# Newsela Student vs Practice Lock | Combination

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Newsela Student at none against Practice Lock | Combination's 3. Newsela Student also leads on ratings volume (29K vs 3.4K). Practice Lock | Combination's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 76%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Practice Lock | Combination sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Newsela Student asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Newsela Student against 4.7 for Practice Lock | Combination. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsela Student has 29K ratings behind it against 3.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Newsela Student's written reviews are positive against 88% of Practice Lock | Combination's.

Newsela Student ships an update every 2 months, Practice Lock | Combination every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Newsela Student | Practice Lock | Combination |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practice-lock-combination/id6466766612/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 3.4K |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Newsela](https://appshunter.io/developer/966370935) | [Ayomide Omolewa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1707785388) |

## What reviewers say

### Newsela Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321)

This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.

**Highlights:** Leveled articles on any topic, Adjustable reading levels, Integrated activities and quizzes, Offline annotation and submission, Real-time progress tracking, Vocabulary practice (Power Words), Curated and custom learning sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for different reading levels
- 📚 Variety of informative articles
- 🎓 Useful for education and learning
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and vocabulary
- 🙌 Great resource for teachers and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔍 Lack of specific search options
- 💤 Boring or one-sided content
- 🤔 Grading system needs improvement
- 📱 Mobile app issues (login, navigation)

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues on iOS 12
- Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
- Inability to see all available article sets
- Replying and submitting work takes too long

**Requested features**

- Add word definitions or translations
- Implement auto-save for writing assignments
- Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
- Expand content to include more global news
- Improve multitasking and split-screen support


### Practice Lock | Combination

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practice-lock-combination/id6466766612)

Master rotary combination locks with a realistic digital simulation. Practice opening lockers and safes with customizable configurations, a timer challenge, and guided assistance. Learn at your own pace or race against the clock.

**Highlights:** Realistic digital rotary lock simulation, Timer challenge for speed practice, Guided assistance and hints, Step-by-step walkthrough mode, Customizable combination ranges and sequences, Vibrant dial color options

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Unlimited Access | $4.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for learning to open lockers
- 🤩 Life-saving for school
- 🙌 Saved time and frustration
- 💯 Effective practice tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy or buggy at times
- ⏱️ Lock moves too fast for practice
- 💰 Requires payment after limited free tries

**Reported bugs**

- Combination reset issue
- Visuals not displaying properly
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Customizable locker combinations
- Motivational messages or rewards
- More flexibility in settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Newsela Student free?

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

### Is Practice Lock | Combination free?

Practice Lock | Combination is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Newsela Student or Practice Lock | Combination?

Practice Lock | Combination is rated higher. Newsela Student averages 4.7 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while Practice Lock | Combination averages 4.7 from 3.4K ratings.

### Do Newsela Student or Practice Lock | Combination have ads?

Neither Newsela Student nor Practice Lock | Combination shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Newsela Student or Practice Lock | Combination?

Newsela Student ships an update every 2 months, and Practice Lock | Combination every 3 months. Most recently, Newsela Student was updated on October 19, 2026 and Practice Lock | Combination on October 17, 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.*