# OnCourse Connect vs Start Elementary School

The clearest difference is rating: Start Elementary School at 4.0 against OnCourse Connect's 2.0. Start Elementary School also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). OnCourse Connect's advantage is ratings volume (192 vs 4) and review sentiment (12% vs 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.

Start Elementary School holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OnCourse Connect has 192 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 12% of OnCourse Connect's written reviews are positive against 0% of Start Elementary School's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

OnCourse Connect ships an update every 6 weeks, Start Elementary School every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OnCourse Connect | Start Elementary School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oncourse-connect/id1573060333/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/start-elementary-school/id6459196280/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **192** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **12.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 56 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OnCourse Systems For Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/910659961) | [Richland Parish School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701666770) |

## What reviewers say

### OnCourse Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oncourse-connect/id1573060333)

Access your student portal on the go. View grades, assignments, attendance, schedules, and fees. Receive push notifications for important updates and manage multiple student accounts easily.

**Highlights:** View grades and assignments, Track attendance, Access class schedules, Check school fees, Manage push notifications, Switch between multiple student accounts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient grade tracking on-the-go
- 📱 Straightforward and easy-to-use interface
- ✅ Real-time grade updates
- 🎓 Helpful for monitoring student performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Persistent login failures and authentication issues
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Attendance tab causes app to go black
- 🔄 Requires login every single time app opens
- 🐛 Recent updates break existing functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Login system rejects correct credentials
- Password reset loop - new password rejected immediately
- Attendance tab displays black screen
- App crashes when switching between students
- Update required message appears despite being on latest version

**Requested features**

- Google Student login integration
- Remember me/auto-login functionality
- Face ID/biometric authentication that actually works
- Back button for navigation
- Better attendance tracking system


### Start Elementary School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/start-elementary-school/id6459196280)

This app connects parents, students, teachers, and administrators with school news, event calendars, and online resources. It provides quick access to essential information to keep the school community informed and engaged.

**Highlights:** School news updates, Interactive event calendars, Access to online resources, Connect school community, Stay informed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OnCourse Connect free?

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

### Is Start Elementary School free?

Start Elementary School is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, OnCourse Connect or Start Elementary School?

Start Elementary School is rated higher. OnCourse Connect averages 2.0 out of 5 from 192 ratings, while Start Elementary School averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do OnCourse Connect or Start Elementary School have ads?

Neither OnCourse Connect nor Start Elementary School shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OnCourse Connect or Start Elementary School?

OnCourse Connect ships an update every 6 weeks, and Start Elementary School every 3 weeks. Most recently, OnCourse Connect was updated on October 16, 2026 and Start Elementary School on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*