# smartUST vs HKUST Student

The clearest difference is rating: HKUST Student at 1.3 against smartUST's 1.0. HKUST Student also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). smartUST's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

HKUST Student holds the better App Store score, 1.3 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

smartUST ships an update monthly, HKUST Student every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | smartUST | HKUST Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartust/id1361574826/reviews) | **[1.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hkust-student/id1512718498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CardApp Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/539151439) | [The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/332536363) |

## What reviewers say

### smartUST

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartust/id1361574826)

This app enhances the university experience by connecting students to campus life. Discover activities, events, facilities, housing, and special offers for a seamless integration into the university community.

**Highlights:** Campus activities and events, Facility information, Housing services, University services, Special offers, Seamless campus connection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HKUST Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hkust-student/id1512718498)

This app provides students with convenient access to academic and non-academic university resources. Students can view news, manage their academic information, check schedules, book facilities, and access student services.

**Highlights:** Latest news and announcements, Student e-Card, Academic information access, Course catalog browsing, Class and exam schedules, Facility booking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is smartUST free?

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

### Is HKUST Student free?

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

### Which has better reviews, smartUST or HKUST Student?

HKUST Student is rated higher. smartUST averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while HKUST Student averages 1.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do smartUST or HKUST Student have ads?

Neither smartUST nor HKUST Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, smartUST or HKUST Student?

smartUST ships an update monthly, and HKUST Student every 2 months. Most recently, smartUST was updated on October 4, 2026 and HKUST Student on October 6, 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.*