# Common App vs Athena Network

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Athena Network at 67% against Common App's 23%. Athena Network also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). Common App's advantage is ratings volume (656 vs 12) and chart position (#29 vs unranked). 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.

Athena Network holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Common App has 656 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Common App's written reviews are positive against 67% of Athena Network's.

Common App ships an update every 10 months, Athena Network every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Common App | Athena Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (656 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509/reviews) | **[4.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athena-network/id1628317342/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **656** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Common Application](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030434052) | [Ammar Fakih](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628317344) |

## What reviewers say

### Common App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Manage your college applications on the go. This app offers a secure and streamlined way to apply to over 1000 colleges, research financial aid options, and access guidance from counselors, all from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Apply to 1000+ colleges, Research financial aid, Get counselor advice, Secure application process, Mobile convenience

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient mobile app
- 👍 Same functionality as website
- 🎉 Finally available as an app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔑 Requires re-login every time
- 🚫 Doesn't work for transfer students

**Reported bugs**

- White screen on login
- App doesn't load past logo
- Redirects transfer students to website

**Requested features**

- Keep user logged in for longer
- Increase text box size
- Add back button navigation


### Athena Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athena-network/id1628317342)

Easily browse college courses, plan your academic schedule, and discover campus events. Build a custom profile and explore campus happenings. Designed for students at participating institutions.

**Highlights:** Browse course catalogs, Plan academic schedules, Add classes and events to calendar, Explore campus Discover Page, Build custom user profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Common App free?

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

### Is Athena Network free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Common App or Athena Network?

Athena Network is rated higher. Common App averages 3.1 out of 5 from 656 ratings, while Athena Network averages 4.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Common App or Athena Network have ads?

Neither Common App nor Athena Network shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Common App or Athena Network?

Common App ships an update every 10 months, and Athena Network every 3 weeks. Most recently, Common App was updated on September 21, 2026 and Athena Network on June 6, 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.*