Comparison

Virgin Active SA vs Strove

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

Head to head
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.

About

Strove

This app helps you build healthier habits for improved physical and mental wellbeing. It rewards your daily activities with coins that unlock real-world benefits. Connect your existing health apps and devices for automatic tracking and join team challenges for motivation.

Highlights
  • Activity tracking for rewards
  • Connects with health apps/devices
  • Team challenges and leaderboards
  • Guided meditations and workouts
  • Progress streaks and points
  • Rewards for self-care
Features
Read full description

Strove helps you feel better every day, at work and beyond. If you’ve been invited, you’re already a member of an organisation that cares about your wellbeing and wants to support you in building healthier habits. With Strove, everyday actions add up. Walk more, move your body, take a moment to reset your mind, or prioritise better sleep. Your activity turns into coins, and your coins unlock real rewards. It’s wellbeing that feels motivating, not overwhelming. Everything works quietly in the background. Connect the apps and devices you already use and let Strove track your progress automatically. No spreadsheets. No pressure. Just a clear picture of how small choices are boosting your physical and mental wellbeing over time. You’re never doing it alone. Join challenges with colleagues, cheer each other on, and climb leaderboards together. Friendly competition keeps things fun, while shared goals help teams feel more connected and energised. When you need a moment for yourself, Strove gives you access to supportive content that fits real life. From guided meditations and workouts to expert-led sessions, you can choose what helps you feel more balanced, focused, and confident. Why people love using Strove You stay motivated with points, rewards, and streaks that celebrate progress You build healthier habits without overthinking it You feel more connected to your team through shared challenges You get support for both body and mind in one simple app You’re rewarded for looking after yourself Strove works with leading health and activity apps, including Apple Health, Google Fit, Strava, Fitbit, Garmin, Oura, Polar, Suunto, Wahoo, Zwift, Zepp, and Ultrahuman. The app is free for members of organisations partnered with Strove. Feel better. Move more. Build habits you’re proud of. That’s Strove.

Screenshots

Virgin Active SA4 screens
Strove4 screens

Verdict

The call

Virgin Active SA and Strove both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 98% of Strove's written reviews are positive against 6% of Virgin Active SA's. Strove also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Virgin Active SA's advantage is ratings volume (740 vs 6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 SA against 4.8 for Strove. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Virgin Active SA has 740 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 6% of Virgin Active SA's written reviews are positive against 98% of Strove's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virgin Active SA ships an update every 2 months, Strove weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Virgin Active SA versus Strove: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirgin Active SAStrove
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (740 ratings)4.8 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews5.8% of reviews98.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings740 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size325 MB127 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperVirgin Active South AfricaStrove Ventures

Customer experience

Virgin Active SA

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

Strove

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive98.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative0.0%

User reviews

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

Strove

From 6 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 🏆 Motivates users to be active
  • 🎁 Offers rewards and discounts
  • 🤝 Fosters community and competition
  • 🧘‍♀️ Includes mindfulness and wellness content

Room to improve

  • 🏃‍♂️ Primarily focused on running/cardio
  • 🏋️ Strength training content feels neglected

Bugs and requests

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

Strove

Requested features

2 requests
  • More diverse workout options, especially for strength training
  • Allow manual Strava entries for treadmill walks

In-app purchases

None

Virgin Active SA

No in-app purchases

None

Strove

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Virgin Active SA free?
Virgin Active SA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Strove free?
Strove is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Virgin Active SA or Strove?
Virgin Active SA and Strove are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 740 and 6 ratings respectively.
Do Virgin Active SA or Strove have ads?
Neither Virgin Active SA nor Strove shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virgin Active SA or Strove?
Virgin Active SA ships an update every 2 months, and Strove weekly. Most recently, Virgin Active SA was updated on September 7, 2026 and Strove on September 13, 2026.

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