# Understood vs STAR/CHILD

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Understood at none against STAR/CHILD's 3. Understood also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (70% vs 36%). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. STAR/CHILD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Understood asks for nothing beyond the download.

Understood holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 401 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Understood's written reviews are positive against 36% of STAR/CHILD's.

Understood ships an update every 3 weeks, STAR/CHILD monthly. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Understood | STAR/CHILD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understood-support-adhd-kids/id1552485748/reviews)** | [4.4 (401 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchild/id6475495211/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 401 |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 36.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Understood for All, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552485750) | [STAR/CHILD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724255138) |

## What reviewers say

### Understood

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understood-support-adhd-kids/id1552485748)

This app helps parents understand and manage their child's big emotions, especially for those with learning and thinking differences. It offers a behavior tracker, personalized insights, and skill-building lessons developed by psychologists to improve responses and build confidence.

**Highlights:** Behavior Tracker, Personalized Insights, Skill-building Lessons, Psychologist-developed strategies, Real-time Guidance, De-escalation Techniques

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for understanding ADHD and learning disabilities
- 👍 Provides useful parenting strategies
- 👍 Connects parents with experts and other families
- 👍 Informative and educational content
- 👍 Game-changing resource for parents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 👎 Not user-friendly or intuitive interface
- 👎 Lacks customization options
- 👎 Doesn't cater to all ADHD types
- 👎 Overwhelming amount of text-based content

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and app not loading properly
- Difficulties accessing and downloading resources

**Requested features**

- Add support for tracking multiple children
- Improve app aesthetics and interactivity
- Incorporate more visual and audio-based content
- Enhance community engagement and expert involvement


### STAR/CHILD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchild/id6475495211)

This app provides personalized astrological insights for parents, offering detailed relationship breakdowns and birth chart analyses for your entire family. It delivers daily horoscopes, audio readings, and weekly previews to help you understand your children's needs and enhance your parenting style.

**Highlights:** Family relationship breakdowns, Full birth charts and analysis, Daily horoscopes for parents and kids, Daily and weekly audio astrology readings, Whole Sky horoscope tracking, Downloadable parenting guides

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $10.00 | per month |
| Yearly | $99.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive and detailed astrological content
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-focused insights for parenting
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive user interface design
- 📖 In-depth guides and daily/weekly readings
- 💡 Thoughtful, balanced, and non-fear-mongering interpretations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- 🔄 Inconsistent content update timing
- 🔐 Persistent login and account issues
- ⏰ Daily readings not available early morning
- 📅 Date recognition problems and display errors

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or when opening
- Login screen loops infinitely
- Users logged out repeatedly throughout the day
- Account data wiped requiring re-input of information
- New app update reverts to old interface

**Requested features**

- Multiple house system options (Placidus, Porphyry, Equal House)
- Synastry and composite chart analysis
- Relational analysis comparing parent-child charts
- Ability to add grandchildren and extended family
- Automatic daily reading uploads at consistent times


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Understood free?

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

### Is STAR/CHILD free?

STAR/CHILD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Understood or STAR/CHILD?

Understood is rated higher. Understood averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while STAR/CHILD averages 4.4 from 401 ratings.

### Do Understood or STAR/CHILD have ads?

STAR/CHILD shows ads; Understood does not.

### Which is updated more often, Understood or STAR/CHILD?

Understood ships an update every 3 weeks, and STAR/CHILD monthly. Most recently, Understood was updated on October 20, 2026 and STAR/CHILD on October 20, 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.*