# smartUSTStaff vs HKUST Student

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: smartUSTStaff at 12.0 against HKUST Student's 15.0. 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.

smartUSTStaff ships an update every 3 months, HKUST Student every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | smartUSTStaff | HKUST Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[1.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hkust-student/id1512718498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 74 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CardApp Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/539151439) | [The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/332536363) |

## What reviewers say

### smartUSTStaff

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartuststaff/id1473801524)

**In-app purchases:** none


### HKUST Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hkust-student/id1512718498)

This app provides students with convenient access to academic and non-academic university resources. Students can view news, manage their academic information, check schedules, book facilities, and access student services.

**Highlights:** Latest news and announcements, Student e-Card, Academic information access, Course catalog browsing, Class and exam schedules, Facility booking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is smartUSTStaff free?

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

### Is HKUST Student free?

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

### Do smartUSTStaff or HKUST Student have ads?

Neither smartUSTStaff nor HKUST Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, smartUSTStaff or HKUST Student?

smartUSTStaff ships an update every 3 months, and HKUST Student every 2 months. Most recently, smartUSTStaff was updated on October 15, 2026 and HKUST Student on October 22, 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.*