# SafeExamBrowser vs Vaia

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Vaia at 82% against SafeExamBrowser's 7%. Vaia also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.6) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). SafeExamBrowser's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vaia sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. SafeExamBrowser asks for nothing beyond the download.

Vaia holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vaia has 1.6K ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of SafeExamBrowser's written reviews are positive against 82% of Vaia's.

SafeExamBrowser ships an update every 3 months, Vaia weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SafeExamBrowser | Vaia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safeexambrowser/id1155002964/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaia-flashcards-and-study-guide/id1439949520/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 7.1% of reviews | **81.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ETH Zurich](https://appshunter.io/developer/438432132) | [StudySmarter GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439949519) |

## What reviewers say

### SafeExamBrowser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safeexambrowser/id1155002964)

This app creates a secure browser environment for online exams, preventing students from accessing other apps or websites. It locks down devices into an assessment kiosk mode, ensuring exam integrity on both personal and institutional iOS devices.

**Highlights:** Secure kiosk browser environment, Prevents app switching and website access, Assessment kiosk mode, Supports unmanaged and managed iOS devices, Configurable via API, files, links, and QR codes, Integrates with LMS and exam systems, Optional Dock and slider menu for commands

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Prevents cheating
- 👍 Facilitates secure exams
- 👍 Good for exam integrity
- 👍 Works when used correctly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Freezes and becomes unresponsive
- 🐛 Prevents exiting kiosk mode
- 🐛 Blank page errors
- 🐛 Slow performance

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Cannot exit kiosk mode
- Blank page errors
- Slow performance

**Requested features**

- Better instructions/homepage
- Support for Thai language
- Update for iOS 18
- More user-friendly setup


### Vaia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaia-flashcards-and-study-guide/id1439949520)

This app helps students improve grades and reduce study stress with AI-powered personalized study plans, flashcards, and practice exams. It transforms uploaded notes into comprehensive study materials, making learning efficient and engaging for any subject.

**Highlights:** AI-generated study plans, Personalized flashcards, Practice exams, Upload notes for study materials, Spaced repetition learning, Shared study materials

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $5.49 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $6.49 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 week) | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $8.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $17.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 month) | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $31.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $43.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $63.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (1 year) | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient flashcard creation and study tools
- 🧠 AI-powered features for learning
- 📚 Vast library of shared study materials
- 🎨 Customizable and visually appealing interface
- 🤝 Collaboration and sharing with peers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Limited offline access without premium subscription
- 🤖 Inconsistent performance of AI-generated content
- 🗂️ Difficulty organizing and navigating large study sets
- 📱 Suboptimal mobile app experience compared to web

**Reported bugs**

- Flashcard review progress not saving correctly
- Inability to delete individual flashcards from a set
- Syncing issues between mobile app and web version
- Inconsistent behavior of AI-generated quiz questions

**Requested features**

- Add more language options
- Improve PDF and note-taking editor functionality
- Implement nested subsets within study sets
- Provide more customization options for colors and themes
- Integrate study timers and task management features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SafeExamBrowser free?

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

### Is Vaia free?

Vaia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SafeExamBrowser or Vaia?

Vaia is rated higher. SafeExamBrowser averages 1.6 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Vaia averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do SafeExamBrowser or Vaia have ads?

Neither SafeExamBrowser nor Vaia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SafeExamBrowser or Vaia?

SafeExamBrowser ships an update every 3 months, and Vaia weekly. Most recently, SafeExamBrowser was updated on October 24, 2026 and Vaia on October 24, 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.*