# CU Trails vs RISE

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CU Trails at none against RISE's 4. CU Trails also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). RISE's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RISE sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. CU Trails asks for nothing beyond the download.

CU Trails ships an update every 9 months, RISE fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CU Trails | RISE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rise-reading-tracker/id6759870151/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Chinese University of Hong Kong](https://appshunter.io/developer/369070876) | [Christopher Kriel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795531477) |

## What reviewers say

### CU Trails

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cu-trails/id1332938584)

**In-app purchases:** none


### RISE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rise-reading-tracker/id6759870151)

This app helps you track your reading progress, build a digital library, and reduce phone screen time by gamifying reading. Earn back time to access distracting apps by completing reading quizzes. Compete with friends and discover new books.

**Highlights:** Track books chapter by chapter, Build a digital book library, Gamified reading challenges, Reduce distracting app usage, Compete with friends, Curated reading recommendations, Screen time tracking

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter | $0.99 | per month |
| RISE Premium | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Founding Member | $2.99 | per month |
| RISE Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CU Trails free?

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

### Is RISE free?

RISE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do CU Trails or RISE have ads?

Neither CU Trails nor RISE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CU Trails or RISE?

CU Trails ships an update every 9 months, and RISE fortnightly. Most recently, CU Trails was updated on October 7, 2026 and RISE on October 11, 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.*