# Scouting vs Join

The clearest difference is update cadence: Scouting at fortnightly against Join's every 23 months. Join's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Scouting ships an update fortnightly, Join every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scouting | Join |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (915 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scouting/id1218464473/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **915** | — |
| Positive reviews | 12.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 115 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Boy Scouts of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/327240448) | [YCS Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/545353031) |

## What reviewers say

### Scouting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scouting/id1218464473)

This app helps parents and Scouts track their journey from Lion to Eagle Scout. It focuses on individual progress and requires a my.scouting.org login for parents or youth accounts.

**Highlights:** Track progress from Lion to Eagle Scout, Parent and youth account support, Individual experience tracking, Requires my.scouting.org login

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for tracking progress
- 🚀 Solid app when it works
- 🌟 Good for monitoring scout's progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 🔁 Endless update loop
- 🤯 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 📆 Calendar and event tracking problems

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect rank and requirement completion tracking
- Unable to submit advancement requirements
- Inability to remove guardians
- Outdated merit badge listings
- Inconsistent app behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- PDF version of scout handbook
- Integration with device calendar
- Ability to add photos and comments
- Better notifications and alerts
- Improved tracking for merit badges and advancements


### Join

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/join-hero/id6443680866)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scouting free?

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

### Is Join free?

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

### Do Scouting or Join have ads?

Neither Scouting nor Join shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scouting or Join?

Scouting ships an update fortnightly, and Join every 23 months. Most recently, Scouting was updated on October 12, 2026 and Join on September 21, 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.*