# Acuity vs SAMS Student

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SAMS Student at none against Acuity's 6. Acuity's advantage is ratings volume (30K vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Acuity sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.00 per month. SAMS Student asks for nothing beyond the download.

SAMS Student holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acuity has 30K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Acuity ships an update weekly, SAMS Student every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acuity | SAMS Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acuity-appointment-scheduler/id1179146771/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sams-student/id6757296934/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 44.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 199 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Squarespace, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318590877) | [Reckon System, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1363854159) |

## What reviewers say

### Acuity

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acuity-appointment-scheduler/id1179146771)

Manage your calendar and clients with this app. It offers seamless client scheduling, appointment notifications, secure mobile payments, and automated receipts. Run your business on the go with tools for calendar and client management, plus payment processing.

**Highlights:** Real-time calendar management, Client scheduling links, Appointment notifications, Secure mobile payments, Automated receipts, Client list management

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iOS Starter Monthly | $29.00 | per month |
| iOS Standard Monthly | $50.00 | per month |
| iOS Premium Monthly | $89.00 | per month |
| iOS Starter Annual | $289.00 | per year |
| iOS Standard Annual | $489.00 | per year |
| iOS Premium Annual | $869.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Customizable booking pages
- 🚀 Seamless integration with websites
- 👍 Helpful customer service
- 🚀 Efficient scheduling and booking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- ⏱️ Too many updates disrupting user experience
- 🕰️ Lack of weekly calendar view in app
- 🔍 Limited reporting and analytics
- 💰 Expensive for small businesses

**Reported bugs**

- Appointment information disappearing from calendar
- Inability to see client payment status
- Timezone errors and incorrect scheduling
- Unresponsive app and slow performance

**Requested features**

- Waitlist functionality
- Automated client reminders and confirmations
- Ability to book multiple appointments at once
- Improved calendar view and navigation
- More robust reporting and analytics


### SAMS Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sams-student/id6757296934)

This app helps cosmetology schools track student clock hours with customizable features. It is designed to meet the specific needs of public and private beauty schools.

**Highlights:** Student time clock tracking, Flexible customization, Public and private school requirements, Beauty school specific features

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acuity free?

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

### Is SAMS Student free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Acuity or SAMS Student?

SAMS Student is rated higher. Acuity averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while SAMS Student averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Acuity or SAMS Student have ads?

Neither Acuity nor SAMS Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Acuity or SAMS Student?

Acuity ships an update weekly, and SAMS Student every 8 days. Most recently, Acuity was updated on October 31, 2026 and SAMS Student on October 18, 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.*