Comparison

Encode vs Sololearn

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

Head to head
About

Encode

Learn to code with interactive, bite-sized lessons designed for busy schedules. Master popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and SQL through hands-on exercises and challenges. Ideal for beginners, this app makes coding accessible and fun, offering certificates upon completion.

Highlights
  • Bite-sized interactive lessons
  • Hands-on coding exercises
  • Learn Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL
  • Built-in code playground
  • Daily motivation streaks and hearts
  • Certificates of completion
Features
Read full description

Start coding today with short, interactive lessons! Learn Python, SQL, HTML/CSS, JavaScript (and more) at your own pace. Encode makes learning to code easy! Bite-Sized Learning: Fit coding into your busy life with effective lessons you can complete in just 15 minutes daily. Hands-On Coding: Write REAL code from lesson one! Our interactive quizzes, coding exercises, and challenges build practical, real-world skills. Master In-Demand Languages: Learn Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, & SQL. Plus, explore mini-courses in R, Swift, Java, & the Command Line. Practice Anywhere: Our built-in playground for coding means no setup headaches. Experiment, test, and write code on the go. Learning Made Fun: Daily streaks and hearts keep you motivated. Coding feels like a game, not a chore! Perfect for Absolute Beginners: No coding experience needed! Encode guides you step-by-step, demystifying complex concepts. Build Real-World Skills: Prepare to build websites, automate tasks, analyze data, or launch your tech career. Earn Your Certificate: Showcase your new coding skills with a personalized certificate of completion. Join thousands learning to code with Encode. Visit https://upskew.com/privacy for our Privacy Policy and https://upskew.com/tos for our Terms of Use. Illustrations by Ouch (https://icons8.com/ouch). Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you at support@upskew.com.

About

Sololearn

Learn programming languages like Python, Java, and C# through interactive lessons and hands-on practice. This app offers bite-sized courses, coding challenges, and AI-powered support to help you build practical coding skills on the go. Join millions of learners worldwide advancing their careers and creating real-world solutions.

Highlights
  • Interactive coding lessons
  • Hands-on coding exercises
  • AI-powered coding support
  • Mobile code editor
  • Community support
  • Personalized learning paths
Features
Read full description

Start learning to code with Sololearn, the #1 app for learning programming on the go! Created by top educators and tech experts, Sololearn offers interactive lessons and hands-on practice in over 20 programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, SQL, Java, C#, and more. Join over 35 million learners worldwide building skills, advancing careers, and turning ideas into real-world solutions with Sololearn's community-driven, beginner-friendly courses. Ready to start your coding journey? What You Get with Sololearn • 4 Career Tracks & 20+ Full Courses – Dive into thousands of coding lessons and hands-on coding exercises, crafted in a bite-sized, engaging format. Ideal for future developers and coding enthusiasts alike! • Practice from Lesson One – Start coding right away with real-world projects, interactive coding games, and challenges that make learning fun. With engaging content in Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL, and more, Sololearn helps you build practical skills from day one. • Code with AI from Lesson One – Begin your coding journey with AI-powered support. As AI becomes integral to development, Sololearn ensures you’re ready with skills all modern developers need. • Real-Time Support When You Need It – Stuck? Get help within minutes! Tap into our supportive community or ask Kodie, our in-app teacher, for instant, AI-powered guidance on any coding challenge. • Personalized Learning Just for You – Sololearn adapts to your pace, preferences, and skill level, tailoring a learning plan that fits you. Progress through coding lessons at your own speed with content customized to match your goals and learning style. • Code Anytime, Anywhere – Practice coding anytime with Sololearn’s mobile code editor. From Python to JavaScript and more, keep learning and coding wherever you are. • Powered by Learning Science – Sololearn strikes the perfect balance of theory and practice with spaced repetition, real-world challenges, and the right level of difficulty, all designed to maximize retention and make coding stick What 35M+ users love about Sololearn • Engaging, hands-on lessons for real-world coding • Learning made super easy • Wide variety of coding courses • Perfect for beginners & pros alike • Learn anywhere with mobile coding What the Media Says About Us - "A profound impact on millions of people's financial futures." – TechCrunch - "Hundreds of different quizzes and activities." – Forbes - "An enjoyable environment for infinite professional growth." – TechCrunch HOW DOES IT WORK? With Sololearn, you can start learning to code for free. However, to unlock access to all features, you’ll need to enable a free Pro trial. If you choose not to cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the trial, you will automatically be charged the price shown on the payment screen for your selected subscription period. Don’t worry—the App Store will remind you when your free trial is nearing its end. The Sololearn Pro subscription renews automatically at the end of each period (weekly, monthly, or yearly, depending on your choice) until you cancel. Canceling your subscription will disable automatic renewal, but you’ll still have access to all your Pro features until the end of the current subscription period. Looking for even more? Our Max subscription includes exclusive Learn AI content with 15 courses designed to boost your AI-driven skills. Master data analytics, data visualization, writing and brainstorming with AI, SEO optimization, and much more with cutting-edge tools to accelerate your growth. Please note: Deleting the app does not cancel your subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.sololearn.com/en/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.sololearn.com/en/privacy-policy/ Contact Us For any questions or suggestions on how to make your experience better, reach out to us at info@sololearn.com

Screenshots

Encode4 screens
Sololearn4 screens

Verdict

The call

Encode and Sololearn both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of Encode's written reviews are positive against 70% of Sololearn's. Sololearn's advantage is ratings volume (82K vs 6.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Encode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Sololearn sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Encode against 4.8 for Sololearn. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sololearn has 82K ratings behind it against 6.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Encode's written reviews are positive against 70% of Sololearn's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Encode versus Sololearn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEncodeSololearn
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6.4K ratings)4.8 (82K ratings)
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews — better70.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6.4K82K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUpskew Pty. Ltd.Sololearn Inc

Customer experience

Encode

All ratings6,372 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews248 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral4.8%
Negative6.5%

Sololearn

All ratings81,710 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews2,123 reviews
Positive70.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative20.5%

User reviews

Encode

From 6.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to learn and understand
  • 🚀 Bite-sized, digestible lessons
  • 💡 Engaging and game-like approach
  • 🆓 Mostly free with no ads
  • 👌 Smooth and intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🕰️ Long wait times after mistakes
  • 💰 Restricts content behind paywall
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🤔 Lacks depth for more advanced learners

Sololearn

From 82K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging
  • 🚀 Helps get an understanding of code
  • 🚀 Easy to learn and use
  • 👍 Great for beginners
  • 👍 Awesome learning app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Outdated terms and lack of intelligence in verifying answers
  • 🐛 Issues with the app crashing or not loading properly
  • 💰 Expensive subscription, especially compared to other options
  • 💰 Free version is very limited
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

Bugs and requests

Encode

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect grammar/spelling in some lessons
  • Inability to input answers in certain lessons
  • Lesson content not always matching what's asked

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more coding languages like C++, C#, and Lua
  • Implement progress sync across devices
  • Provide more interactive coding exercises
  • Include audio/voice guidance for lessons

Sololearn

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Incorrect test answers even when the code is correct
  • Inability to enter certain characters or syntax correctly
  • Lessons not saving progress properly
  • Landscape mode not supported on tablets
  • Frequent crashes or freezes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more advanced courses and content
  • Improve code editor and IDE functionality
  • Implement better explanations and feedback for incorrect answers
  • Add more programming languages like Lua
  • Improve search and navigation within the app
Show 1 more
  • Provide offline mode for learning

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Encode

Subscriptions2
  • Encode Plus (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Encode Plus (Annual)$39.991 Year
12 purchases

Sololearn

Subscriptions12
  • Sololearn PRO Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • SoloLearn PRO Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Sololearn PRO Monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual3 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • PRO Annual (14 days trial)14 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual$69.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Full access to AI courses7 Days trial$97.991 Year
  • Sololearn MAX14 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Encode free?
Encode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sololearn free?
Sololearn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Encode or Sololearn?
Encode and Sololearn are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.4K and 82K ratings respectively.
Do Encode or Sololearn have ads?
Both Encode and Sololearn show ads.
Which is updated more often, Encode or Sololearn?
Encode ships an update every 2 weeks, and Sololearn every 2 weeks. Most recently, Encode was updated on September 20, 2026 and Sololearn on September 24, 2026.

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