# 起点课堂 vs 极客时间

The clearest difference is ads: 起点课堂 at none against 极客时间's shown. 极客时间's advantage is ratings volume (327 vs 4) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 起点课堂 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and 极客时间 sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for 起点课堂 against 3.9 for 极客时间. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 极客时间 has 327 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

起点课堂 ships an update monthly, 极客时间 every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 起点课堂 | 极客时间 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1097458509/reviews)** | [3.9 (327 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1280245865/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **327** |
| Positive reviews | — | 58.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 132 MB | 262 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen JuLiChuangXiang Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1433852816) | [The Holding of GeekBang (Beijing) Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1038372718) |

## What reviewers say

### 起点课堂

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1097458509)

This platform offers comprehensive online and offline courses for professionals looking to enhance their skills in product management, internet operations, and user experience. It provides structured learning paths, live sessions, and career support.

**Highlights:** Online and offline courses, Product management training, Internet operations training, User experience design, Career advancement programs, Live expert sessions, Job placement assistance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50起点学院学习币 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 208起点学院学习币 | $30.99 | one-time |
| 418起点学院学习币 | $64.99 | one-time |
| 6个月起点学院会员服务 | $89.99 | one-time |
| 一年起点会员服务 | $149.99 | one-time |
| 1048起点学院学习币 | $159.99 | one-time |
| 两年起点会员服务服务 | $249.99 | one-time |
| 3998起点学院学习币 | $599.99 | one-time |
| 一年起点学院高级会员服务 | $599.99 | one-time |
| 两年起点学院高级会员服务 | $899.99 | one-time |


### 极客时间

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1280245865)

This platform offers advanced AI learning paths, covering everything from foundational algorithms to large model principles and practical AIGC applications. It also provides a comprehensive technical learning experience for developers with expert-led courses, real-world case studies, and community features.

**Highlights:** AI learning paths, Expert-led technical courses, Real-world enterprise case studies, 18 technical growth routes, Audio and video learning, Learning community, Training camps

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6G币充值 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10G币充值 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 12G币充值 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 38G币充值 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 68G币充值 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 78G币充值 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 79G币充值 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 108G币充值 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 98G币充值 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 218G币充值 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 308G币充值 | $44.99 | one-time |
| 518G币充值 | $69.99 | one-time |
| 1598G币充值 | $229.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Great learning content
- 🚀 Productive app
- 🤩 Excellent app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 🌙 Lack of dark mode
- 🤯 Frustrating to use

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased courses not accessible
- Inconsistent login behavior
- Playback issues (progress reset, no background play)

**Requested features**

- Page-level search
- Offline mode for content
- Improved navigation and playback controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 起点课堂 free?

起点课堂 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 极客时间 free?

极客时间 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 起点课堂 or 极客时间?

起点课堂 is rated higher. 起点课堂 averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while 极客时间 averages 3.9 from 327 ratings.

### Do 起点课堂 or 极客时间 have ads?

极客时间 shows ads; 起点课堂 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 起点课堂 or 极客时间?

起点课堂 ships an update monthly, and 极客时间 every 4 weeks. Most recently, 起点课堂 was updated on September 26, 2026 and 极客时间 on October 26, 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.*