# Y Combinator vs STAR Interview

The clearest difference is review sentiment: STAR Interview at 100% against Y Combinator's 50%. STAR Interview also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3). Y Combinator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. STAR Interview sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Y Combinator asks for nothing beyond the download.

STAR Interview holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Y Combinator has 26 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Y Combinator's written reviews are positive against 100% of STAR Interview's.

Y Combinator ships an update every 8 days, STAR Interview every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Y Combinator | STAR Interview |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/y-combinator/id6464718392/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-interview/id6756771475/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Y Combinator](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706164044) | [Gurpreet Sohal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1861973180) |

## What reviewers say

### Y Combinator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/y-combinator/id6464718392)

Access Y Combinator's extensive library of startup content, including YouTube videos, podcasts, and essays. It also serves as a mobile client for Hacker News, offering the latest startup news for founders and programmers. Additional features are available for YC-funded founders.

**Highlights:** Organized YC YouTube videos, Startup School content, On-the-go podcast listening, Hacker News mobile client, YC founder-only knowledge base, Access Bookface feed and messages

**In-app purchases:** none


### STAR Interview

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-interview/id6756771475)

Prepare for behavioral interviews with professionally crafted STAR-format answers. Master essential leadership principles and role-specific scenarios to impress hiring managers. Offers a free trial with an option to unlock all content.

**Highlights:** 124 STAR-format answers, 10 leadership principles, 4 professional roles, Swipeable card interface, Save favorite questions, Offline access, Dark mode

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Interview Questions | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Y Combinator free?

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

### Is STAR Interview free?

STAR Interview is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Y Combinator or STAR Interview?

STAR Interview is rated higher. Y Combinator averages 4.3 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while STAR Interview averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Y Combinator or STAR Interview have ads?

Neither Y Combinator nor STAR Interview shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Y Combinator or STAR Interview?

Y Combinator ships an update every 8 days, and STAR Interview every 2 months. Most recently, Y Combinator was updated on October 6, 2026 and STAR Interview on October 16, 2026.

---

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