For quad growth
For quad growth, the two are close. Front-foot-elevated split squat rates slightly higher: more stretch.
Smith machine squat is easier to progress.
Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Front-Foot-Elevated Split Squat. Raising the front foot buys extra depth, and the quads work hardest in that stretch.
Smith Machine Squat. A squat on rails, so you can place your feet forward and push the quads hard without balancing a bar.
For quad growth, the two are close. Front-foot-elevated split squat rates slightly higher: more stretch. Smith machine squat is easier to progress. Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Front-foot-elevated split squat needs dumbbells and a weight plate, so a home gym covers it. Smith machine squat needs a Smith machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.