# Cognito vs Medly

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cognito at none against Medly's 11. Cognito also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (60% vs 51%). Medly's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (75 vs 10). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Medly sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Cognito asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cognito holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Medly has 75 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Cognito's written reviews are positive against 51% of Medly's.

Cognito ships an update every 5 weeks, Medly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cognito | Medly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognito-universal-study-app/id1479567470/reviews)** | [4.6 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medly-ace-ap/id6670685314/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **75** |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 51.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kram Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1479567469) | [Medly AI limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767006409) |

## What reviewers say

### Cognito

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognito-universal-study-app/id1479567470)

Create and practice interactive study materials like flashcards and practice tests. This platform offers a fast and affordable way to prepare for exams with unlimited access to content creation and study tools.

**Highlights:** Create flashcards, Practice tests, Study guides, Notes, Outlines, Unlimited content creation

**In-app purchases:** none


### Medly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medly-ace-ap/id6670685314)

Prepare for AP exams with comprehensive study materials aligned with College Board topics. Access practice questions, detailed explanations, and instant help for all major AP subjects.

**Highlights:** AP-aligned practice questions, Auto-graded questions with explanations, Focused study guides, Instant homework help, Covers major AP subjects

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Medly monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Medly Pro | $24.99 | per month |
| Medly Yearly Subscriptions | $99.90 | per year |
| Pro Annual | $179.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual | $179.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual | $179.99 | per year |
| Medly Pro Yearly | $249.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app experience
- 🚀 Helpful for exam prep
- 💡 Personalized learning
- 🎉 Motivating and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent log-outs
- 🔍 Navigation/map issues
- ⚠️ Limited exam board coverage

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Add more exam boards
- Improve navigation and maps
- Expand to non-STEM subjects


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cognito free?

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

### Is Medly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cognito or Medly?

Cognito is rated higher. Cognito averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Medly averages 4.6 from 75 ratings.

### Do Cognito or Medly have ads?

Neither Cognito nor Medly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cognito or Medly?

Cognito ships an update every 5 weeks, and Medly every 5 days. Most recently, Cognito was updated on October 7, 2026 and Medly on October 30, 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.*