# Grades vs Spotxel® Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Grades at 4.9 against Spotxel® Reader's 2.4. Grades also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Spotxel® Reader's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Grades sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Spotxel® Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Grades holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Grades has 13K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Grades's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spotxel® Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Grades ships an update every 2 weeks, Spotxel® Reader every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grades | Spotxel® Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grades-grade-calculator-gpa/id1069653513/reviews)** | [2.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotxel-reader/id1340235876/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 69.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Plutonium Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/912615896) | [Sicasys Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1340235875) |

## What reviewers say

### Grades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grades-grade-calculator-gpa/id1069653513)

Calculate the exact scores needed on future assignments to achieve desired grades and overall GPA. Customize your experience with icons and colors, and manage assignments with flexible grading options.

**Highlights:** Grade Calculator, GPA Calculator, Custom icons and colors, Grouped assignments, Weighted or Points grading, Supports all GPA scales

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grades Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Grades Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Grades Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Grades Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Grades Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Grades Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Grades Premium | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Helpful for tracking grades and calculating target grades
- 💡 Customizable grade settings
- 👍 Useful for staying on top of academic progress
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited to 3-4 classes in free version
- 💰 Premium version is required for more features
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔍 Lack of flexibility in grade scales and weighting

**Reported bugs**

- Courses and assignments disappearing after using the app
- Incorrect grade calculations when using grouped assignments
- Crashes after recent app updates

**Requested features**

- Add more than 4 classes in free version
- Ability to customize grade scales (e.g. GCSE, WAM)
- Option to add bonus points or extra credit
- GPA calculator that accounts for credit hours
- Calendar integration for assignment tracking


### Spotxel® Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotxel-reader/id1340235876)

This app allows you to capture images of microplates, detect and measure color signals, and analyze sample concentrations. It supports various assay formats and can save, load, and export data.

**Highlights:** Capture microplate images, Detect and measure color signals, Analyze sample concentrations, Save and load assay setups, Export assay data to PDF, Supports row, column, and microarray formats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time-Unlimited License | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grades free?

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

### Is Spotxel® Reader free?

Spotxel® Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Grades or Spotxel® Reader?

Grades is rated higher. Grades averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Spotxel® Reader averages 2.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Grades or Spotxel® Reader have ads?

Neither Grades nor Spotxel® Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Grades or Spotxel® Reader?

Grades ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spotxel® Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Grades was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spotxel® Reader on October 24, 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.*