# MCGAW YMCA vs Athletico

The clearest difference is rating: Athletico at 4.5 against MCGAW YMCA's 3.3. Athletico also leads on ratings volume (421 vs 4) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). MCGAW YMCA's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). 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.

Athletico holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Athletico has 421 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

MCGAW YMCA ships an update every 4 months, Athletico monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MCGAW YMCA | Athletico |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcgaw-ymca/id6447701674/reviews) | **[4.5 (421 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athletico/id6471985901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **421** |
| Positive reviews | — | 70.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 154 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [McGaw YMCA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1520392612) | [Athletico](https://appshunter.io/developer/1716398929) |

## What reviewers say

### MCGAW YMCA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcgaw-ymca/id6447701674)

This fitness platform helps you start a healthier lifestyle by tracking activities, body metrics, and providing access to over 2000 exercises and demonstrations. It offers preset and customizable workouts, motivational badges, and syncs with Apple Health.

**Highlights:** Class schedules and opening hours, Daily fitness activity tracking, Weight and body metric tracking, 2000+ exercises and activities, 3D exercise demonstrations, Preset and custom workouts, Progress tracking, Apple Health integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Athletico

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athletico/id6471985901)

Access your personalized home exercise program prescribed by your clinician. This app provides easy-to-follow video instructions, daily progress tracking, and integration with Apple HealthKit to support your recovery journey.

**Highlights:** Personalized home exercise programs, Video exercise demonstrations, Clinician-led voice instruction, Daily progress tracking, Apple HealthKit integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for rehab and recovery
- 🚀 Accountability and progress tracking
- 👍 Customized exercise programs
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Great customer service and support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Logging issues and inaccurate session history
- 🔒 Requires consent for SMS and potential spam
- 🐛 Frequent logout and login issues
- 🐛 Incompatibility with older devices and browsers
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently

**Reported bugs**

- Arbitrary logout after 33 days
- Picture keeps turning sideways
- Login button interferes with swipe bar
- Requires manual login every time
- Exercises not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Allow partial exercise logging and out-of-order completion
- Provide ability to review exercises without logging completion
- Add dark mode and ability to customize the app
- Improve navigation and make it more user-friendly
- Integrate with music playback during exercises


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MCGAW YMCA free?

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

### Is Athletico free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MCGAW YMCA or Athletico?

Athletico is rated higher. MCGAW YMCA averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Athletico averages 4.5 from 421 ratings.

### Do MCGAW YMCA or Athletico have ads?

Neither MCGAW YMCA nor Athletico shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MCGAW YMCA or Athletico?

MCGAW YMCA ships an update every 4 months, and Athletico monthly. Most recently, MCGAW YMCA was updated on October 4, 2026 and Athletico on October 16, 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.*