# SmartPass Mobile vs Thornapple Kellogg Schools

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartPass Mobile at fortnightly against Thornapple Kellogg Schools's monthly. Thornapple Kellogg Schools's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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.

SmartPass Mobile ships an update fortnightly, Thornapple Kellogg Schools monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartPass Mobile | Thornapple Kellogg Schools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.9 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartpass-mobile/id1387337686/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 46 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SmartPass, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742462448) | [Thornapple Kellogg Schools](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756111429) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartPass Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartpass-mobile/id1387337686)

This app allows educators and school staff to manage digital hall passes in real-time. It enables the creation, approval, and tracking of student passes, with features like Hall Monitor and Kiosk Mode for efficient school management.

**Highlights:** Create and schedule digital hall passes, Approve or deny pass requests, Real-time student tracking with photos, Kiosk Mode for device-limited rooms, Access staff ID cards, Manage school account settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Helps track student activity
- 👍 Useful for school administrators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constant log-out issues
- 🕰️ Restrictive time limits
- 🚫 Invades student privacy
- 💤 Disrupts class time
- 🤕 Causes student stress and anxiety

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and glitches
- Unreliable pass tracking
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- More flexible time limits
- Customizable settings for each school
- Better integration with school systems
- Ability to provide feedback/explanations for time limit overruns


### Thornapple Kellogg Schools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thornapple-kellogg-schools/id6523433256)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartPass Mobile free?

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

### Is Thornapple Kellogg Schools free?

Thornapple Kellogg Schools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SmartPass Mobile or Thornapple Kellogg Schools have ads?

Neither SmartPass Mobile nor Thornapple Kellogg Schools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartPass Mobile or Thornapple Kellogg Schools?

SmartPass Mobile ships an update fortnightly, and Thornapple Kellogg Schools monthly. Most recently, SmartPass Mobile was updated on November 2, 2026 and Thornapple Kellogg Schools on October 25, 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.*