FORMAT Virtual vs Backyard Boston
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FORMAT Virtual
Access a variety of fitness classes like Barre, HIIT, and Strength anytime, anywhere. Engage with live and on-demand sessions featuring 2-way video, leaderboards, and community chat. Track your progress and heart rate by connecting wearable devices.
- Livestream and on-demand classes
- Barre, HIIT, and Strength workouts
- 2-way video functionality
- Leaderboard sweat points
- Community chat
- Wearable device integration for heart rate and calorie tracking
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Bring your Barre, HIIT, or Strength practice on the go. With the FORMAT Livestream and On-Demand app, you now have access to stream your favorite teachers any time, any where! Join us for some of our most popular classes! FORMAT Barre FORMAT HIITBarre FORMAT Strength FORMAT HIIT FORMAT HIIT30 With 2-way video functionality, leaderboard sweat points, community chat, and more, we are excited to bring you an immersive and engaging fitness experience. You can also connect your wearable* to track your heart rate and calories burned during live and on-demand workouts. Download the app today to get started! *Connecting your Apple Watch requires sharing your Health App health information to measure heart rate and calories, as well as earn higher leaderboard points in zone 2-4 max heart rate zones. Terms of Use: https://formatlive.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://formatlive.com/privacy
Backyard Boston
This app connects users with a fitness community and instructors in Boston. It allows you to book classes, monitor your fitness journey, and engage with fellow members. The platform emphasizes a supportive environment where hard work and presence are valued.
- Book fitness classes
- Track fitness progress
- Connect with community
- Fitness instructor-created
- Boston-based community focus
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Welcome to the New Backyard Boston in Fort Point! Backyard was created by three Boston fitness instructors that strive to create a place where everyone feels seen and that serves as a second home to all. A place where GRIT meets PLAY and hard work is understood rather than repeatedly requested. A place where being there serves a greater purpose and that purpose is understood and supported by everyone else. Backyard is deeply entrenched in the Boston community and is dedicated to giving back to the very city that it serves. With the Backyard Boston app, you are able to book your classes, track your progress and connect with your community!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Backyard Boston at free against FORMAT Virtual's free with in-app purchases. FORMAT Virtual's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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.
FORMAT Virtual holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
FORMAT Virtual ships an update every 7 months, Backyard Boston every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FORMAT Virtual | Backyard Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 126 MB | 121 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Format Fitness Corp | Sutra Fitness, Inc. |
Customer experience
FORMAT Virtual
Backyard Boston
In-app purchases
FORMAT Virtual
No in-app purchases
Backyard Boston
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FORMAT Virtual free?
Is Backyard Boston free?
Which has better reviews, FORMAT Virtual or Backyard Boston?
Do FORMAT Virtual or Backyard Boston have ads?
Which is updated more often, FORMAT Virtual or Backyard Boston?
Other comparisons
