Comparison

Unibuddy vs ARU

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Unibuddy

Connect with current students and prospective peers to gather information and make informed university decisions. Chat with others interested in or applying to various institutions to ease your transition.

Highlights
  • Connect with current students
  • Chat with prospective students
  • Information for university decisions
  • Community invitations
  • University exploration
Features
Read full description

Helping you to make connections and get the information you need to make the best decisions for you as you transition into university. Download the app and sign in to chat to current students or other prospective students, depending on what stage you're at in your decision making journey. If you have been invited to a community to chat to other prospective students, follow the steps in your invite to create an account. Experiences shared, decisions made. With this app you’ll be able to make connections across the different universities you’re interested in or applying to.

About

ARU

This app provides students with essential university information and tools. Access your timetable, email, course materials, and campus maps all in one place. Stay updated with university news and support services.

Highlights
  • Personalized teaching timetable
  • Student email access
  • Interactive campus maps
  • Canvas course access
  • Library loans and search
  • University alerts
Read full description

Welcome to the ARU app! Whether you're already studying at ARU or about to join us, our handy app is packed with information and functionality to guide you through your university studies, no matter which campus you're at. Access everything from one app, including your teaching timetable, your student email account, and key systems like Canvas, e:Vision, and My ARU. Based on student feedback, we've made some improvements to the design and functionality of the ARU app to make sure it's easy to use and faster than ever. The app is brighter and easier to navigate, with plenty of exciting content and features to support you while studying at ARU. We've introduced an interactive map feature to help you navigate our campuses, and you can discover your next timetabled class on your personalised home screen. Recently, we've also added display themes, a dark mode feature, improved navigation, food and drink menus on campus, and even a university alert banner so you can get important updates even faster. On top of all that, you can now view your student timetable, canvas courses, and to-do lists directly in the ARU app, putting everything you need all in one place. Download the official university student app today and start exploring the best of ARU! Key features: • View your personalised teaching timetable. • Discover your next timetabled class on your personalised home screen. • Check your student email account at the tap of a tile. • Read headline news and articles specifically related to your campus, faculty, and year of study. • Access online information and activities relating to your studies through Canvas. • View your library loans and search for books on your Reading List • Ask questions through ‘Ask ARU’. • Log in to e:Vision • View your Print Credit balance and add credit to your account • Quickly check your Canvas dashboard to stay on top of your course and to-do lists. • Easily switch themes for an accessible display using our ‘Dark Mode’ feature. • Keep up to date with the university alert banner • Find your way with the interactive campus maps • Access help and support • And so much more... Have more feedback for us? Simply tap “Report a Problem” or “Share an idea” in your app settings. Please note: The information contained within the ARU App is for students studying at Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, and Writtle campuses, on higher education courses. Information for students studying at Writtle College on further education courses will be introduced in a future release.

Screenshots

Unibuddy4 screens
ARU4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ARU at 38% against Unibuddy's 7%. Unibuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unibuddy ships an update every 6 days, ARU every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Unibuddy versus ARU: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnibuddyARU
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (106 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews6.9% of reviews37.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings106 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB60 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperUnibuddy LimitedAnglia Ruskin

Customer experience

Unibuddy

All ratings106 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral0.9%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive6.9%
Neutral13.8%
Negative79.3%

ARU

Written reviews8 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Unibuddy

No in-app purchases

None

ARU

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Unibuddy free?
Unibuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARU free?
ARU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Unibuddy or ARU have ads?
Neither Unibuddy nor ARU shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Unibuddy or ARU?
Unibuddy ships an update every 6 days, and ARU every 5 weeks. Most recently, Unibuddy was updated on November 3, 2026 and ARU on October 30, 2026.

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