# Orca News vs ConnectThrive

The clearest difference is update cadence: ConnectThrive at every 2 weeks against Orca News's every 2 months. Orca News's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Orca News ships an update every 2 months, ConnectThrive every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Orca News | ConnectThrive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-news/id1123353093/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 43.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 46 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Surrey School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/634542422) | [Prabhakar Kotha](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859236457) |

## What reviewers say

### Orca News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-news/id1123353093)

This official school app provides students, parents, and staff with timely updates on school closures, events, and important news. Access calendars, school resources, and contact information easily. Share events and integrate them into your personal calendar.

**Highlights:** Push notifications for school news, Up-to-date event calendars, Direct contact and navigation to school, Shareable school events, Calendar export functionality, Access to school resources

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ConnectThrive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/connectthrive/id6756219133)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Orca News free?

Orca News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ConnectThrive free?

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

### Do Orca News or ConnectThrive have ads?

Neither Orca News nor ConnectThrive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Orca News or ConnectThrive?

Orca News ships an update every 2 months, and ConnectThrive every 2 weeks. Most recently, Orca News was updated on October 7, 2026 and ConnectThrive on October 25, 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.*