# StartSOLE vs SmartPass Mobile

The clearest difference is review sentiment: StartSOLE at 100% against SmartPass Mobile's 27%. StartSOLE also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.9) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). SmartPass Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 6). On price, update cadence, 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.

StartSOLE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartPass Mobile has 1.5K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of StartSOLE's written reviews are positive against 27% of SmartPass Mobile's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StartSOLE | SmartPass Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startsole/id1097411683/reviews)** | [2.9 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartpass-mobile/id1387337686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 26.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 68 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LudiVita OG](https://appshunter.io/developer/848249133) | [SmartPass, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742462448) |

## What reviewers say

### StartSOLE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startsole/id1097411683)

This app facilitates inquiry-based learning in classrooms by providing a framework for collaborative research and presentation. It offers thousands of questions aligned to state standards, lesson planning tools, and a community for educators to connect and share resources.

**Highlights:** Thousands of big questions aligned to state standards, Integrated lesson plans, Facilitation and reflection tools, Global educator community, Continuing education units, Printable resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartPass Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartpass-mobile/id1387337686)

This app allows educators and school staff to manage digital hall passes in real-time. It enables the creation, approval, and tracking of student passes, with features like Hall Monitor and Kiosk Mode for efficient school management.

**Highlights:** Create and schedule digital hall passes, Approve or deny pass requests, Real-time student tracking with photos, Kiosk Mode for device-limited rooms, Access staff ID cards, Manage school account settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Helps track student activity
- 👍 Useful for school administrators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constant log-out issues
- 🕰️ Restrictive time limits
- 🚫 Invades student privacy
- 💤 Disrupts class time
- 🤕 Causes student stress and anxiety

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and glitches
- Unreliable pass tracking
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- More flexible time limits
- Customizable settings for each school
- Better integration with school systems
- Ability to provide feedback/explanations for time limit overruns


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StartSOLE free?

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

### Is SmartPass Mobile free?

SmartPass Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, StartSOLE or SmartPass Mobile?

StartSOLE is rated higher. StartSOLE averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SmartPass Mobile averages 2.9 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do StartSOLE or SmartPass Mobile have ads?

Neither StartSOLE nor SmartPass Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StartSOLE or SmartPass Mobile?

StartSOLE ships an update fortnightly, and SmartPass Mobile fortnightly. Most recently, StartSOLE was updated on October 15, 2026 and SmartPass Mobile on October 13, 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.*