# Upstrive Education vs DESS

Upstrive Education and DESS are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Upstrive Education ships an update every 3 weeks, DESS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Upstrive Education | DESS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstrive-education/id1535688668/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **12** | — |
| Positive reviews | 74.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Upstrive Gmbh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759958095) | [Malachy McGrogan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812601706) |

## What reviewers say

### Upstrive Education

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstrive-education/id1535688668)

This app helps manage student and staff wellbeing and engagement. It provides deep insights and powerful tools to achieve stronger results for both students and staff.

**Highlights:** Student wellbeing management, Staff wellbeing management, Engagement tracking, Deep insights, Powerful tools

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with feelings
- 👍 Useful for school
- 👍 Allows sharing feelings privately
- 👍 Provides tips for improvement
- 👍 Good for mindfulness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Interrupts in school
- 👎 Not working
- 👎 Boring to do in school
- 👎 Laggy
- 👎 Internet issues

**Reported bugs**

- App glitches a lot
- Internet issues
- Laggy
- App not working

**Requested features**

- Add more emotions (e.g., energetic)
- Make password simpler for new year


### DESS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dess/id6745505072)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Upstrive Education free?

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

### Is DESS free?

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

### Do Upstrive Education or DESS have ads?

Neither Upstrive Education nor DESS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Upstrive Education or DESS?

Upstrive Education ships an update every 3 weeks, and DESS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Upstrive Education was updated on September 25, 2026 and DESS on September 10, 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.*