# Common App vs Encourage | College Planning

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.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Common App | Encourage | College Planning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (679 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509/reviews) | **[4.5 (149 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encourage-college-planning/id1606960183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **679** | 149 |
| Positive reviews | 22.9% of reviews | **84.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#57** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Common Application](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030434052) | [admittedly](https://appshunter.io/developer/765828222) |

## What reviewers say

### Common App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Keep user logged in for longer
- Increase text box size
- Add back button navigation


### Encourage | College Planning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encourage-college-planning/id1606960183)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*