Comparison

James Smith Academy vs Ganbaru Method

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

Head to head
About

James Smith Academy

Access a comprehensive fitness education platform with personalized workout plans, instructional videos, and nutritional guidance. Track your progress, connect with trainers, and join challenges to achieve and maintain your health goals.

Highlights
  • Educational and instructional videos
  • Personalized exercise programs
  • Daily workouts
  • Recipe library and meal planner
  • Trainer support
  • Progress tracking
  • Three-month challenges
Features
Read full description

The James Smith Academy (JSA) is where quality online coaching meets affordability. The JSA aims to educate its members in fitness and provide them with all the tools necessary to reach and sustain their fitness goals. Features (depending on your membership type) include hundreds of educational and instructional videos, personalised exercise programs, daily workouts, a Daily Step Count (which integrates with the Health app to access your daily steps, if you choose), hundreds of recipes, a meal planner, trainer support, progress tracking, and three-month challenges. The James Smith Academy is free to download. Our free trial, which begins when you create an account with us, does not expire and does not require a purchase to activate. If you would like to access content and features which are not available on the free trial, you must upgrade to a paid subscription. You may pay for a subscription using In-App Purchase found on the pricing page of the app. The James Smith Academy subscription automatically renews monthly (at the price depending on your location) unless it is canceled at least 24h before the current period ends. Your Apple ID will be charged for renewal within 24h prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or turn off auto-renew by going to your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Read our terms of service here: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com/terms/ Read our privacy policy here: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com/privacy/

About

Ganbaru Method

This comprehensive health and fitness app simplifies nutrition and training with customizable programs and expert coaching. It offers a wide range of workout styles, nutrition tracking, and educational content, all within a single, intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • 50+ customizable programs
  • 1000s of workouts
  • Custom workout builder
  • Exercise library with videos
  • Nutrition tracking and plans
  • Community access
  • Workout logs and timers
Features
Read full description

THE LAST FITNESS APP YOU’LL NEED. Try Ganbaru Method for FREE for 7 days. Ganbaru is an all-encompassing health and fitness app. We’ve removed the guesswork from nutrition and training so you can focus on what really matters: you. Just pick a program, show up, and we’ll be there with you every step of the way. Created to bring you everything you possibly need into just one app. No more toggling between 5 different apps. No more overthinking. No more hard-to-navigate interfaces. One app, endless results. Explore different movement styles, expand your knowledge, and level up with Ganbaru. UNLIMITED ACCESS - 50+ complete and customizable programs & 1000s of workouts from our team of 11 world renowned coaches - RANGE across workouts: from bodybuilding, powerlifting, and hybrid athletics to yoga, calisthenics, and conditioning - Custom workout & program builder to create your own plans. - Easy-to-follow workouts, videos, and an extensive exercise library - In-built app features to make your life easier: timers intuitive workout logs and video demonstrations - Nutrition features like food scanners, nutrition plans, and tracking your stats - Extended learning on nutrition, training, biomechanics, and more - Access to our community and coaches to ask questions, check your form, and celebrate your wins WORKOUT STYLES Build Muscle: Science-based programs covering all your bases with a variety of training splits, volume, intensity and techniques for endless progress. Use them as is, or customize them as templates to create your own journey. Get Stronger: While most programs will get you “stronger”, these feature advanced techniques to rapidly increase your max strength and lift heavier weights as safely as possible. Functional Athleticism: Run, jump, lift and excel across multiple domains of fitness. Designed for first responders and those looking to achieve higher levels of stamina and peak performance. Calisthenics: Bodyweight only training to allow you to build muscle and strength anywhere while unlocking a new level of total body mastery. Flexibility: Move better, feel better, reduce pain and gain stability & strength in new ranges of motion. COACHING TEAM Eugene Teo: Bodybuilding & Physique Development Harriet Roberts: 4x Crossfit Games Athlete, Gymnastic & Athletic Performance Coach David Thurin: Flexibility, Movement Anna Wishnowsky: Gymnastics Strength Jimmy House: BJJ Black Belt, Pro Natural Bodybuilder, Elite Powerlifter Carissa Wong: Mobility, Yoga Raphael Gomez: BJJ Brown Belt, Calisthenics, Mobility Dr Pat Davidson: Plyometrics, Sprints & Athletic Development Lucas Hardie: Functional Strength & Mobility Will Crozier: Powerlifting Sharelle Grant: Beginners Strength & Physique Training Whether you're simply looking to train and follow a well-designed program, or want to understand every single detail that goes into developing a plan, you'll find it within Ganbaru. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS You can download the Ganbaru app for free and enjoy a 7-day free trial period. Thereafter, you can cancel your subscription 24 hours before the end of the period and continue using the food tracker and community forums for free. Alternatively, you can purchase a monthly or annual subscription that will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase to access our full features. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple ID account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your account settings on the App Store. For full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, please visit https://join.ganbarumethod.com/terms-of-use/ and https://join.ganbarumethod.com/privacy-policy/.

Screenshots

James Smith Academy4 screens
Ganbaru Method4 screens

Verdict

The call

James Smith Academy and Ganbaru Method both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of James Smith Academy's written reviews are positive against 59% of Ganbaru Method's. James Smith Academy also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Ganbaru Method's advantage is ratings volume (772 vs 93). 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. James Smith Academy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $89.99 per month and Ganbaru Method sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for James Smith Academy against 4.7 for Ganbaru Method. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ganbaru Method has 772 ratings behind it against 93, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of James Smith Academy's written reviews are positive against 59% of Ganbaru Method's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

James Smith Academy ships an update every 5 days, Ganbaru Method every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
James Smith Academy versus Ganbaru Method: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJames Smith AcademyGanbaru Method
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (93 ratings) — better4.7 (772 ratings)
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better59.3% of reviews
Number of ratings93772 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB91 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAffordable Online Coaching Pty LtdGanbaru Method

Customer experience

James Smith Academy

All ratings93 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative17.0%

Ganbaru Method

All ratings772 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral11.4%
Negative29.3%

User reviews

James Smith Academy

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and effective
  • 🚀 Easy to navigate app
  • 💪 Helpful and responsive coaches
  • 🔍 Detailed video guides
  • 🧠 Informative educational content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and stability issues
  • 🔌 Connectivity problems when switching apps
  • 🤖 Impersonal automated coaching
  • 💸 Expensive premium subscription
  • 🌱 Lack of vegan/vegetarian meal options

Ganbaru Method

From 772 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app for all fitness levels
  • 🚀 Comprehensive training programs
  • 💡 Excellent educational content
  • 👍 Variety of workout options
  • 👍 Detailed exercise instructions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and glitches
  • 🔍 Poor customer support
  • 🤔 Aggressive marketing and upsells
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface
  • 🤔 Lack of customization options

Bugs and requests

James Smith Academy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Workout progress not saving properly
  • Inability to update weights and reps
  • Onboarding process issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Ability to filter workouts by equipment
  • More personalized nutrition and meal planning

Ganbaru Method

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Workouts not registering as complete
  • Paid content not accessible after purchase
  • Exercise videos not loading properly
  • Syncing issues with other devices
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to create custom exercises
  • Offline access to workouts and content
  • Better syncing with fitness trackers
  • More personalization and customization options
  • Improved navigation and user experience

In-app purchases

1 purchases

James Smith Academy

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Plan - Subscription$89.991 Month
10 purchases

Ganbaru Method

Subscriptions8
  • 12 Week Coaching7 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$34.991 Month
  • 3 Month Subscription (Legacy)$75.003 Months
Show 5 more
  • 3 Month Subscription7 Days trial$75.003 Months
  • All Programs7 Days trial$119.991 Year
  • 6 Month Subscription7 Days trial$150.006 Months
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$239.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription (Legacy 1)1 Year trial$239.991 Year
One-time2
  • Access to Single Program$49.99
  • Unlimited$499.99

Questions

Is James Smith Academy free?
James Smith Academy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ganbaru Method free?
Ganbaru Method is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, James Smith Academy or Ganbaru Method?
James Smith Academy is rated higher. James Smith Academy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Ganbaru Method averages 4.7 from 772 ratings.
Do James Smith Academy or Ganbaru Method have ads?
Neither James Smith Academy nor Ganbaru Method shows ads.
Which is updated more often, James Smith Academy or Ganbaru Method?
James Smith Academy ships an update every 5 days, and Ganbaru Method every 2 weeks. Most recently, James Smith Academy was updated on November 2, 2026 and Ganbaru Method on November 9, 2026.

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