Cal State LA vs SMC Go
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cal State LA
Access essential academic and financial information for Cal State LA students. Manage class schedules, view grades, pay fees, and stay updated on university notices directly from your mobile device. Integrates with other campus resources for a streamlined student experience.
- View class schedules and course catalog
- Check grades and final exam schedules
- Manage fee information and payments
- Access financial aid details
- Enroll in classes and manage waitlists
- View university notices and holds
- Access campus map and integrated tools
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The Cal State LA GETmobile app lets you view class information, grades, fee information, and much more! Students will need their My Cal State LA account for authentication to access GET functions. GETmobile brings the following GET features and other functions directly to the students’ mobile devices: • View current and past class schedules with class details and the University Course Catalog • View fee information and pay fees • View holds, To-Do list, and notices from the University • View the current term final exam schedules and grades • Complete the Student Course Evaluation • Enrollment features allow search, add, and drop classes from the shopping cart and get on the waitlist • Access Financial Aid information to view financial aid information by term and aid year • Launch and access Canvas, Ask Cal State LA Chatbot, and Scheduler Planner from GETmobile for ease • Campus Map to find the quickest route to classes, events, and offices
SMC Go
This official college app helps students navigate their academic journey. It provides resources, tips, and tools to manage daily tasks, connect with the campus community, and achieve educational goals.
- Ask Pearl virtual assistant
- Quick Links to resources
- Class finding assistance
- Message Channels for communication
- Events & Workshops listings
- Pearl's Marketplace
- Programs & Services information
- Student Life updates
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Stay connected with SMC GO, the official app of Santa Monica College. SMC GO is more than a resource, it’s a journey, full of tips, videos, and ways to keep achieving. Begin with Start, then Manage your day, Connect to enrich your college experience, and GO towards your goals. Ready, Set, SMC GO! Favorite Features: · Ask Pearl · Quick Links · Finding Classes · Message Channels · Events & Workshops · Pearl’s Marketplace · Programs & Services · Student Life
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cal State LA at 4.6 against SMC Go's 4.1. Cal State LA also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (813 vs 18). SMC Go's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cal State LA holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cal State LA has 813 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Cal State LA's written reviews are positive against 67% of SMC Go's.
Cal State LA ships an update every 4 weeks, SMC Go every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cal State LA | SMC Go |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (813 ratings) — better | 4.1 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 813 — better | 18 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | California State University, Los Angeles | Santa Monica Community College District |
Customer experience
Cal State LA
SMC Go
Bugs and requests
Cal State LA
Reported bugs
3 issues- Financial aid link not working
- Features not loading properly
- Login issues across devices
Requested features
3 requests- Link to Canvas pages
- Grades and GPA tracking
- Optimization for larger screens
SMC Go
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cal State LA
No in-app purchases
SMC Go
No in-app purchases
