# Playbook vs MacrosFirst

The clearest difference is monetization model: MacrosFirst at freemium against Playbook's subscription. Playbook's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Playbook sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and MacrosFirst sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Playbook against 4.9 for MacrosFirst. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37K and 23K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Playbook's written reviews are positive against 74% of MacrosFirst's.

Playbook ships an update every 4 days, MacrosFirst weekly. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Playbook | MacrosFirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playbook-trainers-and-workouts/id1107266414/reviews)** | [4.9 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrosfirst-macro-tracker/id1253012487/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 23K |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 74.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | #191 | **#90** |
| Size | 171 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Playbook Technologies Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1079309001) | [MacrosFirst, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275597328) |

## What reviewers say

### Playbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playbook-trainers-and-workouts/id1107266414)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

Access thousands of workouts and classes from top fitness influencers, trainers, and athletes. Support your favorite creators directly with your subscription. Workout at home, at the gym, or while traveling with offline downloads and live streaming options.

**Highlights:** Creator-supported workouts, Thousands of classes and programs, Direct communication with creators, Offline workout downloads, Live streaming classes, Wellness guides (nutrition, mindset), Progress tracking

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Playbook Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Playbook Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Playbook Premium | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Playbook Premium | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💪 Challenging and effective workouts
- 🙌 Variety of trainers and workout styles
- 📈 Helpful for tracking progress
- 🤩 Motivating and inspiring content
- 🤖 Easy to use and navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Inconsistent customer support
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific workouts
- 🧠 Lack of customization options
- 💳 Unexpected charges and subscription issues
- 🔌 Technical issues with the app

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not loading or playing correctly
- Workout data not syncing or saving properly
- Login and account management problems

**Requested features**

- Weight and rep tracking
- Nutrition and meal planning integration
- More video angles and exercise demonstrations
- Ability to create custom workout routines


### MacrosFirst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrosfirst-macro-tracker/id1253012487)

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app helps users track their food intake, calories, and macronutrients to achieve health and fitness goals. It offers features like custom goal setting, automatic serving size calculation, and quick food logging via barcode scanning or label analysis. Users can also monitor progress, share meals, and even convert alcohol calories into macro equivalents.

**Highlights:** Custom macro goal setting, Automatic serving size calculation, Barcode and label scanning for food logging, Detailed macro and nutrient tracking, Progress analysis and trend reporting, Meal sharing and social support, Alcohol calorie conversion

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $41.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $71.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $71.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💯 Accurate macro tracking
- 🔍 Extensive food database
- 🔓 Free features without paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 📚 Limited food database for some users
- 🔢 Difficulty adjusting serving sizes
- 🔍 Inaccurate nutrition info for some items
- 🔧 Lacking certain customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Search function not working properly
- Time zone issues causing date discrepancies
- Scanning feature recording incorrect nutrition info

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Health
- Ability to share meals/recipes with friends
- Customizable macro goals (e.g., carb cycling)
- Improved reporting and progress tracking
- Option to submit food data corrections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Playbook free?

Playbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MacrosFirst free?

MacrosFirst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Playbook or MacrosFirst?

Playbook is rated higher. Playbook averages 4.9 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while MacrosFirst averages 4.9 from 23K ratings.

### Do Playbook or MacrosFirst have ads?

MacrosFirst shows ads; Playbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Playbook or MacrosFirst?

Playbook ships an update every 4 days, and MacrosFirst weekly. Most recently, Playbook was updated on October 23, 2026 and MacrosFirst on October 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Playbook or MacrosFirst?

Playbook currently peaks at #191 in the App Store charts, and MacrosFirst at #90. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*