# Points Scan vs Gradelink Student/Parent App

Points Scan and Gradelink Student/Parent App both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Gradelink Student/Parent App's written reviews are positive against 32% of Points Scan's. Gradelink Student/Parent App also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (18K vs 2.9K). Points Scan's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Points Scan against 4.9 for Gradelink Student/Parent App. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gradelink Student/Parent App has 18K ratings behind it against 2.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Points Scan's written reviews are positive against 82% of Gradelink Student/Parent App's.

Points Scan ships an update every 5 months, Gradelink Student/Parent App every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Points Scan | Gradelink Student/Parent App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/points-scan/id1087200658/reviews) | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradelink-studentparent-app/id1091381333/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K | **18K** |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews | **82.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Straight Path Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1087200657) | [Gradelink Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041456820) |

## What reviewers say

### Points Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/points-scan/id1087200658)

Quickly determine the Accelerated Reader™ points and reading level for any book by scanning its barcode or searching by title/author. Save your favorite books for easy access.

**Highlights:** Scan book barcodes, Instant AR™ point value, Instant AR™ level, Title search, Author search, Save to Favorites list

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient scanning feature
- 💡 Helpful for AR goals
- 🙌 Teacher-approved

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Unable to find many books
- 🤔 Inconsistent search results
- 🤯 Buggy barcode scanning

**Reported bugs**

- Scanning issues with books starting with 0
- Incorrect character display in search results
- Sudden inability to search by name or author
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Include word count information
- Add ability to mark books as completed
- Improve search functionality
- Expand book database coverage


### Gradelink Student/Parent App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradelink-studentparent-app/id1091381333)

Stay connected with your child's academic progress. This app allows parents and students to easily view grades, assignments, attendance, and school news. Receive alerts for grade changes and manage multiple student accounts.

**Highlights:** View class and assignment grades, Track attendance and discipline entries, Monitor upcoming homework and assignments, Access school news and announcements, Set grade and attendance alerts, Switch between multiple student accounts, View report cards and billing statements

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 💡 Helpful for monitoring student progress
- 🚀 Convenient way to check grades
- 🔒 Secure access to student information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional login issues and app crashes
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to website
- 💻 Needs better mobile optimization

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials not persisting after updates
- GPA information disappearing after recent update
- Inability to access certain features on iPhone X

**Requested features**

- Add calendar view to app
- Improve multi-student switching experience
- Integrate payment options for fees and lunch
- Develop a dedicated teacher app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Points Scan free?

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

### Is Gradelink Student/Parent App free?

Gradelink Student/Parent App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Points Scan or Gradelink Student/Parent App?

Gradelink Student/Parent App is rated higher. Points Scan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Gradelink Student/Parent App averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.

### Do Points Scan or Gradelink Student/Parent App have ads?

Neither Points Scan nor Gradelink Student/Parent App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Points Scan or Gradelink Student/Parent App?

Points Scan ships an update every 5 months, and Gradelink Student/Parent App every 2 months. Most recently, Points Scan was updated on October 23, 2026 and Gradelink Student/Parent App 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.*