# Niche vs Five Star Study App

The clearest difference is rating: Niche at 4.1 against Five Star Study App's 2.9. Niche also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 24%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). Five Star Study App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Niche holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 449 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Niche's written reviews are positive against 24% of Five Star Study App's.

Niche ships an update fortnightly, Five Star Study App every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Niche | Five Star Study App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niche-college-search/id1356697847/reviews)** | [2.9 (449 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-star-study-app/id1550915849/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 449 |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 23.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#125** | — |
| Size | 73 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NICHE.COM, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1356697846) | [ACCO Brands USA LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/594765823) |

## What reviewers say

### Niche

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niche-college-search/id1356697847)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Discover colleges that fit your profile and interests with personalized recommendations. Explore detailed profiles, read student reviews, and find scholarships. High school seniors can even get accepted directly through the app.

**Highlights:** Personalized college recommendations, Niche Profile for matching, Direct Admissions for seniors, In-depth college profiles, Scholarship search and matching, Student and alumni reviews

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for college search
- 💡 Great for finding scholarships
- 🚀 Provides a lot of useful information
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Comprehensive college data

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Logs out frequently
- 🚫 Limited to just college search, lost previous features
- 🚫 Requires too much personal information
- 🚫 Inaccurate or incomplete data for some colleges

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Logging out issues
- Incomplete or inaccurate college data

**Requested features**

- Add back K-12 school and neighborhood search features
- Improve navigation and prevent automatic logout
- Allow more flexible college searches without required personal info
- Enhance data accuracy, especially for tuition and majors


### Five Star Study App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-star-study-app/id1550915849)

Organize your notes and schedules to enhance your study sessions. This tool allows you to manage your academic life efficiently, enabling you to study effectively from any location.

**Highlights:** Note organization, Schedule management, Study anywhere, Study anytime, School year tool

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick scanning
- 📁 Organized note-taking
- 🔋 Helpful for studying
- 💡 Integrates with Google Drive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Scanning issues
- 🔍 Poor image quality
- 🤯 Buggy and crashes often
- 🤔 Confusing flashcard feature

**Reported bugs**

- App gets stuck on loading screen
- Scans not saving properly
- Camera not working
- Flashcards not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Handwriting to text conversion
- Ability to edit scanned notes
- Better iPad support
- More customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Niche free?

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

### Is Five Star Study App free?

Five Star Study App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Niche or Five Star Study App?

Niche is rated higher. Niche averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Five Star Study App averages 2.9 from 449 ratings.

### Do Niche or Five Star Study App have ads?

Niche shows ads; Five Star Study App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Niche or Five Star Study App?

Niche ships an update fortnightly, and Five Star Study App every 6 weeks. Most recently, Niche was updated on November 11, 2026 and Five Star Study App on November 11, 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.*