Independent counselors charge $3,000–$10,000. We charge $19–$79/mo.

Yes! You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. When upgrading, you'll be prorated for the remaining time. When downgrading, the change takes effect at your next billing cycle.

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and debit cards through our secure payment processor, Stripe.

Yes — two ways. Our Free tier is free forever and never asks for a credit card, so you can explore the platform anytime. And your first paid subscription (Basic, Plus or Premium) starts with a 14-day free trial: you add a card to start, get full access for 14 days, and it converts to a paid subscription afterward unless you cancel. The trial is for first-time subscribers; if you've subscribed before, a new plan is billed when you start it. Cancel anytime during the trial and you won't be charged. Buying a College Plan also includes 14 days of subscription features free (30 days for adult learners), with nothing to cancel.

Your data is always yours. If you cancel or downgrade, you keep access to everything you've created. Premium features will be disabled, but your college lists, notes, and progress are saved.

No, there are no school or counselor discounts on our plans. The only price reduction is a friend's referral: 20% off your first 6 months, or 10% off a first annual plan (not through partner links or app-store purchases). When you refer a friend, you get 30 days of Premium, or a month's credit if you already pay for Premium, after your friend's third monthly payment (or 30 days after an annual payment). Separately, high school counselors can request verified free resource access at /counselors. That account is read-only, uses sample previews, and does not include student rosters, notes, uploads, messaging, reports, or student-record tools. Paid counselor, school, and district plans are separate; contact [email protected] for those.

Plus and Premium plans include a parent dashboard where parents can view their student's progress, saved colleges, and upcoming deadlines. It provides a collaborative planning experience so the whole family stays informed.

Subscription payments aren't refunded. Instead, your first subscription starts with a 14-day free trial, so you can try it before you pay anything. You can cancel anytime: you keep access until the end of the period you've already paid for and you won't be charged again. Purchases made in the iOS app are refunded by Apple under its own policy. A College Plan is a one-time payment: if we can't build your plan, we fix it or refund you; once it's delivered, it's non-refundable.

Plus gives you unlimited saved colleges, Smart Counselor (30/month), Smart Essay Review (5/month), College Comparison, and family accounts — great for organized self-starters. Premium makes everything unlimited, adds Common App export, and SMS deadline reminders — ideal if you want hands-off guidance through every step.

Independent educational consultants charge $3,000–$10,000 for similar guidance. College Decoded provides smart college matching, financial analysis, test prep, and application tools starting at $19/month. You get comparable coverage at a fraction of the cost, available 24/7.