# Dolphin vs Scholarly

Dolphin and Scholarly both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Dolphin's written reviews are positive against 26% of Scholarly's. Dolphin also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). Scholarly's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 1.4K). On price, rating, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scholarly sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Dolphin asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dolphin against 4.7 for Scholarly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 4.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Dolphin's written reviews are positive against 26% of Scholarly's.

Dolphin ships an update every 2 weeks, Scholarly every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dolphin | Scholarly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dolphin-sat-prep/id6748280981/reviews)** | [4.7 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scholarly-swipe-and-apply/id6761978211/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | **4.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.9% of reviews** | 25.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #128 | **#91** |
| Size | 220 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PaloAI Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824977301) | [NeedThat Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817604106) |

## What reviewers say

### Dolphin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dolphin-sat-prep/id6748280981)

**Currently charting:** #128 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Build a consistent study habit for SAT and ACT exams with daily practice questions and detailed explanations. Track your progress and focus on areas needing improvement, with optional features to block distracting apps.

**Highlights:** Daily practice questions, Worked explanations, Vocabulary review, Focus Mode for distraction blocking, Progress and streak tracking, Widgets for quick access

**In-app purchases:** none


### Scholarly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scholarly-swipe-and-apply/id6761978211)

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Free · Education, #99 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Discover scholarships tailored to your profile with personalized matching. This app assists in drafting essays and tracks all your applications, deadlines, and statuses in one organized dashboard. Spend less time searching and more time applying to opportunities you qualify for.

**Highlights:** Personalized scholarship matching, AI-assisted essay drafting, Application deadline tracking, Swipe interface for browsing, Smart profile for data reuse, Secure data handling

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro Mega Sale | $6.99 | per month |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro Mega Sale | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro Sale | $39.99 | per year |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Unlock Scholarly Pro | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dolphin free?

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

### Is Scholarly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dolphin or Scholarly?

Dolphin is rated higher. Dolphin averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Scholarly averages 4.7 from 4.5K ratings.

### Do Dolphin or Scholarly have ads?

Neither Dolphin nor Scholarly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dolphin or Scholarly?

Dolphin ships an update every 2 weeks, and Scholarly every 3 days. Most recently, Dolphin was updated on November 5, 2026 and Scholarly on November 5, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dolphin or Scholarly?

Dolphin currently peaks at #128 in the App Store charts, and Scholarly at #91. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*