# Chipmunk vs Loadstone

Chipmunk and Loadstone are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Chipmunk ships an update every 2 weeks, Loadstone fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chipmunk | Loadstone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chipmunk/id1523341653/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 9.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 182 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BusPlanner Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217589959) | [Loadstone](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678067377) |

## What reviewers say

### Chipmunk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chipmunk/id1523341653)

Track your children's school transportation in real-time. See estimated arrival times for bus stops, view bus locations, and receive important school and transportation notifications.

**Highlights:** Real-time bus location tracking, Estimated arrival times, View bus stops, School and transportation notifications, Easy to use

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Real-time bus tracking
- 🔒 Secure login process
- 👍 Helpful for parents running late

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and server issues
- 👎 Unreliable bus location and ETA information
- 🔍 Limited functionality and poor user experience
- 🔑 Login and account management problems

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or create an account
- Incorrect or missing student and bus information
- Frequent app crashes and server downtime
- Delayed or inaccurate bus arrival notifications

**Requested features**

- Improve accuracy and reliability of bus tracking
- Provide more detailed and timely bus arrival information
- Enhance user interface and overall app usability
- Implement better account management and login functionality


### Loadstone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loadstone/id6446487676)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chipmunk free?

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

### Is Loadstone free?

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

### Do Chipmunk or Loadstone have ads?

Neither Chipmunk nor Loadstone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chipmunk or Loadstone?

Chipmunk ships an update every 2 weeks, and Loadstone fortnightly. Most recently, Chipmunk was updated on October 15, 2026 and Loadstone on September 29, 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.*