# James Smith Academy vs Ganbaru Method

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | James Smith Academy | Ganbaru Method |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/james-smith-academy/id1449052977/reviews)** | [4.7 (772 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ganbaru-method/id1494116916/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 93 | **772** |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 59.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 82 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Affordable Online Coaching Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449052976) | [Ganbaru Method](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494116705) |

## What reviewers say

### James Smith Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/james-smith-academy/id1449052977)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan - Subscription | $89.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch integration
- Ability to filter workouts by equipment
- More personalized nutrition and meal planning


### Ganbaru Method

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ganbaru-method/id1494116916)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 12 Week Coaching | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Monthly Subscription | $34.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription (Legacy) | $75.00 | per 3 months |
| 3 Month Subscription | $75.00 | per 3 months |
| All Programs | $119.99 | per year |
| 6 Month Subscription | $150.00 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $239.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription (Legacy 1) | $239.99 | per year |
| Access to Single Program | $49.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited | $499.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


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