# 软考通 vs PhD Challenge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 软考通 at none against PhD Challenge's 3. 软考通 also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). PhD Challenge's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PhD Challenge sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 软考通 asks for nothing beyond the download.

软考通 ships an update every 5 weeks, PhD Challenge every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 软考通 | PhD Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hangzhou Junce Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784147260) | [智慧 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894708009) |

## What reviewers say

### 软考通

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1498444438)

This app helps students prepare for national computer software qualification exams. It offers practice questions, past papers, and detailed explanations for all levels and subjects, aiming to make passing easier.

**Highlights:** Practice questions with precise exam points, Mock exams with random question generation, Collection of past exam papers, Targeted practice for knowledge points, Automatic错题库 (mistake bank) for targeted review, Favorites for personalized study

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### PhD Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phd-challenge/id6815483993)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Retake Ticket | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Retake Tickets | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Retakes | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 软考通 free?

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

### Is PhD Challenge free?

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

### Do 软考通 or PhD Challenge have ads?

软考通 shows ads; PhD Challenge does not.

### Which is updated more often, 软考通 or PhD Challenge?

软考通 ships an update every 5 weeks, and PhD Challenge every 3 weeks. Most recently, 软考通 was updated on October 27, 2026 and PhD Challenge on October 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.*