Dolphin vs College Countdown
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dolphin
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.
- Daily practice questions
- Worked explanations
- Vocabulary review
- Focus Mode for distraction blocking
- Progress and streak tracking
- Widgets for quick access
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Build a steady SAT and ACT study habit with Dolphin. Practice in a swipeable feed, work through explanations, and return to the questions and skills that need more attention. PRACTICE A LITTLE EVERY DAY Answer Math, Reading, English, and Science questions, review vocabulary, and set a daily learning goal. UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWERS Use worked explanations, video solutions where available, and Pip the Tutor to explore a problem. Save questions and revisit mistakes as you study. MAKE ROOM TO FOCUS With your permission, Focus Mode uses Apple's Screen Time controls to block apps you choose on your selected schedule. Complete your lesson goal to unlock them, or take a break when you need one. KEEP YOUR MOMENTUM Track your streak and progress, and add Dolphin widgets to keep your learning goal close by. Dolphin offers optional in-app subscriptions. Features and content availability may vary. SAT is a trademark of the College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Dolphin is not affiliated with or endorsed by either organization.
College Countdown
This app guides teens and parents through college preparation, offering test prep, a 4-year roadmap, and tools to track scholarships and savings. It provides AI-driven study plans and readiness assessments to help students succeed.
- Full-length SAT/ACT tests
- AI-driven daily study plans
- 4-year college readiness roadmap
- Readiness Index score
- Scholarship tracking
- 529 savings planner
- Parent progress reports
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CollegeCountdown helps teens and parents prepare for college together, starting with test prep. TEST PREP • Full-length SAT and ACT tests in the app • Daily AI study plan that targets your weak spots • Mini practice sessions and AI coaching COLLEGE READINESS • 4-year roadmap with grade-by-grade milestones • Readiness Index (0-100) across academics, tests and applications • Career Compass and activities tracker • Compare colleges with real data and build your list SCHOLARSHIPS AND SAVINGS • Track every scholarship from research to won • Plan your 529 and see your funding gap FOR PARENTS Weekly progress reports, goals and nudges for your teen. PLANS Free trial. Family $4.99/month or $49.99/year (up to 4 children). Teen Only $1.99/month. Terms: https://collegecountdown.app/terms | Privacy: https://collegecountdown.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dolphin at none against College Countdown's 5. Dolphin also leads on ratings volume (1.4K vs 2) and chart position (#97 vs unranked). College Countdown's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 85%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. College Countdown sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Dolphin asks for nothing beyond the download.
College Countdown holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dolphin has 1.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Dolphin's written reviews are positive against 100% of College Countdown's.
Dolphin ships an update every 2 weeks, College Countdown every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dolphin | College Countdown |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.4K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #97 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 220 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PaloAI Inc. | Julian Smiles |
Customer experience
Dolphin
College Countdown
In-app purchases
Dolphin
No in-app purchases
College Countdown
- CollegeCountdown Plus - Teen$1.991 Month
- CollegeCountdown - ScoreLab$1.991 Month
- CollegeCountdown Plus$4.991 Month
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- CollegeCountdown - ScoreLab$19.991 Year
- CollegeCountdown Plus$49.991 Year
