# YMCA On the Go vs YMCA Pulse

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | YMCA On the Go | YMCA Pulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ymca-on-the-go/id1514075926/reviews)** | [1.3 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ymca-pulse/id6476977815/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5K** | 99 |
| Positive reviews | **13.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | — |
| Size | 213 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greater Joliet Area YMCA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514075925) | [SGA Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728446574) |

## What reviewers say

### YMCA On the Go

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ymca-on-the-go/id1514075926)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Class and facility schedules, Fitness class reservations, Virtual class access, Daily workout plans, 3D exercise demonstrations, Workout tracking, Sync with Apple Health

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤸‍♀️ Great community
- 💦 Excellent swimming and aquatic programs
- 🏆 Beginner-friendly
- 📱 Convenient app features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Login and password issues
- 🔍 Difficulty resetting password
- 🚫 Unable to access account
- 🤖 Buggy and unstable app

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials not working
- Password reset emails not received
- App crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Improve login and password reset functionality
- Ensure consistent user experience across app and website
- Provide better customer support and responsiveness


### YMCA Pulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ymca-pulse/id6476977815)

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.

**Highlights:** Discover and reserve events, Fast barcode check-in, Add membership to digital wallet, Manage member information, View membership forms, Explore branch details

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Basic functionality works for some users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 App doesn't work for many users
- 😞 Frequent login issues
- 😞 App is slow and freezes
- 😞 Previous app was better
- 😞 Cannot find information

**Reported bugs**

- App does not work
- App refuses to come up
- App will not open
- App is not working
- App is non-functional

**Requested features**

- 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)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is YMCA On the Go free?

YMCA On the Go is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is YMCA Pulse free?

YMCA Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse?

YMCA On the Go is rated higher. YMCA On the Go averages 4.3 out of 5 from 5K ratings, while YMCA Pulse averages 1.3 from 99 ratings.

### Do YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse have ads?

Neither YMCA On the Go nor YMCA Pulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, YMCA On the Go or YMCA Pulse?

YMCA On the Go ships an update every 3 months, and YMCA Pulse fortnightly. Most recently, YMCA On the Go was updated on November 3, 2026 and YMCA Pulse on October 30, 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.*