StartSOLE vs Planbook Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StartSOLE
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.
- Thousands of big questions aligned to state standards
- Integrated lesson plans
- Facilitation and reflection tools
- Global educator community
- Continuing education units
- Printable resources
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The StartSOLE app gives you everything you need to bring inquiry based learning into your classroom. In the app you will find thousands of questions aligned to state standards, integrated lesson plans, tools for facilitating and reflecting in your class, and the opportunity to connect with a global community of educators. What's SOLE? A SOLE takes place in three parts: asking a big question, collaborating to research in groups, and then each group presenting their findings. By design SOLE requires only one internet enabled device per group and takes about 45 minutes to an hour, perfectly suited to be completed in a single class period. SOLEs focus on the process of learning and prepares learners for the future by infusing 21st century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. This concept was pioneered by Dr. Sugata Mitra, winner of the 2013 TED prize for his ‘Hole in the Wall’ Experiment. StartSOLE is designed to make this concept easy for teachers to implement anywhere, anytime. What does this app do? • Big Questions - Thousands of big questions aligned to state standards are available for your next SOLE, or you can submit your own big question to share with the community. • Lesson Planning - Create a Charlotte Danielson-aligned lesson plan in minutes, delivered to your inbox • Facilitation Tool - An easy timer and guided observation tool allows you to record key moments during your SOLE as they happen • Guided Reflection - A brief guided reflection designed to improve your practice and provide support if needed • Certification - Receive free continuing education units from Cleveland State University for your work with SOLE • Tutorials - Guides & tips from other teachers, along with an introduction to the research frameworks behind SOLE. • News feed - view SOLE sessions from around the world and connect with other SOLE educators • Resources - Dozens of printable resources from other teachers available to use with your students: rubrics, worksheets, posters and more!
Planbook Mobile
This is a comprehensive online lesson planning tool designed for educators. It offers a wide array of features, meticulous student learning standards, and excellent support. A free trial is available to experience its capabilities.
- Comprehensive lesson planning
- Meticulous student learning standards
- Extensive features for educators
- Outstanding support and tutorials
- Continuous improvement based on feedback
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Welcome to Planbook! With over one million teachers and one billion lessons, Planbook is the established leader in online lesson planning! Why is Planbook preferred by educators? * We offer the most features for teachers and schools * At $20 per year, we offer the best value on the market * Outstanding support plus knowledge base and tutorials * Our student learning standards are meticulous * Our product is always improving thanks to educator feedback Download and take advantage of our 90 day free trial!
Screenshots
Verdict
StartSOLE and Planbook Mobile both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of StartSOLE's written reviews are positive against 51% of Planbook Mobile's. StartSOLE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Planbook Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (7.2K vs 6). On price, rating, ads 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. Planbook Mobile sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. StartSOLE asks for nothing beyond the download.
StartSOLE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planbook Mobile has 7.2K 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 51% of Planbook Mobile's.
StartSOLE ships an update fortnightly, Planbook Mobile every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StartSOLE | Planbook Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 4.8 (7.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 7.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 83 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LudiVita OG | Planbook Inc. |
Customer experience
StartSOLE
Planbook Mobile
Bugs and requests
StartSOLE
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Planbook Mobile
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to add school year dates
- Login page issues (keyboard blocking screen)
- Inability to use Gmail account for sign-up
- Lesson plans deleted without explanation
Requested features
3 requests- Add copy and paste feature
- Improve mobile app experience (e.g., biometric login, portrait mode)
- Enhance integration with other platforms (e.g., Canvas)
In-app purchases
StartSOLE
No in-app purchases
Planbook Mobile
- 1-Year Planbook Subscription$20.00
- 2-Year Planbook Subscription$36.00
- 3-Year Planbook Subscription$48.00
Questions
Is StartSOLE free?
Is Planbook Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, StartSOLE or Planbook Mobile?
Do StartSOLE or Planbook Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, StartSOLE or Planbook Mobile?
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