# ORB Participant vs Cialfo

The clearest difference is rating: ORB Participant at 3.1 against Cialfo's 2.5. ORB Participant also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Cialfo's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (62% vs 32%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 52 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of ORB Participant's written reviews are positive against 62% of Cialfo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ORB Participant ships an update every 4 months, Cialfo weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ORB Participant | Cialfo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.1 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orb-participant/id1215719234/reviews)** | [2.5 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cialfo/id1496720229/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **66** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | 31.8% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215719233) | [Cialfo Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120617873) |

## 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


### Cialfo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cialfo/id1496720229)

This app helps students research universities and programs, offering personalized recommendations based on their academic background and interests. It streamlines the application process by tracking deadlines, facilitating submissions, and providing updates. Access a wealth of information to make informed educational decisions.

**Highlights:** University and program research, Personalized recommendations, Admission requirement details, Financial aid information, Application deadline tracking, Application submission assistance, Application status updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ORB Participant free?

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

### Is Cialfo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ORB Participant or Cialfo?

ORB Participant is rated higher. ORB Participant averages 3.1 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Cialfo averages 2.5 from 52 ratings.

### Do ORB Participant or Cialfo have ads?

Neither ORB Participant nor Cialfo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ORB Participant or Cialfo?

ORB Participant ships an update every 4 months, and Cialfo weekly. Most recently, ORB Participant was updated on November 2, 2026 and Cialfo on November 3, 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.*