SMstudy vs Alison
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SMstudy
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SMstudy Mobile App allows all its registered students to study using mobile phones and tablets – and students could use this mobile app to access their courses, view videos and study guides, understand and memorize terms and concepts using flash-cards, practice test questions and use other features of the mobile app for their study. The application is very user friendly and allows our students to conveniently continue their study using phones/tablets and seamlessly complements the online experience of students who might also be using computers or laptops for their study. SMstudy is the global accreditation body for Sales and Marketing certifications. It has authored the SMBOK® Guide (also known as SMstudy® Guide), a series of books on Sales and Marketing, which can be used by any organization or individual to understand and excel in the domain of Sales and Marketing. SMstudy works through its large global partner network of 500+ Authorized Training Providers (A.T.P.s) to deliver trainings and certifications based on the SMBOK® Guide.
Alison
Access over 4,000 free, CPD-accredited courses to upskill or change careers. Earn diplomas and certificates from anywhere, anytime, with flexible, self-paced learning. Join a global community of millions and build job-ready skills.
- 4,000+ free CPD-accredited courses
- Earn diplomas and certificates
- Mobile-friendly course content
- Personalized course recommendations
- Flexible self-paced learning
- Track progress and schedule reminders
- Synced coursework across devices
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Learn Anything, Anywhere, Anytime For Free. Earn globally recognised, CPD-accredited diplomas and certificates from over 4,000 courses. Join Alison’s community of 30 million+ learners from over 195 countries on the world’s largest free online learning and empowerment platform. Are you looking to upskill? Or looking for a career change? Perhaps, you want to launch a side hustle? Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, an employee, an entrepreneur, or simply a lifelong learner – Alison gives you access to the tools you need to empower yourself and get closer to your dream future. Learn across 9 categories: IT, Health, Language, Business, Management, Personal Development, Sales & Marketing, Engineering & Construction, and Teaching & Academics WITH ALISON, YOU CAN Tailor your learning based on your needs and interests Build job-ready skills for in-demand roles Grow industry-relevant knowledge and upskill Showcase accredited Certificates and Diplomas on your resumé WITH THE ALISON APP, YOU GET Free access to 4,000+ mobile-friendly CPD-accredited courses Course content suitable for use in areas with low internet connectivity Personalized course recommendations Flexible self-paced learning at your own convenience To schedule study reminders and track your progress Synced coursework progress across all your devices POPULAR CERTIFICATE COURSES Media Studies - Gaming, the Internet and Social Media Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Fundamentals of Health and Social Care JavaScript Application Programming Learning Lean Six Sigma: White Belt Basics of Motivational Interviewing Anger Management and Conflict Resolution POPULAR DIPLOMA COURSES Diploma in Caregiving Diploma in Business Administration Diploma in Customer Service Diploma in Mental Health Diploma in Environmental Management Diploma in Workplace Safety & Health Diploma in Food Safety Learn with expert-curated study material: Increase your knowledge by getting access to over 4,000 free courses with certificates created by subject matter experts. Who knows, you might just end up being more skilled than your boss (if you aren't already). Pick up right where you left off: Whether you’re at the beach, in the mountains, or lazing in bed under a blanket, your learning never has to stop. Unless of course, you want to stop. Explore our extensive directory of industry-relevant courses: Is there a new skill out there? We've got a course for it. With our ever-evolving course library, learn data science, animation, marketing, cybersecurity, real estate, interior design, creative writing, and much more. When there is solid proof of alien life on Earth, we'll have a course on how to talk to them too. Share your achievements: Get your certificates and diplomas posted right to your doorstep. Hang it on your wall or just hang out with it, we won’t judge. Take your career forward with Alison in just a few clicks - empower yourself today! Alison is a for-profit social enterprise, dedicated to ensuring anyone can study anything, anywhere, at any time, for free online.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SMstudy at none against Alison's 21. SMstudy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Alison's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Alison sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. SMstudy asks for nothing beyond the download.
SMstudy ships an update every 3 weeks, Alison every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SMstudy | Alison |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (12K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 79.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 12K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 118 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | VMEdu Inc. | Alison (Capernaum Limited) |
Bugs and requests
SMstudy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Alison
Reported bugs
3 issues- Freezing during assessments
- Inconsistent course progress tracking
- Login issues with Apple credentials
Requested features
5 requests- Offline mode for courses
- More language options
- Improved search and filtering
- Ability to favorite/save courses
- Downloadable course materials
In-app purchases
SMstudy
No in-app purchases
Alison
- Alison offline learning monthly sub$5.001 Month
- Alison offline learning yearly sub$39.991 Year
- Alison offline learning lite$3.00
- Alison digital certificate NG$11.00
- Alison digital certificate$17.49
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- Alison digital certificate2 variants$17.99
- Alison digital certificate$18.49
- Alison digital certificate$22.99
- Alison digital certificate$23.00
- Alison digital certificate$26.99
- Alison digital certificate$28.99
- Alison digital certificate$29.49
- Alison digital certificate$31.00
- Alison digital certificate$39.00
- Alison digital diploma US$75.00
- Alison digital diploma$75.00
- Alison digital diploma$80.00
- Alison digital diploma2 variants$100.00








