# Arbor Parent App vs OU Study

The clearest difference is rating: OU Study at 4.7 against Arbor Parent App's 1.9. OU Study also leads on review sentiment (14% vs 2%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Arbor Parent App's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). On price, ratings volume, 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.

OU Study holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 2% of Arbor Parent App's written reviews are positive against 14% of OU Study's.

Arbor Parent App ships an update monthly, OU Study every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arbor Parent App | OU Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412/reviews) | **[4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ou-study/id1464171151/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 2.0% of reviews | **14.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 45 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arbor Education Partners](https://appshunter.io/developer/602224921) | [The Open University](https://appshunter.io/developer/336747246) |

## What reviewers say

### Arbor Parent App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412)

Manage your child's school life from one app. Track attendance, behavior, and academic progress. Book parent consultations, register for clubs and trips, and handle payments easily. Add medical information and check homework assignments.

**Highlights:** Track attendance and behavior, Monitor academic progress, Register for clubs and trips, Manage payments for meals and trips, Book parent consultations, View child's timetable, Check homework assignments

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Versatile and has many options
- 👍 Good app for parents to view child's progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive layout
- 🔒 Forced password changes every 180 days
- 💳 No option to add reminders for low meal balance
- 🤯 Complicated to book clubs and appointments

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues with incorrect password errors
- Inconsistent behavior across web and mobile versions
- Inability to delete or archive old assignments and activities

**Requested features**

- Add a calendar view for events and appointments
- Improve messaging functionality with better organization and notifications
- Allow parents to manage multiple children from a single account
- Integrate with digital wallets and enable auto top-up for meal balances


### OU Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ou-study/id1464171151)

Enhance your mobile learning experience with access to module materials and a study planner. Download content for offline access, track key dates, and stay updated on forum messages. Designed for registered Open University students.

**Highlights:** Access module materials, Study planner, Offline downloads, Track key dates, Forum message notifications, Sync with module website

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface (when working)
- 🔋 Offline content download
- 💡 Planner easier to navigate
- 👍 Great add-on for on-the-go
- 👍 Convenient for catch-ups

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Clunky and anti-user
- 🐛 Videos won't play
- 🐛 Links to external website
- 🐛 Forum not working

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot log in on original account
- Cannot sign up with new account
- Password cannot be based on a dictionary word
- App sends to mobile browser
- Videos just won't play

**Requested features**

- Add bookmark feature
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired
- Implement text zooming and font size options
- Add student home access
- Improve mobile layout optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arbor Parent App free?

Arbor Parent App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is OU Study free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Arbor Parent App or OU Study?

OU Study is rated higher. Arbor Parent App averages 1.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while OU Study averages 4.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Arbor Parent App or OU Study have ads?

Neither Arbor Parent App nor OU Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Arbor Parent App or OU Study?

Arbor Parent App ships an update monthly, and OU Study every 9 months. Most recently, Arbor Parent App was updated on October 18, 2026 and OU Study on October 13, 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.*