# Canvas Parent vs HCPSS Compass

The clearest difference is rating: HCPSS Compass at 5.0 against Canvas Parent's 4.4. HCPSS Compass also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). Canvas Parent's advantage is ratings volume (112K vs 4) and chart position (#161 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HCPSS Compass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Canvas Parent has 112K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Canvas Parent ships an update monthly, HCPSS Compass fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canvas Parent | HCPSS Compass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (112K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-parent/id1097996698/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hcpss-compass/id6747911352/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **112K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 9.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#161** | — |
| Size | 167 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Instructure Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/418441198) | [ASKnowledge, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823365219) |

## What reviewers say

### Canvas Parent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-parent/id1097996698)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app allows parents and guardians to monitor their child's academic progress, communicate with teachers, and receive important updates. It helps families stay involved in their student's education by tracking grades, assignments, and feedback.

**Highlights:** Message teachers directly, View grades and assignments, Receive real-time notifications, See teacher feedback, Use calendar view for upcoming tasks

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient for tracking assignments and grades
- 👍 Allows communication with teachers
- 🤖 Useful for remote/virtual learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤯 Confusing and not user-friendly
- 🔍 Lack of visibility into student work and progress
- 🔀 Inconsistent implementation across teachers and schools
- 🤖 Struggles with remote/virtual learning needs

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent log-out issues
- Inability to access account or find school
- Delayed or inaccurate display of assignment statuses and grades
- Calendar view and other key features not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to view submitted assignments and teacher feedback
- Better organization and sorting of assignments by due date
- Improved communication and coordination between parents, students, and teachers
- More consistent and intuitive user experience across the platform


### HCPSS Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hcpss-compass/id6747911352)

Navigate educational and career paths within Howard County Public School System. Access essential resources and tools to plan your academic journey and prepare for future success.

**Highlights:** Educational opportunity navigation, Career opportunity navigation, Access to essential resources, Academic journey planning tools, Future success preparation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canvas Parent free?

Canvas Parent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HCPSS Compass free?

HCPSS Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Canvas Parent or HCPSS Compass?

HCPSS Compass is rated higher. Canvas Parent averages 4.4 out of 5 from 112K ratings, while HCPSS Compass averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Canvas Parent or HCPSS Compass have ads?

Neither Canvas Parent nor HCPSS Compass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Canvas Parent or HCPSS Compass?

Canvas Parent ships an update monthly, and HCPSS Compass fortnightly. Most recently, Canvas Parent was updated on September 26, 2026 and HCPSS Compass on September 19, 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.*