Comparison

NOVA vs Chalkboard Research

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

Head to head
About

NOVA

This platform connects creative professionals with clients seeking talent. Artists can build networks, showcase work, and find job opportunities. Clients gain direct access to vetted freelance creative talent.

Highlights
  • Network building for artists
  • Portfolio display for creatives
  • Access to job opportunities
  • Direct client access to talent
  • Application-based community
  • Community guidelines enforcement
Features
Read full description

NOVA is the curated freelancer platform for the next generation of creatives. Our mission is to provide Network, Opportunity, and Visibility to Artists. For creatives, NOVA is a first-of-its-kind multi application platform for artists to build their network, display their work, and easily access job opportunities. For clients, NOVA is the next evolution of creative hiring, providing a direct link to top freelance creative talent. _ At NOVA, our priority is community, which is why we are an application-based platform. Prospective members should download the mobile app here and submit an application. As a creative, we'll ask you to include information like skills and past project work. As a client, we'll ask you to include your company name and job title. Once you've submitted an application, it will be placed into the queue to be reviewed by our board of creatives and internal team. You could receive your acceptance at any time, so keep your push notifications on! Once admitted, creatives and clients will have full-access to the platform. Users must continuously abide by our community guidelines of integrity, professionalism, and privacy. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chalkboard Research

A collaborative research platform for academics, professors, and students. Share ideas, debate hypotheses, and connect with peers in your field without the pressure of formal publications or social media noise.

Highlights
  • Vetted research community
  • Share thoughts and hypotheses
  • Debate academic ideas
  • Connect with peers
  • Domain-specific networking
  • Informal research platform
Features
Read full description

Every great research idea once started on a chalkboard. How many Eureka moments does a chalkboard get to experience? Chalkboard is an informal, collaborative research platform designed exclusively for a vetted audience of academics, professors, and students. It is a dedicated space to share your thoughts, debate hypotheses, and connect with peers in your specific domain without the formal pressure of official publication records or the noise of traditional social media.

Screenshots

NOVA4 screens
Chalkboard Research4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chalkboard Research at 5.0 against NOVA's 4.3. Chalkboard Research also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). NOVA's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 5) and chart position (#173 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. NOVA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Chalkboard Research asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chalkboard Research holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOVA has 1.2K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOVA ships an update every 3 weeks, Chalkboard Research weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
NOVA versus Chalkboard Research: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOVAChalkboard Research
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (1.2K ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.2K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#173 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB29 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperNova Network Inc.Pranav Batra

Customer experience

NOVA

All ratings1,158 ratings
Positive82.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative15.2%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative59.7%

Chalkboard Research

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

NOVA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes
  • Freezing
  • Buggy application process

Requested features

4 requests
  • Web Access
  • Saved filter settings
  • Notifications
  • Profile customization

Chalkboard Research

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

NOVA

Subscriptions2
  • Nova Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Nova Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nova Pro (Day Pass)$3.99
None

Chalkboard Research

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NOVA free?
NOVA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chalkboard Research free?
Chalkboard Research is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NOVA or Chalkboard Research?
Chalkboard Research is rated higher. NOVA averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Chalkboard Research averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do NOVA or Chalkboard Research have ads?
Neither NOVA nor Chalkboard Research shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NOVA or Chalkboard Research?
NOVA ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chalkboard Research weekly. Most recently, NOVA was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chalkboard Research on October 9, 2026.

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