# WS+Absences vs Samsa

The clearest difference is update cadence: WS+Absences at every 4 months against Samsa's every 16 months. Samsa's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). 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.

WS+Absences ships an update every 4 months, Samsa every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and March 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WS+Absences | Samsa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ws-plus-absences/id1437149263/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 16 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [West Educational Leasing, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1408779293) | [DactylGroup](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121936981) |

## What reviewers say

### WS+Absences

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ws-plus-absences/id1437149263)

Easily report student absences directly from your mobile device. This application streamlines the process of notifying the school about a student's absence, ensuring timely communication.

**Highlights:** Report absences from mobile, Streamlined absence reporting, Direct communication with school

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Convenient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inability to submit absence requests
- 🐛 Inflexible absence policies
- 🐛 Lack of sub selection options
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- No reasons show up in drop box for absence
- Once sub accepts a job, other options for the week disappear

**Requested features**

- Allow writing in real reason for absence
- Ability to choose favorite subs
- Visibility of back office for admins


### Samsa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samsa/id1468451980)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WS+Absences free?

WS+Absences is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Samsa free?

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

### Do WS+Absences or Samsa have ads?

Neither WS+Absences nor Samsa shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WS+Absences or Samsa?

WS+Absences ships an update every 4 months, and Samsa every 16 months. Most recently, WS+Absences was updated on September 25, 2026 and Samsa on March 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*