PPI vs Black Spectacles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PPI
This mobile companion app provides on-the-go access to Kaplan's PPI online courses and learning hub. It syncs with your desktop account, offering Qbank quizzes, video lectures, flashcards, and progress tracking for test preparation.
- Qbank quizzes
- Detailed question explanations
- Video library
- Flashcards
- Progress tracking
- Free trial access
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MOBILE COMPANION APP FOR PPI, A KAPLAN COMPANY ONLINE COURSES AND LEARNING HUB Take your test prep on the go! Use this app for your actively enrolled accounts in PPI, a Kaplan Company Live Online, OnDemand, or Learning Hub courses. The app automatically syncs with your PPI desktop account—giving you on-the-go access to the following key resources from your course: - The ability to build and take Qbank quizzes - Detailed explanations for each question - Video Library so that you can watch all your course videos on your phone - Flashcards to memorize key concepts - Tracking that syncs everything you do in the app with your overall progress and performance If you're NOT already a PPI student, you can sign up within the app for a limited free trial that gives you access to: - FE Civil Flashcards - FE Civil Diagnostic Exams - FE Civil Exam information -ALWAYS AT THE CUTTING EDGE We constantly update our content, images, and questions so you can stay ahead of the curve. -GET STRATEGIC Step-by-step strategies walk you through each question. Review in-depth explanations and master the material. -LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES Detailed review materials and performance analytics help you continutally improve as you study.
Black Spectacles
Prepare for ARE® and CSE® exams with engaging videos, flashcards, and quizzes. Download content for offline viewing anytime, anywhere.
- Exam preparation
- Engaging videos
- Interactive flashcards
- Quizzes
- Offline video downloads
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Black Spectacles helps you prepare for the ARE® and CSE® exams with engaging videos, interactive flashcards, and quizzes. You can also download your prep videos and watch them offline anytime, anywhere.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Black Spectacles at 100% against PPI's 0%. PPI's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.8) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PPI holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of PPI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Black Spectacles's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
PPI ships an update every 2 weeks, Black Spectacles fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PPI | Black Spectacles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (35 ratings) — better | 3.8 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 57 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kaplan | Black Spectacles, LLC |
Customer experience
PPI
Black Spectacles
In-app purchases
PPI
No in-app purchases
Black Spectacles
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PPI free?
Is Black Spectacles free?
Which has better reviews, PPI or Black Spectacles?
Do PPI or Black Spectacles have ads?
Which is updated more often, PPI or Black Spectacles?
Other comparisons
