Comparison

Colby Safe vs Gradescope

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

Head to head
About

Colby Safe

This app provides students, faculty, and staff with enhanced safety on campus. It delivers critical safety alerts and offers direct access to campus security resources, including emergency contacts and real-time location sharing for assistance.

Highlights
  • Emergency Contacts
  • Mobile Bluelight
  • Walk a Friend location sharing
  • Safety Toolbox
  • Tip Reporting
  • Virtual WalkHome monitoring
  • Campus Map
  • Emergency Plans
Features
Read full description

Colby Safe is the official safety app of Colby College. It is the only app that integrates with Colby College’s safety and security systems. The Department of Security has worked to develop a unique app that provides students, faculty and staff with added safety on the Colby College campus. The app will send you important safety alerts and provide instant access to campus safety resources. Colby Safe features include: - Emergency Contacts: Contact the correct services for the Colby College area in case of an emergency or a non-emergency concern - Mobile Bluelight: Send your location to Colby College security in real-time in case of a crisis  - Walk a Friend: Send your location to a friend through email or SMS on your device. Once the friend accepts the Friend Walk request, the user picks their destination and their friend tracks their location in real time; they can keep an eye on them to make sure they make it safely to their destination. - Safety Toolbox: Enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app. - Notification History: Find previous Push Notifications for this app with the date and time. - Share Map with your Location: Send your location to a friend by sending them a map of your position. - I’m OK!: Send your location and a message indicating that “You’re OK” to a recipient of your choosing. - Tip Reporting: Multiple ways to report a safety/security concern directly to Colby College security. - Virtual WalkHome: Allow Campus Security to monitor a user’s walk. If a user feels unsafe when walking on campus, they can request a Virtual WalkHome and a dispatcher on the other end will monitor their journey until they reach their destination. - Campus Map: Navigate around the Colby College area. - Emergency Plans: Campus emergency documentation that can prepare you for disasters or emergencies. This can be accessed even when users aren’t connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. - Support Resources: Access support resources in one convenient app to enjoy a successful experience at Colby College. - Safety Notifications: Receive instant notifications and instructions from Colby College safety when on-campus emergencies occur. Download today to ensure you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.

About

Gradescope

Easily upload assignments for courses using this app. Submit files from your device or scan your work directly. Assign pages for variable-length assignments and resubmit if needed before the deadline.

Highlights
  • Upload assignments
  • Scan documents with camera
  • Select existing files
  • Assign pages for variable-length assignments
  • Resubmit assignments
  • View submitted and graded assignments
Features
Read full description

Students, upload your assignments to Gradescope more easily than ever before! If your instructor uses Gradescope for your assignments, you can now upload your submission with our mobile app. After installing and opening the app, login to see your Gradescope courses and assignments. To upload a submission, click on the assignment in the “Not Submitted” tab and either “Select File” to select an existing file from your device or “Scan” all pages of your completed work using your iPhone’s camera. Once you submit your file(s), for templated assignments, you’re all set. For variable-length assignments, “Assign pages” to indicate where your answer for each question appears within your submission. It’s that easy! After confirming, your assignment then moves to the “Submitted” tab. If needed, you can resubmit your assignment until the due date your instructor set has passed. Once it is graded and grades are published for the assignment, it then moves to the “Graded” tab. Note: For V1 of the app, you will be directed to our mobile website for any advanced functionality, including viewing feedback and submitting timed, programming, or online assignments. Stay tuned for future updates that will allow you to do even more with our mobile app!

Screenshots

Colby Safe4 screens
Gradescope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Colby Safe at 100% against Gradescope's 9%. Colby Safe also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.4). Gradescope's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 28 months) and ratings volume (269 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Colby Safe holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gradescope has 269 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Colby Safe's written reviews are positive against 9% of Gradescope's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Colby Safe ships an update every 28 months, Gradescope every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Colby Safe versus Gradescope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColby SafeGradescope
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better1.4 (269 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better8.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2269 — better
Update frequencyEvery 28 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better13.4
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperColby CollegeTurnitin

Customer experience

Colby Safe

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Gradescope

All ratings259 ratings
Positive7.3%
Neutral3.5%
Negative89.2%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive8.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative84.6%

Bugs and requests

Colby Safe

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Gradescope

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Camera flash issues during scanning
  • Photos not uploading in correct order
  • Inconsistent download button behavior

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to sort assignments by due date
  • Integration of tools for instructors
  • Improved iPad and tablet optimization

In-app purchases

None

Colby Safe

No in-app purchases

None

Gradescope

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Colby Safe free?
Colby Safe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gradescope free?
Gradescope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Colby Safe or Gradescope?
Colby Safe is rated higher. Colby Safe averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Gradescope averages 1.4 from 269 ratings.
Do Colby Safe or Gradescope have ads?
Neither Colby Safe nor Gradescope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Colby Safe or Gradescope?
Colby Safe ships an update every 28 months, and Gradescope every 2 months. Most recently, Colby Safe was updated on October 4, 2026 and Gradescope on October 22, 2026.

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