Overbar vs the 20 pull-ups apps
The top two App Store results for “pull up”, Fitness22’s Pull ups: 20 pull-ups trainer and Zen Labs’ 20 Pull Ups Trainer Challenge, build you up to 20 with sets of pull-ups. Overbar takes you from zero to your first, with hangs, holds and slow lowers. Can already do a few? Pick a 20 pull-ups app.
By Aleksandr Chichkanov, maker of Overbar · Updated October 27, 2026
We make Overbar, so we’ve stuck to facts you can check on each app’s App Store listing (checked October 2026), and we say where the other apps are the better pick.
In short: If you can do one to five strict pull-ups and want more, either 20 pull-ups app is a simple, cheap plan for it. If you can’t do one yet, start with a plan that builds the first rep: Overbar measures your hang, hold and lower on Day 1 and works up from there. Once you can do five, a 0-to-20 plan is a good next step.
At a glance
| What | Overbar | Pull ups: 20 pull-ups trainer (Fitness22) | 20 Pull Ups Trainer Challenge (Zen Labs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Zero to your first strict pull-up, then five | 0 to 20 pull-ups in 20 weeks | 0 to 20 pull-ups in 6 weeks |
| The plan | Six stages: hangs and rows, top holds, slow lowers, then fresh tries | Three levels: 0–8 pull-ups in 8 weeks, 8–14 in 6, 14–20 in 6; three workouts a week | Rep sets with voice cues, plus “a built-in program” for people who can’t do one yet |
| Measures you first | Day 1: hang, top hold, slow lower, rows | No starting test described | No starting test described |
| Estimated date | Yes, with a range | No | No |
| Price | Free download; Day 1 and Quick Hangs free. Pro $49.99/yr with a 1-week free trial, or $5.99/wk | Free download; $2.99 once for Lifetime Premium, or $1.99 for 3 months | Free download, first 2 weeks free; Zen Unlimited Pass $4.99/mo or $74.99/yr (all Zen Labs apps) |
| Last updated | 2026 | September 2018 | September 2026 |
| Runs on | iPhone and iPad, iOS 26 or later | iPhone, iOS 9 or later | iPhone, iOS 16 or later |
| Languages | English | 32 | English |
| App Privacy label | Data Not Linked to You | No details provided | Data Not Linked to You |
| US ratings | New, none yet | 4.9 from about 1,400 | 4.6 from 892 |
Where the 20 pull-ups apps are stronger
- More reps, once you have some. Both are built to take you to 20; Overbar stops at five in a row.
- Price. Fitness22’s lifetime upgrade is $2.99, once. Zen Labs’ pass covers all its apps.
- Voice-coached sets. Both coach each workout by voice.
- Older iPhones and more languages. Fitness22’s app runs on iOS 9 and comes in 32 languages.
- Counting and community. Zen Labs’ September 2026 update counts reps automatically and adds a community feed.
- Years of ratings. Hundreds to more than a thousand each.
Where Overbar is stronger
- Week one has no pull-ups in it, unless you can already do one. You start with what you can do: hangs, rows, then holds with your chin over the bar.
- It measures you first. Day 1, free, times your hang, top hold, slow lower and rows, and your plan starts there.
- Top holds and slow lowers in every stage that needs them. Holds build strength mostly at the angle you hold (Oranchuk 2019), and lowering builds more strength than lifting the same load (Roig 2009).
- It adapts. “Too hard” eases the next sets; “Something hurts” skips the move and makes the plan gentler; a check-in every two weeks measures you again and moves your date, and you move up a stage when you reach its goal.
- An estimated date for your first pull-up, with a range, updated after every workout.
- Your equipment, or none yet: a doorway bar, bands, a gym, or rows under a table until you have a bar.
Which one should you pick?
Count your strict pull-ups, from a dead hang, chin over the bar. None? Start with a plan for the first one; the can’t do a pull-up guide has where to begin, and Overbar is built for it. One to five? Either 20 pull-ups app fits; Overbar’s Rep Builder also takes you to five. More than five? A 20 pull-ups app is the better tool.
Questions
Can I use a 20 pull-ups app if I can’t do a single pull-up?
Their plans are built on pull-up reps. Zen Labs’ listing mentions a built-in program for people who can’t do one yet; Fitness22’s first level runs from 0 to 8 pull-ups. If you can’t hang for 30 seconds or hold your chin over the bar yet, start with hangs, holds and slow lowers, and switch once you can do a few.
How long does it take to get from 0 to 20 pull-ups?
Fitness22’s plan is 20 weeks; Zen Labs’ listing says 6 weeks. From none, the first one alone takes beginners anywhere from 2 to 12 months.
Is the Fitness22 pull-ups app still updated?
Its App Store listing shows the last update in September 2018 (version 8.004). It still runs on iOS 9 or later.
Which is cheapest?
Fitness22’s: $2.99 once. Zen Labs’ pass is $4.99 a month or $74.99 a year for all its apps. Overbar’s Day 1 and Quick Hangs are free, and Pro is $49.99 a year with a free week, or $5.99 a week.
What do I do after my first pull-up in Overbar?
Rep Builder takes you from one to five in a row. After that, a 0-to-20 plan is a good next step.
Can’t do one yet? Start here.
Overbar builds your first pull-up from hangs, holds and slow lowers, measured on Day 1, with a date that moves after every workout. Day 1 and Quick Hangs are free; Pro is $49.99 a year with a free week, or $5.99 a week.
Download on the App Store