Comparison

LevelUpStudy vs Penguide

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

Head to head
About

LevelUpStudy

Features
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Make your study time count. LevelUpStudy helps you track focus sessions, review your study stats and build a 3D study desk of your own. STAY ON TRACK FOR YOUR EXAMS Preparing for the SAT, ACT or AP exams? Working toward IELTS, TOEFL or the GRE? Use LevelUpStudy to support a consistent study routine alongside your learning materials. This is a study and focus tracker, not a question bank or a source of exam questions. FOCUS SESSIONS Start the focus timer when you sit down to study. Track the time you spend studying, one session at a time. YOUR OWN 3D STUDY DESK Earn points by studying and use them to get desk items. Customize your 3D study desk and turn your effort into a personal study space. STUDY STATS Review your study time and history. Follow your progress with daily and weekly goals, and see your routine in your study calendar. LEADERBOARDS Explore daily, weekly, monthly and all-time rankings. Compare study time with friends and motivate each other to keep going. LEVELUP PRO The optional LevelUp Pro subscription includes access to Pro desk items, an ad-free 1.5x points bonus at the end of each session, the Focus Report and a Pro badge. Pro desk items are purchased with points earned by studying. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION LevelUp Pro offers monthly and yearly subscriptions. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. APP LANGUAGE The current app interface is in Turkish. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ahmetbalaman.com/en/levelupstudy/privacy/

About

Penguide

Features
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How long did you study today? How many questions did you solve? Which topic is still shaky? Penguide is a study tracker for students preparing for exams. It records your focus time, the questions you solve and your progress through the curriculum — you study, it counts. If you want, your study coach and your teachers see that progress too, and set you tasks. WHO IT'S FOR Students aged 13 and over preparing for Turkey's university entrance exam (YKS: TYT and AYT), the high-school entrance exam (LGS) or school exams — and anyone who simply wants a steady study habit. Study coaches and subject teachers work inside the same app, each with their own panel. STUDY, LEAVE THE REST TO US • Start the Pomodoro timer and focus. The clock keeps running even if you close the app. • Log correct, wrong and blank answers. Don't feel like it? Leave them empty, that works too. • Pick the subject, unit and topic — or just type what you worked on. Curriculum is optional. • Logged something wrong? Edit or delete a session you entered; your goal, streak and topics update on their own. • Set a daily goal in minutes or in questions. Hit either one and the day counts as done. • Your streak, weekly summary and momentum are always one tap away. SEE WHERE YOUR TOPICS STAND • YKS: TYT, or TYT+AYT filtered by your field. LGS: the full scope. School: grades 8-12. • Topic-level progress tracking: every topic is colour-coded — untouched, in progress, needs review, solid. WITH YOUR COACH AND TEACHERS • Your coach sees what you studied and sets you tasks, with a short note when needed. • Add teachers with an invite code. Each sets tasks in their own subject. • Your tasks wait for you on the Today screen; finish them as you study. YOU DECIDE WHAT THEY SEE • When you add a teacher, you approve each subject they may see, one by one. Decline the rest. • An approved teacher sees only that subject. Your daily totals need a separate permission. • Changed your mind? Revoke it and access closes right then. Grant it again later if you like. IF YOU ARE A COACH Signing in as a study coach opens a student tracking panel instead of the study screens. • Add students with an invite code; every student approves the connection themselves. • See who needs attention today, and why: how many days without a log, which task is overdue. • A student's overview, study history, subject breakdown, topics and tasks on one screen. • Set tasks in minutes, questions or topic review, with a due date. • Keep a private note only you can see. • Notifications for connection requests, overdue tasks and weekly summaries. IF YOU ARE A TEACHER The teacher panel is deliberately narrow: you manage your subject, not the student's whole life. • Generate an invite code. When a student redeems it, the subject you would see goes to them for approval. • Only in that subject: the student's work, their daily breakdown and their topic status. • Set tasks bound to the units and topics of the real curriculum. • Keep a private note. • The moment a student revokes permission, your access closes. SEE IT WITHOUT OPENING THE APP • Home Screen widgets show your daily progress. • While a Pomodoro runs, the timer stays visible even when the app is closed. WORKS WITHOUT INTERNET Anything you log with no signal waits on your phone and sends itself once you are back online. On the bus, in the library, wherever you are — nothing is lost. YOUR PRIVACY • No ads, no third-party tracking, no sale of data. • See how your data is used on a clear screen before you start. • Delete your account and its data at any time, right in the app. ALSO • Turkish and English. • Two themes: dark for night owls, light for daytime. • Notifications are optional; you choose whether to allow them. Penguide will not shame you or nag that you have not studied for days. It records the work you actually did, and makes sure the right person is there at the right time.

Screenshots

LevelUpStudy4 screens
Penguide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Penguide at none against LevelUpStudy's 2. LevelUpStudy's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. LevelUpStudy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Penguide asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LevelUpStudy ships an update weekly, Penguide fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
LevelUpStudy versus Penguide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLevelUpStudyPenguide
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB55 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAHMET BALAMANMurat Turkoz

In-app purchases

2 purchases

LevelUpStudy

Subscriptions2
  • LevelUp Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • LevelUp Pro Yearly1 Year trial$15.001 Year
None

Penguide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LevelUpStudy free?
LevelUpStudy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penguide free?
Penguide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LevelUpStudy or Penguide have ads?
Neither LevelUpStudy nor Penguide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LevelUpStudy or Penguide?
LevelUpStudy ships an update weekly, and Penguide fortnightly. Most recently, LevelUpStudy was updated on October 25, 2026 and Penguide on October 16, 2026.

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