Comparison

StartSOLE vs Raptor Alert

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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!

About

Raptor Alert

This app enhances school safety by providing a silent panic alert system, streamlining emergency response, and facilitating student reunification. It integrates with existing security systems and student information systems for real-time accountability and drill management.

Highlights
  • Silent panic alert system
  • Expedited emergency response
  • Bi-directional security system integration
  • Mandated drill compliance and tracking
  • Real-time student and staff accountability
  • Patented student reunification workflow
Features
Read full description

The Raptor® Alert mobile app is used with Raptor Technologies® newest emergency management solutions – Raptor Alert™, Raptor Reunification®, Raptor Accountability™ and Raptor Drill Manager®. Those who purchased Raptor Alert individually or with other Raptor Emergency Management solutions – should download this new Raptor Alert mobile app. Speak with your system administrator or Raptor support if you have questions. Raptor Emergency Management solutions include: RAPTOR ALERT™: Designed to work under duress, Raptor Alert is a silent panic alert system that works on the devices your schools use every day. Raptor Alert expedites and streamlines emergency response by allowing users to initiate an emergency alert directly through 911 and provide critical information to first responders, law enforcement and campus personnel. RAPTOR CONNECT™: Raptor Connect enables native, bi-directional integration with a school’s existing digital security systems and peripherals. It streamlines a school’s digital emergency response activations, speeding notifications and minimizing the impact of the situation. RAPTOR DRILL MANAGER®: Raptor Drill Manager gives you the power to prepare your schools for any situation. Simplify federal and state-mandated drill compliance and management by scheduling, initiating, logging and tracking drills from any smart device. District-level and school-level reports show drill status and crucial insights to help schools improve with each drill. RAPTOR ACCOUNTABILITY™: Connected with your student information system, Raptor enables teachers and staff to account for themselves, students and visitors directly in the mobile app while providing real-time status and location information. RAPTOR REUNIFICATION®: Recovery starts when the crisis begins. Minimizing trauma is directly correlated to safe, efficient reunification. Raptor Reunification software includes a patented reunification workflow and is aligned with and officially licensed by The “I Love U Guys” Foundation®. With Raptor, your reunification team can quickly confirm the location and status of each student and staff member in the mobile app. Connected to your student information system, Raptor helps ensure students are reunified only with approved guardians. Raptor Reunification includes Student Reunification®, Parent Reunification®, Guardian Reunification® and Family Reunification®. Transforming School Safety Through Software. Founded in 2002, Raptor Technologies has partnered with over 60,000 schools globally, including over 7,300 K-12 US school districts. Our team of safety software experts and our suite of industry-leading solutions provide schools with confidence in their safety and student wellbeing programs so they can focus on teaching. Driven by our shared mission to protect every child, every school, every day™, Raptor helps customers mitigate risks—from prevention and preparedness to reunifying families.

Screenshots

StartSOLE4 screens
Raptor Alert4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: StartSOLE at 100% against Raptor Alert's 17%. StartSOLE also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.6) and monetization model (free vs paid). Raptor Alert's advantage is ratings volume (180 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StartSOLE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Raptor Alert has 180 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 17% of Raptor Alert's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StartSOLE ships an update fortnightly, Raptor Alert every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
StartSOLE versus Raptor Alert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStartSOLERaptor Alert
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better2.6 (180 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better17.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6180 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.2
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB209 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLudiVita OGRaptor Technologies, LLC

Customer experience

StartSOLE

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Raptor Alert

All ratings178 ratings
Positive35.4%
Neutral6.2%
Negative58.4%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive17.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative82.9%

Bugs and requests

StartSOLE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Raptor Alert

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • Roster system is poorly designed
  • UI is bulky
  • Return on questions by Raptor is bad
  • Extremely inconsistent
  • Doesn't work for half of the faculty and staff
Show 26 more
  • Not reliable or credible
  • Cannot disable 2 factor
  • Has not once sounded the alarm on phone during drills
  • Won't let me sign up
  • Alarm sound is too intense
  • Has never worked
  • Top bar for toggling schools and settings button not working
  • Cannot get campuses which don't apply removed
  • App is cumbersome to use
  • Hard to find rosters
  • Cannot remove personal phone number
  • Doesn't always alert or work
  • Cannot stop getting alerts even after removing app
  • Don't get alerts, only text and email
  • Phone going off constantly with drills/incidents
  • Cannot keep 'foghorn' from going off without removing app
  • App is not intuitive or quick
  • Takes at least 10 button clicks to get to roster
  • Won't let me log in
  • Most people tied to another school and support can't remove
  • Regularly get loud and disruptive alerts for wrong building
  • Will not let me login
  • Try to log in and get redirected back to same log in screen
  • Cannot successfully make it through the log in process
  • Couldn't even log in at all
  • Test alerts going off constantly since signing up

Requested features

6 requests
  • District should pay for personal phone use for 2FA
  • Better way to notify than personal phones
  • Require phone use on school devices like iPads
  • Remove ability to disable notification sound
  • Improve UI/UX for speed and intuitiveness
Show 1 more
  • Provide training on app usage

In-app purchases

None

StartSOLE

No in-app purchases

None

Raptor Alert

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StartSOLE free?
StartSOLE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Raptor Alert free?
Raptor Alert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StartSOLE or Raptor Alert?
StartSOLE is rated higher. StartSOLE averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Raptor Alert averages 2.6 from 180 ratings.
Do StartSOLE or Raptor Alert have ads?
Neither StartSOLE nor Raptor Alert shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StartSOLE or Raptor Alert?
StartSOLE ships an update fortnightly, and Raptor Alert every 3 weeks. Most recently, StartSOLE was updated on October 24, 2026 and Raptor Alert on October 24, 2026.

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