# Formula SAE vs HackIllinois

The clearest difference is rating: HackIllinois at 4.7 against Formula SAE's 3.3. HackIllinois also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (32 vs 10). Formula SAE's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 32 respectively.

Formula SAE ships an update every 5 months, HackIllinois daily. The most recent releases landed on June 19, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Formula SAE | HackIllinois |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formula-sae/id1371880139/reviews) | **[4.7 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackillinois/id1451755268/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **32** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 47 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SAE International](https://appshunter.io/developer/662136165) | [ACM UIUC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200368579) |

## What reviewers say

### Formula SAE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formula-sae/id1371880139)

This app provides essential information for the Formula SAE community, including competition news, schedules, maps, and team details. Stay updated with real-time scoring, results, and important announcements, even without data service.

**Highlights:** Competition news and updates, Interactive maps and schedules, Team scoring notifications, Event results and leaderboards, Paddock team locator, Push notifications for announcements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HackIllinois

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackillinois/id1451755268)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Formula SAE free?

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

### Is HackIllinois free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Formula SAE or HackIllinois?

HackIllinois is rated higher. Formula SAE averages 3.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while HackIllinois averages 4.7 from 32 ratings.

### Do Formula SAE or HackIllinois have ads?

Neither Formula SAE nor HackIllinois shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Formula SAE or HackIllinois?

Formula SAE ships an update every 5 months, and HackIllinois daily. Most recently, Formula SAE was updated on June 19, 2026 and HackIllinois on June 5, 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.*