# MyCompassion vs Shades Mountain

The clearest difference is rating: Shades Mountain at 5.0 against MyCompassion's 3.6. MyCompassion's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 29 months) and ratings volume (42 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Shades Mountain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MyCompassion has 42 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

MyCompassion ships an update every 2 months, Shades Mountain every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MyCompassion | Shades Mountain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mycompassion/id384410347/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 51.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 75 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Compassion International, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/384410350) | [Shades Mountain Baptist Church](https://appshunter.io/developer/1176681881) |

## What reviewers say

### MyCompassion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mycompassion/id384410347)

Easily manage your child sponsorship journey. Send letters, view photos and updates, receive prayer requests, and learn about their world. Stay connected with real-time alerts.

**Highlights:** Send letters to sponsored child, View photos and updates, Receive prayer requests, Set prayer reminders, Discover stories and facts, Real-time alerts and updates

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💌 Easy letter writing and composition
- 📸 Photo attachment capability
- 🗺️ Location and weather information about sponsored child
- 🙏 Prayer reminders and prompts
- 📖 Access to letter history and correspondence

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Extremely slow login process
- 💾 Letters not saving properly or disappearing
- 🔄 Frequent app crashes
- 🔐 Requires re-login on every app open
- 🖼️ Photo upload functionality broken

**Reported bugs**

- Login process takes excessive time to load
- Letter drafts fail to save or save incompletely
- App crashes when uploading photos
- Letter button requires multiple clicks to function
- App force closes during prayer selection

**Requested features**

- Restore previous app version with better navigation
- Improve login speed and eliminate re-login requirement
- Add Apple Pencil support for handwritten letters on iPad
- Implement push notifications for received letters
- Make child photos larger and easier to access


### Shades Mountain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973)

This app enhances your on-campus experience with tools for connection, giving, event discovery, and group management. It also facilitates children's check-ins and helps you engage with the church's mission.

**Highlights:** Online connection card, Giving capabilities, Event discovery, Group management, Children's check-in, Connect with church mission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MyCompassion free?

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

### Is Shades Mountain free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MyCompassion or Shades Mountain?

Shades Mountain is rated higher. MyCompassion averages 3.6 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Shades Mountain averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do MyCompassion or Shades Mountain have ads?

Neither MyCompassion nor Shades Mountain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MyCompassion or Shades Mountain?

MyCompassion ships an update every 2 months, and Shades Mountain every 29 months. Most recently, MyCompassion was updated on August 19, 2026 and Shades Mountain on September 20, 2026.

---

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