YMCA On the Go vs YMCA Pulse
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
YMCA On the Go
This app is a comprehensive fitness platform for Greater Joliet Area YMCA members. It offers class schedules, virtual classes, daily workouts with 3D demonstrations, and allows users to track their progress and sync with personal devices. Access is included with a Y membership.
- Class and facility schedules
- Fitness class reservations
- Virtual class access
- Daily workout plans
- 3D exercise demonstrations
- Workout tracking
- Sync with Apple Health
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PLEASE NOTE: You need a YMCA On the Go account to access this App. This App is designed for Facility and Community Members of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA. Facility Members of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA get access to this exciting fitness tool included with their Y membership. Because we know that healthy lifestyles are best achieved by nurturing our mind, body and spirit, well-being and fitness at the Y is so much more than just working out. Begin your journey to a heathier lifestyle with the assistance of the YMCA On the Go App. This comprehensive fitness platform will provide you with: - YMCA class and facility schedules - The opportunity to reserve a spot in your favorite fitness class - Access to virtual classes - Daily workouts - 3D exercise demonstrations - Exclusive YMCA member challenges - Nutrition information - Access to the latest YMCA news and updates You can also sync the YMCA On the Go app with your personal devices to track your workouts at the Y, at home, or on the go! From cardio to strength, this interactive fitness tool will provide you with the support you need to set and achieve your health and wellness goals. You can sync this app with Apple Health App. If you enable this connection, any workout in the Health app with automatically be added to your Activity Calendar.
YMCA Pulse
This app allows YMCA members to manage their accounts, find and reserve events, and check in quickly. It provides a member dashboard for personal and family information, and details about branch facilities and programs.
- Discover and reserve events
- Fast barcode check-in
- Add membership to digital wallet
- Manage member information
- View membership forms
- Explore branch details
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A new way to manage all things YMCA with SGA Pulse. Easily find and reserve events, stay updated on member details, and effortlessly check in at your favorite locations. Discover and Reserve Events Easily view upcoming events in a clear calendar view. Learn more about your favorite events and reserve your spot with our quick reservation process. Fast Check-In Scan your barcode for quick and easy entry. Conveniently add your membership card to Google or Apple Wallet for effortless access. Member Dashboard Manage your member information for you and your family. View and sign membership forms. Branch Details Explore branch details, including hours of operation, available facilities, and offered programs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: YMCA On the Go at 4.3 against YMCA Pulse's 1.3. YMCA On the Go also leads on ratings volume (5K vs 99) and review sentiment (13% vs 0%). YMCA Pulse's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
YMCA On the Go holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YMCA On the Go has 5K ratings behind it against 99, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of YMCA On the Go's written reviews are positive against 0% of YMCA Pulse's.
YMCA On the Go ships an update every 3 months, YMCA Pulse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | YMCA On the Go | YMCA Pulse |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (5K ratings) — better | 1.3 (99 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 13.4% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5K — better | 99 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #131 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 213 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Greater Joliet Area YMCA | SGA Software |
Customer experience
YMCA On the Go
YMCA Pulse
User reviews
YMCA On the Go
From 5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤸♀️ Great community
- 💦 Excellent swimming and aquatic programs
- 🏆 Beginner-friendly
- 📱 Convenient app features
Room to improve
- 🔑 Login and password issues
- 🔍 Difficulty resetting password
- 🚫 Unable to access account
- 🤖 Buggy and unstable app
YMCA Pulse
From 99 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Basic functionality works for some users
Room to improve
- 😞 App doesn't work for many users
- 😞 Frequent login issues
- 😞 App is slow and freezes
- 😞 Previous app was better
- 😞 Cannot find information
Bugs and requests
YMCA On the Go
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login credentials not working
- Password reset emails not received
- App crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with newer devices
Requested features
3 requests- Improve login and password reset functionality
- Ensure consistent user experience across app and website
- Provide better customer support and responsiveness
YMCA Pulse
Reported bugs
23 issues- App does not work
- App refuses to come up
- App will not open
- App is not working
- App is non-functional
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- App is unusable
- App has glitches
- App logs you out
- App forgets credentials
- App takes too long to load
- App doesn't keep Apple Wallet sign-in
- App doesn't remember Face ID or preferences
- App doesn't save settings when logged out
- App wipes out filters
- Category function on calendar does not work
- App says there was a loading error
- App is very slow with multiple branches selected
- Cannot scroll through calendar
- App displays a white screen when opened
- App does not load
- App flashes white
- App goes blank
- App is not compatible with iOS 18
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to send class reservation to phone's calendar
- Location-aware membership card in Apple Wallet
- Allow use of membership card in Apple Wallet on iPhone
- Keep old functionality (e.g., workout logs, rankings)
In-app purchases
YMCA On the Go
No in-app purchases
YMCA Pulse
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is YMCA On the Go free?
Is YMCA Pulse free?
Which has better reviews, YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse?
Do YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse have ads?
Which is updated more often, YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse?
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