Comparison

Virgin Active UK vs Virgin Active SA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Virgin Active UK

This app rewards users for achieving personal wellness goals with exclusive partner benefits. Access on-demand classes and book club sessions to support your fitness journey anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Real rewards for wellness goals
  • Book club classes
  • On-demand fitness classes
  • Personalized wellness support
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Virgin Active’s new wellness app that gives you real rewards for hitting your personal wellness goals. - Real rewards: Instant fist-bumps from iconic partners - Real endorphins: Book all your fave club classes - Real support: Train anywhere, anytime, with on-demand classes Designed to support real progress with real rewards and guidance, this isn’t an app… It’s your personal, free smoothie-giving, endorphin unleashing, goal crushing, wellness weapon.

About

Virgin Active SA

This app rewards you for achieving personal wellness goals with exclusive partner offers. Access on-demand classes, book club sessions up to 8 days ahead, and use your digital card for club entry. It's designed to support your progress with guidance and tangible benefits.

Highlights
  • Real rewards from partners
  • Book club classes up to 8 days in advance
  • Digital access card for club entry
  • On-demand classes for anytime training
  • Personalized wellness guidance
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Virgin Active’s new wellness app that gives you real rewards for hitting your personal wellness goals. • Real rewards: Instant fist-bumps from iconic partners • Real endorphins: Book all your fave club classes up to 8 days in advance • Scan the app to enter the club with your digital access card • Real support: Train anywhere, anytime, with on-demand classes • Designed to support real progress with real rewards and guidance, this isn’t an app… It’s your personal, free smoothie-giving, endorphin unleashing, goal crushing, wellness weapon.

Screenshots

Virgin Active UK4 screens
Virgin Active SA4 screens

Verdict

The call

Virgin Active UK and Virgin Active SA both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 44% of Virgin Active UK's written reviews are positive against 6% of Virgin Active SA's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Virgin Active UK against 4.8 for Virgin Active SA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 682 and 740 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Virgin Active UK's written reviews are positive against 6% of Virgin Active SA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virgin Active UK ships an update monthly, Virgin Active SA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Virgin Active UK versus Virgin Active SA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirgin Active UKVirgin Active SA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (682 ratings)4.8 (740 ratings)
Positive reviews44.5% of reviews — better5.8% of reviews
Number of ratings682740 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size350 MB325 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVirgin Active UKVirgin Active South Africa

Customer experience

Virgin Active UK

All ratings682 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews209 reviews
Positive44.5%
Neutral8.1%
Negative47.4%

Virgin Active SA

All ratings740 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive5.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative88.5%

User reviews

Virgin Active UK

From 682 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent facilities
  • 👍 Friendly and attentive staff
  • 👍 Great atmosphere and clean gym
  • 👍 Effective and entertaining services
  • 👍 Relaxing environment

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App login and password issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable app functionality
  • 🐛 Inconsistent app updates
  • 🐛 Buggy rewards system
  • 🐛 Cluttered and confusing app design

Virgin Active SA

From 740 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Clean and convenient layout
  • 💡 Digital membership card functionality
  • 🎯 Well-thought-out design approach

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login failures and authentication errors
  • ⚠️ Rewards system doesn't work reliably
  • 🐢 Extremely slow app performance
  • ❌ Gym session tracking not registering
  • 🔄 Inconsistent functionality across devices

Bugs and requests

Virgin Active UK

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App login and password issues
  • Rewards system not functioning properly
  • Inconsistent app updates breaking functionality
  • Booked classes not syncing to calendar
  • Waitlist position not visible in app

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add ability to view waitlist position
  • Improve class booking and cancellation flow
  • Provide more class and facility information in app
  • Enhance rewards system functionality
  • Simplify app design and navigation
Show 3 more
  • Improve app reliability and stability
  • Add ability to sync booked classes to calendar
  • Provide guest pass management in app

Virgin Active SA

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Login error messages with no resolution
  • Password reset emails delayed or not received
  • App freezes during booking attempts
  • Gym attendance not logged for rewards
  • Rewards expiring before being credited
Show 10 more
  • Inconsistent reward tracking between users
  • Internet connection errors despite valid connection
  • Session timeout and forced re-login
  • Account creation errors during registration
  • Class cancellation not reflected in app
  • Timetables fail to load
  • App crashes on password reset screen
  • Add-to-calendar button non-functional on iPhone
  • Rewards goals resetting incorrectly
  • Club entry button disappeared after update

Requested features

8 requests
  • Apple Wallet integration for digital card
  • Apple Watch device support
  • Graphical display of visit statistics per month
  • Bike assignment visibility for spinning bookings
  • Club entry button on home page
Show 3 more
  • Instructor rating/comments functionality
  • Class calendar add-to-calendar functionality
  • Cross-club timetable access for weekend bookings

In-app purchases

None

Virgin Active UK

No in-app purchases

None

Virgin Active SA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Virgin Active UK free?
Virgin Active UK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Virgin Active SA free?
Virgin Active SA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Virgin Active UK or Virgin Active SA?
Virgin Active UK and Virgin Active SA are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 682 and 740 ratings respectively.
Do Virgin Active UK or Virgin Active SA have ads?
Neither Virgin Active UK nor Virgin Active SA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virgin Active UK or Virgin Active SA?
Virgin Active UK ships an update monthly, and Virgin Active SA every 2 months. Most recently, Virgin Active UK was updated on September 23, 2026 and Virgin Active SA on September 7, 2026.

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