# Julian vs Smart Card Utility

The clearest difference is rating: Julian at 4.8 against Smart Card Utility's 2.9. Julian also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 39%) and ratings volume (4.8K vs 63). Smart Card Utility's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Julian sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Smart Card Utility sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Julian holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Julian has 4.8K ratings behind it against 63, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Julian's written reviews are positive against 39% of Smart Card Utility's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Julian | Smart Card Utility |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/julian-quick-dates/id1084251583/reviews)** | [2.9 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-card-utility/id1444710309/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 63 |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 38.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juan Carlos Perez](https://appshunter.io/developer/931213788) | [Twocanoes Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/521862499) |

## What reviewers say

### Julian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/julian-quick-dates/id1084251583)

This app provides a quick and efficient way to view and convert between 11 different types of dates, including standard Julian dates, Mars Sol dates, and Unix time. It features a calendar for easy navigation and allows copying dates to the clipboard. The current date can be displayed on the app icon and Apple Watch complications.

**Highlights:** 11 date type conversions, Calendar view, Copy to clipboard, App icon badge display, Apple Watch complications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Short Cup | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tall Cup | $1.99 | one-time |
| Grande Cup | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for work/professional use
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for daily tasks
- 👍 Convenient complication on Apple Watch

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Complication issues on Apple Watch (not updating, getting stuck)
- 🐛 Date discrepancies between app and complication
- 🐛 App not functioning properly after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Complication not updating correctly on Apple Watch
- Date displayed incorrectly, one day behind
- App not functioning properly after updates

**Requested features**

- Display current date along with Julian date
- Add countdown/days remaining functionality
- Display week number
- Show Julian date on app icon


### Smart Card Utility

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-card-utility/id1444710309)

Access secure government and military websites on your iPhone or iPad using your PIV-enabled smart card. Log in quickly to Office 365, Webmail, Teams, and more, eliminating the need for a laptop.

**Highlights:** Smart card authentication for O365, Webmail, Teams, Access CAC protected websites via Safari, Fast login on iPhone and iPad, Supports PIV, CACv2/ECA, and PKCS15 cards, Compatible with various smart card readers, Access military and civilian web sites

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3rd Party Readers Support | $2.99 | per month |
| Smart Card Utility | $49.99 | one-time |
| Smart Card Utility Mobile | $49.99 | one-time |
| Third Party Readers | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works with DoD CAC
- 🚀 Access OWA and MyPay
- 👍 Works with Safari
- 🚀 Great for mobile iOS users
- 👍 Easy certificate download

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work with newer iPhones
- 🐛 Overly expensive
- 🐛 Not user-friendly
- 🐛 Subscription required
- 🐛 Waste of money

**Reported bugs**

- Device will not connect to newer iPhones
- PIN suddenly won't work
- Does not see SCR 3310 card reader
- Bluetooth reader bug on macOS
- New update broke BT read on iOS

**Requested features**

- Support for more CAC enabled sites
- Show cert chain graphically
- Support alphanumeric+symbols PINs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Julian free?

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

### Is Smart Card Utility free?

Smart Card Utility is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Julian or Smart Card Utility?

Julian is rated higher. Julian averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Smart Card Utility averages 2.9 from 63 ratings.

### Do Julian or Smart Card Utility have ads?

Neither Julian nor Smart Card Utility shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Julian or Smart Card Utility?

Julian ships an update every 2 months, and Smart Card Utility every 2 months. Most recently, Julian was updated on October 26, 2026 and Smart Card Utility on October 23, 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.*