Most comparisons of coding apps line up features. For Sololearn and Codewise, the difference that shows up on your card statement is how you pay. Sololearn is free to start, with a Pro subscription for full access. Codewise is a single purchase. This article puts numbers on that, using the prices each app lists on the US App Store as of September 2026.

What Sololearn's listing says about paying

Sololearn's App Store listing puts it this way: "With Sololearn, you can start learning to code for free. However, to unlock access to all features, you'll need to enable a free Pro trial."

The in-app purchase list on the same page shows Pro monthly at prices from 6.99 to 12.99 dollars and Pro annual at prices from 47.99 to 79.99 dollars.

On renewal, the listing says: "The Sololearn Pro subscription renews automatically at the end of each period (weekly, monthly, or yearly, depending on your choice) until you cancel."

What Codewise costs

Codewise is 7.99 dollars on the US App Store as of September 2026. There are no in-app purchases, no subscription, and no account. The one purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and updates so far have been included: version 1.3 added a functional programming module for C# at no extra cost to people who already owned the app.

The cost over one, two, and three years

The table below uses the lowest and highest Pro prices on Sololearn's listing and assumes the price stays the same at each renewal. Sales tax is not included.

Put another way, Codewise costs about the same as one month of Sololearn Pro at its lowest listed monthly price, and less than one month at its highest.

The free tier is a real option

If Sololearn's free tier covers what you want to learn, it costs nothing, and nothing beats that. The listing says full access needs Pro, but it does not spell out what the free tier includes, so I would not guess. Use it for a week and see whether you hit a point where you want Pro. If you never do, you have your answer and you have spent zero dollars.

If you start the trial, set a reminder

The listing says: "If you choose not to cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the trial, you will automatically be charged the price shown on the payment screen for your selected subscription period." That is standard for App Store trials, and it is easy to forget. My advice to anyone starting any trial is the same: open Calendar the moment you tap Start, and set a reminder two days before it ends.

Where the difference grows: learning in bursts

Very few adults learn to code in one straight run. Most people I know did it in bursts: three good weeks, a month off for work or family, then back again. A subscription bills through the month off. A one-time purchase does not.

Say you learn on and off for six months and pay Sololearn Pro monthly the whole time. At the listed monthly prices that is 41.94 to 77.94 dollars. The same six months on Codewise cost 7.99. The longer the gaps, the more that gap in cost matters.

What the 7.99 gets you

Codewise teaches Python, JavaScript, SQL, Swift, Java, Kotlin, and C#, with separate object-oriented and functional programming modules for C#, and an Intro to Programming module for people who have never written code. There are more than 280 challenges in total, from easy to hard. You write code in a built-in editor, run it, and compare the output with what the challenge expects. The code runs on your device, so it works offline. The SQL module prints results in the same layout as PostgreSQL's psql tool.

What you might give up, said fairly

Sololearn's listing describes "interactive lessons and hands-on practice in over 20 programming languages," and its subtitle names HTML. Codewise covers seven languages and has no HTML or CSS track, so if front-end web work is your goal, it is not the right app. Codewise also has no certificates, no streaks, and no community features. It is a practice workbook, and it is priced like one.

How I would decide

This is opinion, not measurement. If you are curious and not sure you will stick with coding, start with Sololearn's free tier; it costs nothing to find out. If you reach the point of choosing a Pro plan, look at the table above first. If you expect to keep learning for more than a month, and the language you want is one of the seven Codewise covers, the one-time purchase is the cheaper path by a wide margin. If you need a language Codewise does not have, the subscription may be worth it. Put the renewal date in your calendar either way.

Sources: Sololearn prices and quotations are from Sololearn's US App Store listing (description and in-app purchase list), as of September 2026. The Codewise price is from its US App Store listing on the same date. Prices change, so check both listings before you decide. Codewise is made by ElevenSeventy.