# VATER vs The Program by Bandit Running

The clearest difference is rating: VATER at 4.6 against The Program by Bandit Running's 3.9. VATER also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%). The Program by Bandit Running's advantage is ratings volume (112 vs 9) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

VATER holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Program by Bandit Running has 112 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of VATER's written reviews are positive against 73% of The Program by Bandit Running's.

VATER ships an update every 3 weeks, The Program by Bandit Running every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VATER | The Program by Bandit Running |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vater/id6504540469/reviews)** | [3.9 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-program-by-bandit-running/id6505125026/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **112** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 72.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 62 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [WUON LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896181071) | [Bandit Running](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755262308) |

## What reviewers say

### VATER

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vater/id6504540469)

Engage in a social movement to "VATE" and reclaim your "light." Earn Vates by completing challenges, creating events, and inspiring others to move. Climb leaderboards and discover new challenges on a dynamic map.

**Highlights:** Earn Vates through challenges, Create events to "VATE" places, Climb leaderboards, Discover challenges on a map, Daily Vate gifting, Community movement focus

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Program by Bandit Running

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-program-by-bandit-running/id6505125026)

This app offers a free guided training experience for marathon and half marathon runners. It generates personalized training plans based on your race, goal time, and weekly mileage. Get instant answers to training questions with the integrated coach feature.

**Highlights:** Free guided training plans, Marathon and half marathon focus, Personalized plan generation, Interactive training schedule, Instant coach answers

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent training program
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎉 Customizable to user goals
- 🎉 Helpful insights and advice
- 👍 Clean and simple interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Account creation issues
- 🐛 Blank screen on launch

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Account creation problems

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VATER free?

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

### Is The Program by Bandit Running free?

The Program by Bandit Running is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VATER or The Program by Bandit Running?

VATER is rated higher. VATER averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while The Program by Bandit Running averages 3.9 from 112 ratings.

### Do VATER or The Program by Bandit Running have ads?

Neither VATER nor The Program by Bandit Running shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VATER or The Program by Bandit Running?

VATER ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Program by Bandit Running every 2 weeks. Most recently, VATER was updated on October 14, 2026 and The Program by Bandit Running on October 18, 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.*