Campuswire vs HackIllinois
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Campuswire
This tool simplifies class discussions, Q&A, and announcements for college courses. It provides an easy-to-use platform for students and instructors to engage with course material and each other.
- Class discussions
- Q&A functionality
- Announcements
- Simplified communication
Read full descriptionHide full description
Campuswire is the tool for college classes that makes class discussions, Q&A and announcements extremely simple.
HackIllinois
This app enhances the hackathon experience by providing event schedules, point-earning opportunities through QR scans and duels, and a shop for redeeming prizes. Users can track their progress, view rankings, and manage check-ins for food and events.
- Event schedule and details
- Point system via QR scans and duels
- Prize redemption in Point Shop
- Personal progress and rank tracking
- Event check-in functionality
- Countdown timer for hacking
Read full descriptionHide full description
Download the official HackIllinois 2026 app for a complete in-person hackathon experience! With our app, you can: - See how much time you have left to hack! - View the time, location, and other details for all of our events. - Scan QR codes at events to obtain points! - Play duels against other members for points. - Get checked in by staff for food and other events. - Redeem points for merchandise and raffle prizes through our newly improved Point Shop! - View your rank, points, and other personal information. - and more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: HackIllinois at 100% against Campuswire's 10%. HackIllinois also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
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.
HackIllinois holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 63 and 32 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of Campuswire's written reviews are positive against 100% of HackIllinois's.
Campuswire ships an update monthly, HackIllinois daily. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Campuswire | HackIllinois |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (63 ratings) | 4.7 (32 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 9.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 63 — better | 32 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CampusTech, Inc. | ACM UIUC |
Customer experience
Campuswire
HackIllinois
In-app purchases
Campuswire
No in-app purchases
HackIllinois
No in-app purchases
