# Garmin Jr.™ vs Fitbit Ace

The clearest difference is rating: Garmin Jr.™ at 4.6 against Fitbit Ace's 4.1. Garmin Jr.™ also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 50%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Garmin Jr.™ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Jr.™ has 7.4K ratings behind it against 223, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Garmin Jr.™'s written reviews are positive against 50% of Fitbit Ace's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garmin Jr.™ | Fitbit Ace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-jr/id1122225740/reviews)** | [4.1 (223 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fitbit-ace/id1621113388/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.4K** | 223 |
| Positive reviews | **76.4% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 389 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) |

## What reviewers say

### Garmin Jr.™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-jr/id1122225740)

This app helps parents manage their child's activity, sleep, and chores when paired with a compatible wearable. It also offers communication features and location tracking for added safety.

**Highlights:** Activity and sleep tracking, Chore management and rewards, Location tracking, Text and voice messaging, Family boundary alerts, Family challenges

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Motivating for kids
- 📊 Helpful for tracking activity and sleep
- 💰 Effective chore and reward system
- 🤝 Good for family communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues and syncing problems
- 🔋 Poor battery life
- 🤔 Limited game and story content
- 🔍 Lack of customization options
- 🕰️ Inaccurate activity tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Watch time and date resets unexpectedly
- App crashes when trying to access certain features
- Coins and rewards not syncing properly between watch and app
- Activity data not accurately recorded

**Requested features**

- Add GPS tracking capability
- Improve app responsiveness and stability
- Expand game and story content
- Allow more customization of chores and rewards
- Enhance sleep tracking and reporting


### Fitbit Ace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fitbit-ace/id1621113388)

Manage your child's Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch. Securely call, text, track location, and monitor activity. Control contacts and ensure peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Secure calling and texting, Real-time location tracking, Activity level monitoring, Contact management, Child's smartwatch management

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for kids' independence
- 🔒 Safe communication for kids
- 📍 Reliable location tracking
- 🏃 Motivates kids to be active
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Easy for parents to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Incompatible with older iOS
- ⚠️ Inappropriate content risk
- 🚫 Features don't work offline
- 🎨 Awful UI aesthetics
- 🖼️ Cannot send images

**Reported bugs**

- Location, calling, and messaging features not working when disconnected from WiFi
- Incoming calls on iPhone from Fitbit Ace have no sound, only vibration
- Message history lost when moving to a new phone
- App does not connect to the watch
- App never loads or says no connection

**Requested features**

- Allow adjusting theme or colors
- Add basic features like photo sharing
- Allow communication between friends with watches
- Enable parents to approve friend connections
- Allow grandparents abroad to use the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garmin Jr.™ free?

Garmin Jr.™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Fitbit Ace free?

Fitbit Ace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Garmin Jr.™ or Fitbit Ace?

Garmin Jr.™ is rated higher. Garmin Jr.™ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.4K ratings, while Fitbit Ace averages 4.1 from 223 ratings.

### Do Garmin Jr.™ or Fitbit Ace have ads?

Neither Garmin Jr.™ nor Fitbit Ace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garmin Jr.™ or Fitbit Ace?

Garmin Jr.™ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Fitbit Ace every 3 weeks. Most recently, Garmin Jr.™ was updated on October 28, 2026 and Fitbit Ace on October 27, 2026.

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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.*