# SIMS Parent vs Arbor Parent App

The clearest difference is rating: SIMS Parent at 2.1 against Arbor Parent App's 1.9. SIMS Parent also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

SIMS Parent holds the better App Store score, 2.1 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 2% and 2% positive.

SIMS Parent ships an update fortnightly, Arbor Parent App monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SIMS Parent | Arbor Parent App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.1 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sims-parent/id1106452691/reviews)** | [1.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 2.0% of reviews | 2.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 39 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Education Software Solutions Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568267003) | [Arbor Education Partners](https://appshunter.io/developer/602224921) |

## What reviewers say

### SIMS Parent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sims-parent/id1106452691)

This app allows parents to actively engage with their children's education by providing access to homework, calendars, timetables, and assessment results. Parents can also track progress, view behavior reports, and communicate with schools via secure messaging. It consolidates information for children attending different schools, enhancing safeguarding and parental involvement.

**Highlights:** View homework and assignments, Access student calendars and timetables, Track assessment results and reports, Monitor attendance and behavior, Secure messaging with schools, Manage multiple children across schools, Update safeguarding information

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for tracking attendance
- 👍 Useful for checking timetables
- 👍 Useful for viewing achievement logs
- 👍 Useful for viewing behaviour logs
- 👍 Useful for keeping on top of homework

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly crashes
- 🐛 Frequently logs out
- 🐛 Unreliable and unusable
- 🐛 Difficult to log in
- 🐛 Password reset issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- App logs users out unexpectedly
- Login details are not recognized
- Password reset functionality is broken
- App is very slow to load

**Requested features**

- Fix login issues
- Improve app stability
- Update app regularly
- Better password reset functionality
- Improve communication features


### Arbor Parent App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412)

Manage your child's school life from one app. Track attendance, behavior, and academic progress. Book parent consultations, register for clubs and trips, and handle payments easily. Add medical information and check homework assignments.

**Highlights:** Track attendance and behavior, Monitor academic progress, Register for clubs and trips, Manage payments for meals and trips, Book parent consultations, View child's timetable, Check homework assignments

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Versatile and has many options
- 👍 Good app for parents to view child's progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive layout
- 🔒 Forced password changes every 180 days
- 💳 No option to add reminders for low meal balance
- 🤯 Complicated to book clubs and appointments

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues with incorrect password errors
- Inconsistent behavior across web and mobile versions
- Inability to delete or archive old assignments and activities

**Requested features**

- Add a calendar view for events and appointments
- Improve messaging functionality with better organization and notifications
- Allow parents to manage multiple children from a single account
- Integrate with digital wallets and enable auto top-up for meal balances


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SIMS Parent free?

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

### Is Arbor Parent App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SIMS Parent or Arbor Parent App?

SIMS Parent is rated higher. SIMS Parent averages 2.1 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Arbor Parent App averages 1.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do SIMS Parent or Arbor Parent App have ads?

Neither SIMS Parent nor Arbor Parent App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SIMS Parent or Arbor Parent App?

SIMS Parent ships an update fortnightly, and Arbor Parent App monthly. Most recently, SIMS Parent was updated on October 29, 2026 and Arbor Parent App on October 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*