# SmartTeach vs Onboard Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Onboard Buddy at 100% against SmartTeach's 24%. Onboard Buddy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). SmartTeach's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Onboard Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SmartTeach asks for nothing beyond the download.

Onboard Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartTeach has 1.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of SmartTeach's written reviews are positive against 100% of Onboard Buddy's.

SmartTeach ships an update monthly, Onboard Buddy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartTeach | Onboard Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartteach/id1663286926/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onboard-buddy/id6762985706/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 24.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 103 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teaching Strategies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/571518842) | [THE ONBOARD BUDDY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895109489) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartTeach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartteach/id1663286926)

This app helps early childhood educators streamline daily classroom tasks. It simplifies documentation, classroom management, and family communication with easy-to-use tools for online and offline use.

**Highlights:** Create documentation and share insights, View and teach from daily schedule, Communicate with families, Save and share photos/videos, Assess from curriculum resources, Track attendance and care routines, Conduct health screenings

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy and awesome app to track notes and submit to Teaching Strategies Gold
- 👍 Brings together curriculum and assessment
- 👍 Convenient and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent technical glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Performance issues
- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 Messaging and communication problems
- 🐛 Delayed or failed uploads

**Reported bugs**

- Screener not working when clicking plus sign
- Inability to log in through app, but able to log in on website
- Delayed or failed message delivery
- Uploaded documentation still showing in app, causing confusion

**Requested features**

- Add ability to select and apply objectives to multiple pieces of documentation at once
- Add ability to select and delete multiple photos/videos at once
- Add ability to change date on add documentation page
- Add landscape mode support for easier typing
- Improve translation and communication features for ESL families


### Onboard Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onboard-buddy/id6762985706)

This platform offers weekly professional development for early childhood educators. It includes live coaching sessions, quizzes, and an AI assistant for practical strategies. Designed for Infant, Toddler, and Pre-K teachers.

**Highlights:** Weekly professional development, Live 60-minute coaching sessions, Short quizzes, AI Teacher Assistant, Practical strategies for educators

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Onboard Buddy Training | $199.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartTeach free?

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

### Is Onboard Buddy free?

Onboard Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SmartTeach or Onboard Buddy?

Onboard Buddy is rated higher. SmartTeach averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Onboard Buddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SmartTeach or Onboard Buddy have ads?

Neither SmartTeach nor Onboard Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartTeach or Onboard Buddy?

SmartTeach ships an update monthly, and Onboard Buddy fortnightly. Most recently, SmartTeach was updated on November 3, 2026 and Onboard Buddy on October 31, 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.*