# Academic® vs UM Virtual

The clearest difference is update cadence: Academic® at every 3 weeks against UM Virtual's every 10 months. UM Virtual's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Academic® ships an update every 3 weeks, UM Virtual every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Academic® | UM Virtual |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 4.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BIT Technologies Mexico SA de CV](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021390795) | [Abel Torres Cano](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583786748) |

## What reviewers say

### Academic®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/academic/id1275767194)

This cloud-based application connects educational institutions with students and parents. It facilitates payments, tracks financial information, and delivers important academic and administrative notifications. Users can also access school news and review assignments and projects.

**Highlights:** Secure payment processing, Payment tracking, Academic and administrative notifications, School news updates, Assignment and project review

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### UM Virtual

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/um-virtual/id6748967370)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Academic® free?

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

### Is UM Virtual free?

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

### Do Academic® or UM Virtual have ads?

Neither Academic® nor UM Virtual shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Academic® or UM Virtual?

Academic® ships an update every 3 weeks, and UM Virtual every 10 months. Most recently, Academic® was updated on October 17, 2026 and UM Virtual on September 26, 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.*