Comparison

Common App vs Encourage | College Planning

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

Head to head
About

Common App

Manage your college applications on the go. This app offers a secure and streamlined way to apply to over 1000 colleges, research financial aid options, and access guidance from counselors, all from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Apply to 1000+ colleges
  • Research financial aid
  • Get counselor advice
  • Secure application process
  • Mobile convenience
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Simplify your college application experience with Common App for mobile. Common App for mobile provides you with the same secure, streamlined application experience you’ve come to expect from Common App online, all from the convenience of your mobile device. The app seamlessly integrates with the first-year desktop experience — allowing you to apply to more than 1000 colleges, research financial aid, and get advice from counselors. Common App for mobile is free and easy to use. Download the app to navigate your entire college application journey.

About

Encourage | College Planning

This app helps middle and high school students plan for college and careers. It offers tools to discover personal interests, explore educational and career paths, find scholarships, and manage applications. It provides personalized guidance and resources to navigate the journey from high school to future opportunities.

Highlights
  • College matching based on goals
  • Scholarship finder
  • Career path exploration
  • Personalized high school planner
  • College application guidance
  • Financial aid information
Features
Read full description

Your Future Made Simple. Encourage is a free, all-in-one college and career planning app and your go-to middle school and high school app for figuring out what’s next. Made just for students in grades 7–12, it helps you discover who you are, explore what’s possible, and take real steps toward your future. Thinking about college, a career, or just figuring it out? Wherever you're headed, Encourage is here to support you. You can use Encourage to: • Match with colleges that fit your goals and needs • Explore college admissions, costs, student life, and more • Find scholarships that match your interests • Learn about college costs and financial aid, including the FAFSA • Get college application help and semester-by-semester guidance • Plan each semester of high school with a personalized checklist • Explore over 900 career paths with details on salaries and skills • Build your college checklist and stay organized from start to finish • … and more My Journey My Journey is your personal roadmap. Set goals, complete grade-level tasks, and track your progress. Whether you're exploring majors, applying for scholarships, preparing for college, or exploring careers, My Journey keeps you organized and ready for graduation and beyond. It is your all-in-one student planner for high school success. My Colleges Search thousands of schools based on what matters to you, like location, cost, campus vibe, majors, and more. Save your favorites, compare your options, and use Encourage as your personal college list builder. My Majors Not sure what to study? Take a quiz that matches your strengths and interests to real majors. Then explore what you would learn, which schools offer it, and how it connects to future careers and degrees. My Careers Take just one quick quiz to find careers that align with your personality and interests. Learn what they pay, how to get there, and what day-to-day life is like. It is the perfect tool to explore all types of careers. My Scholarships My Scholarships is your go-to scholarship finder. No more endless Googling or wondering if a scholarship is real. With over 80,000 verified scholarships for students, you can find opportunities that actually match your background and goals. Save your favorites, keep track of deadlines, and manage your applications all in one place. My Library My Library is your go-to resource hub full of helpful articles and videos. Search everything from college admission help and guidance to tips on paying for college and planning strategies for high school and beyond. Use My Library to explore content that matches your interests and goals, and dive into support whenever you need it. Your future starts now! Let Encourage help you build it. Download now and start exploring.

Screenshots

Common App4 screens
Encourage | College Planning4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Encourage | College Planning at 84% against Common App's 23%. Encourage | College Planning also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). Common App's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and chart position (#57 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Encourage | College Planning holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 679 and 149 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Common App's written reviews are positive against 84% of Encourage | College Planning's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Common App ships an update every 9 months, Encourage | College Planning every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Common App versus Encourage | College Planning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommon AppEncourage | College Planning
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (679 ratings)4.5 (149 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.9% of reviews84.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings679 — better149
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#57 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Common Applicationadmittedly

Customer experience

Common App

All ratings679 ratings
Positive47.4%
Neutral8.4%
Negative44.2%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive22.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative72.0%

Encourage | College Planning

All ratings149 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive84.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

Common App

From 679 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient mobile app
  • 👍 Same functionality as website
  • 🎉 Finally available as an app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔑 Requires re-login every time
  • 🚫 Doesn't work for transfer students

Encourage | College Planning

From 149 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent for college and future planning
  • 💡 Helps with college affordability and scholarships
  • 👍 Provides college options and fit analysis
  • ✅ Useful for high school students (freshman to senior)
  • 🆓 Great free resource

Room to improve

  • 🐌 Slow to load
  • 🌍 Restricted to USA schools
  • 🐛 Cannot create an account (invalid zip code)
  • 🐛 Blank screen on opening
  • 🐛 Stuck on 'tell us about you' screen

Bugs and requests

Common App

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • White screen on login
  • App doesn't load past logo
  • Redirects transfer students to website

Requested features

3 requests
  • Keep user logged in for longer
  • Increase text box size
  • Add back button navigation

Encourage | College Planning

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App is slow to load
  • Cannot create an account due to invalid zip code
  • App shows a blank screen upon opening
  • Stuck on the 'tell us about you' screen, cannot proceed
  • Email and password fields delete input when trying to log in

In-app purchases

None

Common App

No in-app purchases

None

Encourage | College Planning

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Common App free?
Common App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Encourage | College Planning free?
Encourage | College Planning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Common App or Encourage | College Planning?
Encourage | College Planning is rated higher. Common App averages 3.0 out of 5 from 679 ratings, while Encourage | College Planning averages 4.5 from 149 ratings.
Do Common App or Encourage | College Planning have ads?
Neither Common App nor Encourage | College Planning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Common App or Encourage | College Planning?
Common App ships an update every 9 months, and Encourage | College Planning every 3 weeks. Most recently, Common App was updated on November 11, 2026 and Encourage | College Planning on November 3, 2026.

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