SchoolStatus vs Catapult EMS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SchoolStatus
Facilitate seamless communication between educators and parents. Access contact details, make calls, and send texts anonymously. Track engagement history to maintain accurate and secure student data.
- Find parent contact information
- Anonymous calling and texting
- Receive parent communications
- View engagement history
- Secure and accurate data
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With SchoolStatus, you can stay engaged with parents from anywhere: - Find contact information for students’ families - Make calls and send texts from an anonymous number - Receive calls and texts from parents - See your engagement history - Keep your data accurate and secure
Catapult EMS
Stay informed during emergencies with audible alerts that bypass silent mode. This app provides quick access to emergency procedures, allows for secure login via biometrics, and integrates with a comprehensive emergency management system for organizations.
- Audible emergency alerts on silent mode
- Quick home screen access
- Touch/Face ID login
- Location and status gathering
- One-on-one emergency conversations
- Alert districts, police, and fire
- View emergency procedures
- Anonymous threat reporting
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Never miss another emergency alert: The CatapultEMS app plays audible emergency alerts even when your phone is on silent. It works with WiFi or cell data. Quick and easy: Add the icon to your home screen so you have quick access in an emergency. No more passwords: Set up touch or face id, so you don’t have to worry about usernames, passwords and extra button presses. --- This app works with CatapultEMS, a complete emergency management system for organizations and schools. Staff and student safety is our prime concern. Use CatapultEMS to • Gather locations of students, staff, and their statuses in an emergency. • Have one-on-one emergency conversations. • Alert districts, police, and fire. • View up-to-date emergency procedures. • Receive anonymous reports of threats. If your organization does not use CatapultEMS, contact sales@catapultems.com for a quote.
Screenshots
Verdict
SchoolStatus and Catapult EMS are too close to call on the numbers: across 8 compared parameters — price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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.
SchoolStatus ships an update every 2 months, Catapult EMS every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SchoolStatus | Catapult EMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 2.6 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better | 30.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SchoolStatus | Catapult K12 |
Customer experience
SchoolStatus
Catapult EMS
Bugs and requests
SchoolStatus
Reported bugs
36 issues- App crashes often or glitches
- Parents receive messages about the wrong child
- App does not support landscape mode
- Cannot make outgoing calls
- App not optimized for iPhone 14 Pro
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- Messages stuck behind top icons on iPhone 14 Pro
- Dynamic Island gets in the way on iPhone 14 Pro
- Unable to click commands on top of the screen on iPhone 14 Pro
- App does not work on iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Messages are stuck behind the battery on iPhone 14
- Notifications only accessible on PC
- Interface not matching screen on iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Icons and buttons inaccessible on iPhone 14 Pro
- Letters in messages run outside the box
- Cannot log in
- Username invalid on phone but valid on desktop
- Broadcast button missing
- App doesn't refresh, conversations or phone calls not updated
- Cannot view messages even with notifications
- Shows red dot for unread messages but message doesn't open
- Newer messages not showing
- Time is wrong
- Messages from one parent show under another parent's name
- Messages still show as unread after being read
- Contacts, class, or student groups are blank when sending broadcasts
- Layout looks 'stacked' instead of smooth
- Text messages won't always send
- Messages won't load
- Notifications won't go away
- Missing entire conversations
- App crashes when trying to send messages
- Cannot see pictures sent by parents
- Not receiving call or message notifications
- Unread message count incorrect between app and computer
- App won't open
- Touch ID login issues
Requested features
12 requests- Schedule broadcasts or messages
- Send videos
- Send multiple pictures in a broadcast
- Improve translations
- Allow teachers to decide preferred contacts
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- Add original signature to broadcasts
- Add Microsoft365 login option
- Bring back Finger ID/Touch ID login
- Update to fix issues with newer iPhones (Dynamic Island, screen interface)
- Improve syncing between app and desktop
- Ensure classroom changes (phone numbers) are updated in the app
- Distinguish between mobile, work, or emergency numbers when calling
Catapult EMS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SchoolStatus
No in-app purchases
Catapult EMS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SchoolStatus free?
Is Catapult EMS free?
Do SchoolStatus or Catapult EMS have ads?
Which is updated more often, SchoolStatus or Catapult EMS?
Other comparisons
