# smart_r vs Stepping Up

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stepping Up at none against smart_r's 15. Stepping Up also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. smart_r sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Stepping Up asks for nothing beyond the download.

smart_r ships an update every 4 weeks, Stepping Up weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | smart_r | Stepping Up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Size | 48 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SMART-R TECHNOLOGY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810160388) | [Nebula Labs Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1350227663) |

## What reviewers say

### smart_r

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-r/id6744962652)

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| monthlyplan | $1.99 | per month |
| all topic discount 4 | Free | one-time |
| Gems50 | $0.49 | one-time |
| all topic discount 3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| gems150 | $0.99 | one-time |
| geometry topic | $2.99 | one-time |
| number topic | $2.99 | one-time |
| probability topic | $2.99 | one-time |
| ratio topic | $2.99 | one-time |
| stats topic | $2.99 | one-time |
| gems500 | $2.99 | one-time |
| all topic discount 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| SeasonPass | $3.99 | one-time |
| all topic discount 1 | $6.99 | one-time |
| all topics | $10.00 | one-time |


### Stepping Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepping-up/id6746252391)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is smart_r free?

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

### Is Stepping Up free?

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

### Do smart_r or Stepping Up have ads?

Neither smart_r nor Stepping Up shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, smart_r or Stepping Up?

smart_r ships an update every 4 weeks, and Stepping Up weekly. Most recently, smart_r was updated on October 11, 2026 and Stepping Up on October 5, 2026.

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