Comparison

STARR vs CoMPoSER

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

Head to head

FSU/UNC

About

STARR

Read full description

STARR is a research study app designed to promote healthy living among young people in rural and peri-urban areas of North Carolina. STARR is an adaptation of the app, HMP, which covers a range of health and lifestyle topics to support users’ diverse backgrounds and varying needs over time. HMP was created by Lisa Hightow-Weidman, MD, MPH, a public health scientist. The principal investigators for this study are Dr. Kate Muessig at the Institute on Digital Health and Innovation at Florida State University’s College of Nursing and Dr. Sarah Rutstein at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About

CoMPoSER

Features

Read full description

CoMPoSER is a research study app for music playback that has been designed specifically for older adults. It uses a simplified interface to allow older adults with dementia to listen to their favorite playlists in an easy-to-use format. Older adults can adjust the settings, skip or play only certain songs.

Screenshots

STARR4 screens

CoMPoSER3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: STARR at 13.0 against CoMPoSER's 15.1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level

STARR versus CoMPoSER: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	STARR	CoMPoSER
Price	Free	Free
Update frequency	Every 2 months	Every 2 months
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No	No
Devices	iPhone, iPod	iPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS	13.0 — better	15.1
Further details — not scored
Size	46 MB	23 MB
Age rating	17+	4+
Developer	Florida State University	One Cow Standing

In-app purchases

None

STARR

No in-app purchases

None

CoMPoSER

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is STARR free?

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

Is CoMPoSER free?

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

Do STARR or CoMPoSER have ads?

Neither STARR nor CoMPoSER shows ads.

Which is updated more often, STARR or CoMPoSER?

STARR ships an update every 2 months, and CoMPoSER every 2 months. Most recently, STARR was updated on October 28, 2026 and CoMPoSER on October 30, 2026.