# Arbor Parent App vs ARU

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ARU at 38% against Arbor Parent App's 2%. 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.

Arbor Parent App ships an update monthly, ARU every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arbor Parent App | ARU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **8** | — |
| Positive reviews | 2.0% of reviews | **37.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 45 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Arbor Education Partners](https://appshunter.io/developer/602224921) | [Anglia Ruskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/668617933) |

## 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


### ARU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aru/id6494988557)

This app provides university students with essential tools and information to navigate their studies. Access timetables, emails, course materials, campus maps, and important university alerts all in one place.

**Highlights:** Personalized teaching timetable, Student email access, Interactive campus maps, Canvas course access, University alerts, Library loans and search

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arbor Parent App free?

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

### Is ARU free?

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

### Do Arbor Parent App or ARU have ads?

Neither Arbor Parent App nor ARU shows ads.

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

Arbor Parent App ships an update monthly, and ARU every 6 weeks. Most recently, Arbor Parent App was updated on October 25, 2026 and ARU on October 10, 2026.

---

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