Comparison

Solid Starts vs MSA Forward

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

Head to head
About

Solid Starts

This app guides parents through introducing solid foods to babies using baby-led weaning or transitioning from purees. It offers a comprehensive food database, meal plans, recipes, and tracking tools developed by pediatric experts.

Highlights
  • Baby-led weaning guidance
  • Extensive first foods database
  • Personalized meal plans
  • Baby food tracker
  • BLW recipes and meal ideas
  • Expert pediatric advice
Features
Read full description

App of the Day – Apple Best Apps for Parents – Apple Trusted by 6M+ around the world Solid Starts provides you everything you need to know about introducing solid foods to babies with baby led weaning, BLW, or transitioning from spoon feeding or purées to finger foods. Built by a team of board-certified pediatricians, infant feeding therapists, swallowing specialists, allergist and dietitian to guide your child’s food journey. This is your trusted tool to feel confident when starting solids and creating joyful mealtimes. THE #1 TRUSTED BABY FOOD DATABASE IN THE WORLD Learn how to safely introduce 400+ foods to baby in our First Foods® Database. Each food has detailed nutrition information, choking & allergen guidance, instructions on how to cut and serve the food based on baby's age, and videos of real babies eating. Updated by our team of pediatric professionals so you have the latest evidence-backed information. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO START BABY LED WEANING Easy introduction of baby’s first 100 foods with simple meals for each food to take the guesswork out of meal planning. Learn with access to our library of articles and guides about infant CPR, recognizing signs of readiness for eating, fantastic first foods, introducing allergens, cup drinking, and more.. PERSONALIZED FOR YOUR BABY’S UNIQUE JOURNEY Get our guided introduction to 100 first foods—complete with tailored meal plans that include recommended foods and recipes by our pediatric team of experts. We suggest new foods to try that gradually build your baby’s ability to bite and chew a variety of textures—and explain exactly how to serve them to make the most of mealtime. Common food allergens are introduced along the way, with step-by-step guidance to help you build confidence with each taste. A PEDIATRIC PRO IN YOUR POCKET Developed by a team of pediatricians, infant feeding therapists, swallowing specialists, allergist and dietitian to bring you the latest expert guidance for feeding your baby. BABY FOOD TRACKER Record baby's progress with a digital food log, log foods tried, track baby's favorite foods, make a list of foods you'd like to try later, and track reactions or sensitivities which you can download to share with doctors and caregivers BLW MEALS AND RECIPES 300+ BLW ideas and easy baby recipes, toddler recipes and family recipes. Explore categories including baby’s first meals, iron-rich ideas, and quick breakfasts ideas. WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING “It’s really the only app one NEEDS to have for a baby.” - Stephanie “Every new parent needs this app! As a first time mom, I had zero idea of how to start solids. The content provided by Solid Starts gave me the confidence to start solids when my baby was ready shortly after 6 months!” - Shelley “The Solid Starts app is one of the most used on my phone, as I’m constantly checking to make sure I’m preparing food for my daughter safely and to keep an eye out for what to watch for.” - Phoebe “You gave me the confidence to do baby led weaning, and also stand my ground with grandparents/child care of how I want my child to be fed and food served.” - Laura SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS The Solid Starts First Foods® Database is free to download and use. Upgrade to unlock all the features that make starting solids even easier with our All Access monthly or yearly plan, which you can try with a free trial. All subscriptions can be canceled anytime. Payment will be charged at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled or turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscriptions by visiting your account settings in the App Store. Prices may vary per country and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Have feedback or questions? Please send contact us at www.solidstarts.com/contact Terms of Service: https://solidstarts.com/terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://solidstarts.com/privacy-policy-2/

About

MSA Forward

This event app connects museum store professionals. Members can access the event agenda, session details, speaker and exhibitor information, and attendee lists. Stay informed with the latest news and announcements during the event.

Highlights
  • Event agenda access
  • Session and speaker details
  • Exhibitor information
  • Attendee networking
  • Event news and announcements
Features
Read full description

Where Museum Store Professionals Connect. MSA members can download this app to navigate the MSA FORWARD event. View the Agenda, Sessions, Speakers, Attendees and Exhibitors. Stay up-to-date on the latest news and special announcement during the event.

Screenshots

Solid Starts4 screens
MSA Forward4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MSA Forward at none against Solid Starts's 15. Solid Starts's advantage is ratings volume (47K vs 1) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, rating, ads 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. Solid Starts sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. MSA Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Solid Starts against 5.0 for MSA Forward. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solid Starts has 47K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solid Starts ships an update every 8 days, MSA Forward monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Solid Starts versus MSA Forward: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolid StartsMSA Forward
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (47K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings47K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#33 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSolidStarts LLCMuseum Store Association

Customer experience

Solid Starts

All ratings46,698 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral0.6%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews1,061 reviews
Positive46.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative45.1%

MSA Forward

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Solid Starts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to access certain features
  • Search function not working as expected
  • Data loss when updating or reinstalling the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to share/sync data between accounts
  • Improve food logging/tracking experience
  • Provide more filtering and sorting options
  • Include more international/cultural foods

MSA Forward

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Solid Starts

Subscriptions13
  • Premium Access$2.991 Month
  • Premium Subscription$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited Monthly3 Days trial3 variants$19.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • Tracker$19.991 Month
  • Compass3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Unlimited Monthly3 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Unlimited Yearly1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • Anniversary Compass Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Compass Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Seasonal Premium Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Unlimited Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Unlimited Yearly7 Days trial$149.001 Year
None

MSA Forward

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solid Starts free?
Solid Starts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MSA Forward free?
MSA Forward is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Solid Starts or MSA Forward?
MSA Forward is rated higher. Solid Starts averages 4.9 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while MSA Forward averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Solid Starts or MSA Forward have ads?
Neither Solid Starts nor MSA Forward shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solid Starts or MSA Forward?
Solid Starts ships an update every 8 days, and MSA Forward monthly. Most recently, Solid Starts was updated on November 3, 2026 and MSA Forward on October 22, 2026.

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