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Best Push-Up Counter Apps in 2026, Honestly Compared

Seven push-up counter apps compared from their own store listings: how each one counts, what it costs, and who it suits. Written by the makers of Beastie.

By the Beastie team · 3 October 2026

The best push-up counter app is the one whose extras you actually want, because the counting itself has become good across the board: most new apps watch you through the phone camera and count a rep when your elbows bend and straighten again. Cadence is the strongest free camera counter (Android only), Push Up Counter & Tracker is the most established on iPhone and Apple Watch, and Beastie is the one built for settling it with a friend.

We make Beastie, so read our entry with that in mind. Everything below about the other apps comes from their own App Store listings, Google Play listings and websites, read on 3 October 2026. Prices are US App Store prices and can change; ratings are US App Store figures as of October 2026.

The seven apps at a glance

App	How it counts	Exercises	Head-to-head	Price	Platforms
Beastie	Camera, on the phone	Push-ups, squats, jumping jacks	Challenge links, live 60-second duels	First set free, then a subscription with a 7-day trial	iPhone, Android
Cadence	Camera, on the phone	7, including plank, pull-ups and dips	Live 60-second duels, async challenges, groups	Free, no ads	Android
PushApp	Camera, on the phone	Push-ups	Live duels, private and global leaderboards	Free; Pro $9.99, Pro Yearly $99.99	iPhone, Android, web
Push Up Counter & Tracker	Camera (ARKit / Vision)	Push-ups	Friends, country and world leaderboards	Free; Pro $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr	iPhone, Apple Watch
Pushup RPG	Camera, on the phone	Push-ups, squats and more	Live 40-second duels	Free; subscriptions and gem packs	iPhone, Android
Push Up Arena	Camera	Push-ups, squats, sit-ups, planks and more	Live 1v1 battles	Features require a subscription, from $9.99	iPhone
Push Up Counter - 100 Pushups	Proximity sensor or nose tap	Push-ups	Friends and global leaderboards	Free; PRO $3.99/mo or $19.99/yr	iPhone, Android

Beastie: best for settling it with a friend

Beastie is a rep duel. You prop your phone up, the camera counts your push-ups, squats or jumping jacks, and a live skeleton is drawn over you so you can see what it sees. Only clean reps count: for a push-up, your elbows have to bend past about 90 degrees and come back to straight arms, with your body line checked on the way. If it is not sure, it does not count. How the counting works explains the thresholds.

The reason it exists is the challenge. You send a friend a number as a link ("27 push-ups. Your move, beastie."), they open it in a browser and see what they are up against, and they answer with the app, any time in the next seven days. Or you go live: same 60 seconds, two cameras, most clean reps wins. Either way there is a rematch button on the verdict. With nobody around you can duel the mascot, chase your own PRs and streaks, or follow a camera-counted plan.

Good: strict count, friend challenges that open without the app, video never uploaded or stored, iPhone and Android, no ads.
Limits: only three exercises. You need room to prop the phone with your body in frame. After your first counted set it needs Beastie Pro, which starts with a 7-day free trial, though answering a friend's challenge is always free.

Cadence: best free camera counter on Android

Cadence counts seven bodyweight exercises: push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, crunches, glute bridges and a plank timer. Its listing is upfront that form coaching covers push-ups and plank only, and that "the other five are counted, not graded". It is free, with "no locked content, no ads, no subscription", and you can train without an account. An account is needed only for duels and challenges, which include live 60-second 1v1 duels, sealed async challenges and group leaderboards.

When we tried Cadence on an Android phone, it counted push-ups and squats accurately. Its site says Cadence is Android-only for now. The full comparison is in Beastie vs Cadence.

PushApp: best for push-up leaderboards and shareable clips

PushApp counts push-ups with on-device pose detection, and its site says you can start without signing up. It leans on competition: a global leaderboard, private crew leaderboards joined by invite code, PUSH KOMBAT live 1v1 duels "camera to camera", a "PushApp Clock" that fills at 78 reps a lap, and a 1080×1920 video with the rep counter baked in for posting. It also has XP and ranks. Counting, tracking and share cards are free. PushApp Pro is listed at $9.99 and Pro Yearly at $99.99. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web. It has 6 ratings on the US App Store as of October 2026. More in our PushApp alternative guide.

Push Up Counter & Tracker: best for iPhone and Apple Watch stats

Push Up Counter & Tracker (also called Puuush, by wsfu) counts push-ups through the camera using Apple's ARKit and Vision, and has an Apple Watch app that counts with motion sensors. It has four workout modes, a personalised "My Plan", seasonal events with trophies and medals, friends and world leaderboards, Strava and Apple Health export, and over 30 widgets. Pro is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year. It has 3,380 ratings on the US App Store as of October 2026, averaging 4.8.

Pushup RPG: best if you want a full game

Pushup RPG wraps a camera counter in a role-playing game: a story campaign across eight biomes, 48 enemies and bosses, loot, and live 40-second duels where "a tug-of-war rope moves with every rep". Push-ups and squats both count. It is free to download, with a "Vigil" subscription from $4.99 a week, a $99.99 lifetime option and gem packs. It has 965 ratings on the US App Store as of October 2026, averaging 4.8, and its site says it is on iPhone and Android.

Push Up Arena: best for bosses, dungeons and ranks

Push Up Arena turns sets into boss battles, dungeons, quests, a horde mode and ranks up to Champion, with XP and levels throughout. Its listing names push-ups, squats, sit-ups and planks, and live 1v1 battles against real players. Its listing says the features described "require a subscription", and its "Unlimited Access" plans run from $9.99 to $39.99. It has 3,135 ratings on the US App Store as of October 2026, averaging 4.6, and the listing is for iPhone. We wrote a fuller Push Up Arena alternative page.

Push Up Counter - 100 Pushups: best if you'd rather not use the camera

Foxyfitness's app counts "completed push-ups by the proximity sensor or your nose": you touch the phone at the bottom of each rep. It adds a three-level training plan, a voice coach, goals, streaks, and leaderboards you can set up for a group of co-workers. PRO is $3.99 a month or $19.99 a year. It has 812 ratings on the US App Store as of October 2026, averaging 4.8, and is also on Google Play.

Who should pick which

You want it free and you're on Android: Cadence.
You want the most exercises: Cadence or Push Up Arena.
You want to beat a specific friend, live or over a week: Beastie.
You want to climb a public push-up leaderboard: PushApp or Push Up Counter & Tracker.
You want a game with bosses and loot: Pushup RPG or Push Up Arena.
You train with an Apple Watch: Push Up Counter & Tracker.
You'd rather not have a camera on you: Push Up Counter - 100 Pushups.

What to check before you install

Whichever app you pick, test three things on your first set:

Does it count a half-rep? Do two shallow ones on purpose. A counter that takes them is flattering you, and the number stops meaning anything, especially against a friend. Our push-up competition rules spell out what a fair rep is.
Where does the video go? Read the privacy section of the listing, not just the marketing page.
What happens after the first session? Some apps are free throughout, some gate features behind a subscription from the start, and some, like Beastie, give you a free set first.

If you want a baseline before you choose, see how many push-ups the published fitness norms expect at your age, or read more about the push-up counter and the rep counter app. Ready to try Beastie? Get it here.

Questions people ask

What is the best push-up counter app?

It depends on what you want around the count. For a free camera counter on Android, Cadence is hard to beat. For settling it with a friend by challenge link or a live 60-second duel, Beastie is built for that. For iPhone stats with an Apple Watch, Push Up Counter & Tracker is the most established.

Is there a free push-up counter app that uses the camera?

Yes. Cadence on Android says it is free with no ads and no subscription. PushApp's counter, tracking and share cards are free, with an optional Pro plan. Beastie's first counted set is free and answering a friend's challenge is always free; after that it needs a subscription with a 7-day free trial.

How do push-up counter apps count reps?

Most new ones use the phone camera and a pose model that tracks your joints, then count a rep when your elbows bend far enough and straighten again. Older ones use the proximity sensor, so you touch your nose or chest to the phone at the bottom of each rep.

Do these apps upload video of my workout?

Beastie and Cadence both say the counting happens on the phone and no video is uploaded or stored. PushApp says counting is on-device, but video leaves the phone if you render a shareable clip while signed in or turn on split screen in a duel. Check each app's privacy label before you install.

Which push-up counter app lets me compete with friends?

Beastie, Cadence, PushApp, Pushup RPG and Push Up Arena all have some form of head-to-head. Beastie's challenge is a link your friend opens in a browser, so they can see what they are up against before installing anything.

Sources

Send a rep battle. Let the camera judge.

Beastie counts push-ups, squats and jumping jacks on your phone — only clean reps count — and your friend can answer from a link, no app needed to see it.

Get Beastie