharper in-workout tools, at a third of Lyfta's price. Since a Lyfta CSV lands in BULQ in one tap, you can hold that bet in your hand by tonight.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my Lyfta workouts into BULQ?
Yes. Export a CSV from Lyfta, then import it in BULQ's settings. BULQ auto-detects Lyfta's format - including its set types - and rebuilds your workout history. No manual re-entry.
Are custom exercises free in Lyfta?
No - creating custom exercises is a Lyfta premium feature, and so is the body measurements tracker. In BULQ both are free: unlimited custom exercises and full body measurements (weight, body fat, and ten more metrics) on the free tier.
How much does Lyfta premium cost?
Lyfta Premium is $9.99/month, $49/year (with a 14-day free trial) or $149 one-time for lifetime access, as listed on lyfta.app in September 2026 - regional prices may vary. BULQ Pro is $2.99/month, $19.99/year or $49.99 lifetime, roughly a third of Lyfta's price on every plan.
Which has more exercises, BULQ or Lyfta?
Lyfta, clearly - it offers 5,000+ exercises with HD video form guides, one of the largest libraries of any tracker, and it's free to browse. BULQ ships 770+ exercises with illustrated cards, muscle maps and written instructions, also free. If library breadth and video demos are your priority, Lyfta wins this row.
Do BULQ and Lyfta both have Wear OS apps?
Yes - both offer a Wear OS watch app, and Lyfta additionally supports Apple Watch since it runs on iOS. BULQ's watch app is Android-native with two-way rest-timer sync: start, adjust or skip the timer from either the phone or the watch and both stay in agreement.
Is Lyfta a good app?
Honestly, yes. Lyfta is a well-made indie tracker with an excellent exercise library, generous free routine limits and active development. The trade-offs versus BULQ are specific: custom exercises and body tracking are paid in Lyfta, its full progress timeline is gated, and its premium runs about three times BULQ's price ($149 vs $49.99 lifetime). Which app fits you depends on which of those you care about.