# Swimmingly vs GAFA Studios

The clearest difference is rating: GAFA Studios at 5.0 against Swimmingly's 4.2. Swimmingly's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (86 vs 8). 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.

GAFA Studios holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swimmingly has 86 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Swimmingly ships an update every 6 weeks, GAFA Studios every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swimmingly | GAFA Studios |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swimmingly/id789829201/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gafa-studios/id6692607118/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **86** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 49 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Swimmingly, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/789829204) | [GAFA Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768829138) |

## What reviewers say

### Swimmingly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swimmingly/id789829201)

Streamline swim meet operations with this app, eliminating paper and reducing volunteer needs. It allows iOS devices to manage roles like starter, timer, stroke & turn judge, and scorekeeper. Approved for sanctioned USA Swimming competitions.

**Highlights:** Sanctioned USA Swimming competitions, No paper required, Digital roles: Starter, Timer, Stroke & Turn Judge, Scorekeeper, iPad required for Scorekeeper, iOS 16-18 compatible

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Huge time saver
- 👍 Very easy to use
- 👍 Makes volunteer lives easier
- 👍 Parents love live results
- 👍 Paperless swim meets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Swimmers not seated right
- 🐛 Swimmer times are wrong
- 🐛 Execution is poorly done
- 🐛 Frustrating to use
- 🐛 Not worth the fees

**Reported bugs**

- Heat sheets have swimmers never seated right
- Swimmer's times are always wrong and usually random numbers
- The timer starts before the buzzer so the times are always 1-2 seconds off
- The moment someone stops a timer the time disappears from the phone
- Nothing runs smoothly with this app or its web version

**Requested features**

- Coaches tab for splits
- Spectator tab for parents to follow times/scores
- Easily backup data during meet
- Dark mode option
- Ability to enter times manually


### GAFA Studios

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gafa-studios/id6692607118)

Manage your studio account, register for classes, and view schedules. Receive instant notifications about class changes, openings, and events. Access all studio offerings conveniently from your smartphone.

**Highlights:** Account management, Class registration, View calendars, Studio communication, Instant notifications, Event announcements

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swimmingly free?

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

### Is GAFA Studios free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Swimmingly or GAFA Studios?

GAFA Studios is rated higher. Swimmingly averages 4.2 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while GAFA Studios averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Swimmingly or GAFA Studios have ads?

Neither Swimmingly nor GAFA Studios shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Swimmingly or GAFA Studios?

Swimmingly ships an update every 6 weeks, and GAFA Studios every 13 months. Most recently, Swimmingly was updated on October 23, 2026 and GAFA Studios on October 10, 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.*