# Pain Academy vs MacroChef

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MacroChef at none against Pain Academy's 3. MacroChef also leads on ads (none vs shown). Pain Academy's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pain Academy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. MacroChef asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pain Academy ships an update every 9 days, MacroChef every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pain Academy | MacroChef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (165 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pain-academy/id6751915660/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **165** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 137 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pain Academy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570757246) | [Santiago Toro](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785106509) |

## What reviewers say

### Pain Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pain-academy/id6751915660)

This app offers personalized movement therapy programs designed by experts to help users manage pain and improve mobility. It features a comprehensive assessment, adaptive progression, and educational content to support recovery and build resilience.

**Highlights:** Personalized pain assessment, Expert-designed movement programs, Multi-level progression system, Comprehensive movement library, Smart movement modifications, Educational courses and workshops, Smart tracking and analytics

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials Monthly | $49.99 | per month |
| Essentials Quarterly | $129.99 | per 3 months |
| Essentials Annual | $399.99 | per year |


### MacroChef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrochef-macro-tracker/id6785106507)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pain Academy free?

Pain Academy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MacroChef free?

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

### Do Pain Academy or MacroChef have ads?

Pain Academy shows ads; MacroChef does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pain Academy or MacroChef?

Pain Academy ships an update every 9 days, and MacroChef every 5 weeks. Most recently, Pain Academy was updated on October 23, 2026 and MacroChef on October 19, 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.*