# ORB Participant vs Orah Student App

The clearest difference is rating: ORB Participant at 3.1 against Orah Student App's 1.2. ORB Participant also leads on review sentiment (32% vs 13%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Orah Student App's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (252 vs 66). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

ORB Participant holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 1.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 252 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of ORB Participant's written reviews are positive against 13% of Orah Student App's.

ORB Participant ships an update every 4 months, Orah Student App every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ORB Participant | Orah Student App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.1 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orb-participant/id1215719234/reviews)** | [1.2 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orah-student-app/id1383553237/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 66 | **252** |
| Positive reviews | **31.8% of reviews** | 13.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215719233) | [Boardingware](https://appshunter.io/developer/1115908590) |

## What reviewers say

### ORB Participant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orb-participant/id1215719234)

Track your progress for The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. Log activities, manage your sections, and submit them to your Assessor and Award Leader for completion, all from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Manage Award progress, Set up activities, Create progress logs, Submit Award sections, Assessor and Leader approval

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface for logging hours
- 🚀 Convenient mobile access for on-the-go logging
- ✅ Reliable for basic activity tracking
- 📱 Simple and straightforward design
- ⭐ Helpful for Duke of Edinburgh participants

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- ⚠️ Hours calculation errors and inaccuracies
- 🔌 Network error messages despite working connection
- ❌ Limited editing capabilities after submission
- 😤 Slow and laggy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Hours not accumulating correctly - logs multiple hours as single hour
- Progress bar not increasing when adding logs
- Network error messages appearing despite valid connection
- App crashes when entering journey observations
- App crashes when editing and resubmitting assessments

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit activities and submissions after approval
- Resend assessment/approval functionality
- Message/comment system between users and leaders
- View approved evidence and journey details after submission
- Edit activity names if misspelled


### Orah Student App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orah-student-app/id1383553237)

Manage student leave requests, access contact information, and receive important notifications. Requires an existing student account to use.

**Highlights:** Apply for leave requests, Manage leave requests, View contact information, Organize contact information, Receive notifications, Mobile access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- ⏱️ Saves time with pass requests
- 💡 Innovative location tracking concept

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Invasive location tracking concerns
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 😤 Difficult and tedious login process
- ❌ Inconsistent app functionality
- 🎨 Poor UI/UX design and layout

**Reported bugs**

- Login loop - returns to login screen after authentication
- App crashes upon launch or login
- Password not recognized despite correct credentials
- Wrong account type error messages
- Next button unresponsive during login

**Requested features**

- Simplified login process with fewer clicks
- Parent-friendly web interface with better country/region selection
- Template location auto-fill for saved pass templates
- Keyboard positioning fix for pass note writing
- Single login system across multiple school locations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ORB Participant free?

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

### Is Orah Student App free?

Orah Student App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ORB Participant or Orah Student App?

ORB Participant is rated higher. ORB Participant averages 3.1 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Orah Student App averages 1.2 from 252 ratings.

### Do ORB Participant or Orah Student App have ads?

Neither ORB Participant nor Orah Student App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ORB Participant or Orah Student App?

ORB Participant ships an update every 4 months, and Orah Student App every 6 weeks. Most recently, ORB Participant was updated on November 2, 2026 and Orah Student App on November 6, 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.*