# UCSC Menu vs Palmetto

The clearest difference is review sentiment: UCSC Menu at 100% against Palmetto's 43%. UCSC Menu also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). Palmetto's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Palmetto holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Palmetto has 568 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of UCSC Menu's written reviews are positive against 43% of Palmetto's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UCSC Menu ships an update fortnightly, Palmetto every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UCSC Menu | Palmetto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucsc-menu/id1670523487/reviews) | **[4.9 (568 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palmetto/id6760778732/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **568** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Christian Knab](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670523489) | [Per Diem Subscriptions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1601246395) |

## What reviewers say

### UCSC Menu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ucsc-menu/id1670523487)

This app provides UC Santa Cruz students with organized dining hall menus, including nutrition information and future date options. It also features an hours tab, a points calculator, and integration with GETMobile for easy dining hall access.

**Highlights:** Dining hall menu summaries, Detailed college menus, Nutrition information, Future date menus, Dining hall hours, Slug points calculator, GETMobile integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Palmetto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palmetto/id6760778732)

Easily order and pay for your favorite bowls, smoothies, and superfood items. Earn rewards on every purchase made through the app. Secure payment options are available.

**Highlights:** Order bowls, smoothies, and superfood items, Secure payment with Apple Pay, Earn rewards on purchases, View menu and favorites, Track rewards progress

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UCSC Menu free?

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

### Is Palmetto free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UCSC Menu or Palmetto?

Palmetto is rated higher. UCSC Menu averages 4.2 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Palmetto averages 4.9 from 568 ratings.

### Do UCSC Menu or Palmetto have ads?

UCSC Menu shows ads; Palmetto does not.

### Which is updated more often, UCSC Menu or Palmetto?

UCSC Menu ships an update fortnightly, and Palmetto every 3 weeks. Most recently, UCSC Menu was updated on October 11, 2026 and Palmetto on October 17, 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.*