# BV Schools vs SmartTeach

The clearest difference is ratings volume: SmartTeach at 1.2K against BV Schools's 1. SmartTeach also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (3 vs 1). BV Schools's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BV Schools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartTeach has 1.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BV Schools ships an update every 3 months, SmartTeach monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BV Schools | SmartTeach |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bv-schools/id1496399825/reviews)** | [4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartteach/id1663286926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 24.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 146 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buena Vista School District R-31](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496399824) | [Teaching Strategies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/571518842) |

## What reviewers say

### BV Schools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bv-schools/id1496399825)

Stay informed about school district events, customize notifications for your student's activities, and access weekly cafeteria menus. Get live updates from administration and easily find staff contact information.

**Highlights:** Event calendar with sharing, Customizable student notifications, Weekly cafeteria menus, Live district updates feed, Staff and department directory

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartTeach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartteach/id1663286926)

This app helps early childhood educators streamline daily classroom tasks. It simplifies documentation, classroom management, and family communication with easy-to-use tools for online and offline use.

**Highlights:** Create documentation and share insights, View and teach from daily schedule, Communicate with families, Save and share photos/videos, Assess from curriculum resources, Track attendance and care routines, Conduct health screenings

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy and awesome app to track notes and submit to Teaching Strategies Gold
- 👍 Brings together curriculum and assessment
- 👍 Convenient and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent technical glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Performance issues
- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 Messaging and communication problems
- 🐛 Delayed or failed uploads

**Reported bugs**

- Screener not working when clicking plus sign
- Inability to log in through app, but able to log in on website
- Delayed or failed message delivery
- Uploaded documentation still showing in app, causing confusion

**Requested features**

- Add ability to select and apply objectives to multiple pieces of documentation at once
- Add ability to select and delete multiple photos/videos at once
- Add ability to change date on add documentation page
- Add landscape mode support for easier typing
- Improve translation and communication features for ESL families


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BV Schools free?

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

### Is SmartTeach free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BV Schools or SmartTeach?

BV Schools is rated higher. BV Schools averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SmartTeach averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do BV Schools or SmartTeach have ads?

Neither BV Schools nor SmartTeach shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BV Schools or SmartTeach?

BV Schools ships an update every 3 months, and SmartTeach monthly. Most recently, BV Schools was updated on September 9, 2026 and SmartTeach on September 26, 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.*