# RISD vs BrownU

The clearest difference is rating: BrownU at 4.4 against RISD's 2.4. BrownU also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 40%). RISD's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

BrownU holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of RISD's written reviews are positive against 75% of BrownU's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RISD | BrownU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/risd/id1220208350/reviews) | **[4.4 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brownu/id1451512175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **24** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 14 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Rhode Island School of Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/932857230) | [Brown University Computing & Information Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/816491717) |

## What reviewers say

### RISD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/risd/id1220208350)

This official campus app helps students, staff, faculty, and visitors navigate the Rhode Island School of Design. Access campus services like shuttle schedules, dining menus, printing resources, and maps.

**Highlights:** Campus shuttle information, Dining hall menus, Printing resource access, Interactive campus maps, Campus service directory

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BrownU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brownu/id1451512175)

Access essential campus information for the Brown University community. Stay updated on campus events, view dining menus, and find other useful resources on the go.

**Highlights:** Campus event listings, Dining menu information, On-the-go access, Community resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RISD free?

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

### Is BrownU free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RISD or BrownU?

BrownU is rated higher. RISD averages 2.4 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while BrownU averages 4.4 from 21 ratings.

### Do RISD or BrownU have ads?

Neither RISD nor BrownU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RISD or BrownU?

RISD ships an update every 4 months, and BrownU every 4 months. Most recently, RISD was updated on September 9, 2026 and BrownU on September 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.*