# Sona Mobile vs Pharos Secure Release

The clearest difference is rating: Pharos Secure Release at 3.7 against Sona Mobile's 2.7. Pharos Secure Release also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Sona Mobile's advantage is review sentiment (20% vs 0%) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Pharos Secure Release holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 20% of Sona Mobile's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pharos Secure Release's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on July 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sona Mobile | Pharos Secure Release |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sona-mobile/id562898091/reviews) | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharos-secure-release/id1096696311/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **20.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 38 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sona Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/562898094) | [Pharos Systems International](https://appshunter.io/developer/918145671) |

## What reviewers say

### Sona Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sona-mobile/id562898091)

This mobile application grants users access to the Sona Systems platform. It is designed for participants, researchers, and principal investigators, requiring the specific URL of a Sona site for functionality.

**Highlights:** Access Sona Systems, For participants, For researchers, For principal investigators, Requires Sona site URL

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pharos Secure Release

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharos-secure-release/id1096696311)

Securely print documents from your mobile device to any network-connected Pharos-secured printer. Manage your print jobs remotely and release them by scanning a QR code at the printer, ensuring document confidentiality and reducing waste.

**Highlights:** Secure printing across networks, Remote print job submission, Modify job list within the app, QR code printer release, Ensures document confidentiality, Reduces printing waste

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sona Mobile free?

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

### Is Pharos Secure Release free?

Pharos Secure Release is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sona Mobile or Pharos Secure Release?

Pharos Secure Release is rated higher. Sona Mobile averages 2.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Pharos Secure Release averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Sona Mobile or Pharos Secure Release have ads?

Neither Sona Mobile nor Pharos Secure Release shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sona Mobile or Pharos Secure Release?

Sona Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Pharos Secure Release every 3 months. Most recently, Sona Mobile was updated on July 25, 2026 and Pharos Secure Release on September 17, 2026.

---

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