A control method for a vibration-type actuator which prevents the vibration-type actuator from becoming inoperable during operation. To drive the vibration-type actuator when a load for moving a vibrating body and a driven body relatively to each other is relatively high, a first frequency falling within a frequency range including a frequency at which thrust of the vibration-type actuator reaches its peak is set as a starting frequency of AC voltage applied to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element of the vibrating body. To drive the vibration-type actuator when the load is relatively low, a third frequency lower than the first frequency and higher than a second frequency is set as the starting frequency, the second frequency being a frequency at which a moving speed at which the driving body and the driven body move relatively to each other reaches its peak.