Comparison

GroupMe vs Schools App

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

Head to head
About

GroupMe

Easily connect with friends, family, and colleagues through group chats, direct messages, and shared media. Add anyone via phone or email, control notifications, and express yourself with custom emojis and internet content.

Highlights
  • Add contacts via phone number or email
  • SMS chat for non-app users
  • Customizable notifications
  • Exclusive emoji and GIF support
  • Shared media gallery
  • Direct messaging
  • Web access
Features
Read full description

GroupMe - the free, simple way to stay in touch with the people who matter most. Family. Roommates. Friends. Coworkers. Teams. Vacations. Greek Life. Bands. Faith Groups. Events. “Lifechanger.... utterly indispensable” -Gizmodo START CHATTING Add anyone to a group via their phone number or email address. If they don’t have the app, they can start chatting over SMS immediately. CONTROL NOTIFICATIONS You’re in charge! Mute specific chats, or the entire app – you can even leave or end group chats. SAY MORE THAN WORDS With an extensive set of exclusive emoji, you can express yourself in a whole new way. THE WHOLE INTERNET IN YOUR GROUP Meme images, search for and send GIFs and videos, and see content shared from URLs displayed in the chat. SHARE NOW, RELIVE LATER The gallery saves your memories. Easily explore the photos and videos shared in your group now, or later. LEAVE TEXTING BEHIND With direct messages, you can use all the features you love for group chat, but one-on-one. CHAT WHEREVER YOU ARE Including from your computer at groupme.com Stay in touch whether you’re separated by a hallway or a hemisphere. Get your group together. We want to hear your feedback! Support: https://aka.ms/groupmesupport Twitter: @GroupMeSupport Facebook: facebook.com/groupme Instagram: @GroupMe Love, Team GroupMe NOTE: SMS chat currently available in US only. Standard text messaging rates may apply. Privacy Policy: https://groupme.com/privacy Made with love in Seattle

About

Schools App

Connect with fellow students at your college or university before and during your academic journey. Discover new friends, join study groups, and stay informed about important campus announcements.

Highlights
  • Student Directory
  • Activity Feed
  • Study Group Finder
  • Group Messaging
  • Private Messaging
  • Roommate Finder
  • Announcements
Features
Read full description

Please note you must be invited by a participating college or university, and a Facebook account is required to login. Schools App is the best way for students at their college or university to connect and make friends prior to and during college. Schools App is the official community at many colleges and universities such as Syracuse University, University of Oregon, UCLA, Stony Brook University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Pace, University of Denver, Columbia College Chicago, Gonzaga, California College of the Arts, Samford University, UCSB, and many, many more. Features: • Student Directory: Find other students based on name, common interests, and location. • Activity Feed: See what other students are talking about and get answers to your questions. • Study Group Finder - Study alone? Study with the help of other students! • Group Messaging - Start a group, find a group, and be part of the discussion. • Private Messaging: Connect with staff and students in real time. • Roommate Finder: Find great people so you can live better! • Announcements: Don’t miss the important messages from the school. Questions about Schools App? Contact TargetX at http://www.targetx.com/contact-us/

Screenshots

GroupMe4 screens
Schools App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GroupMe at 4.7 against Schools App's 1.9. GroupMe also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.6M vs 210). Schools App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. GroupMe sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Schools App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GroupMe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GroupMe has 1.6M ratings behind it against 210, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of GroupMe's written reviews are positive against 14% of Schools App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GroupMe ships an update weekly, Schools App every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 15, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
GroupMe versus Schools App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGroupMeSchools App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6M ratings) — better1.9 (210 ratings)
Positive reviews29.7% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6M — better210
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size389 MB63 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSkype Communications S.a.r.lTargetX.Com LLC Apps

Customer experience

GroupMe

All ratings1,559,166 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews1,632 reviews
Positive29.7%
Neutral12.0%
Negative58.3%

Schools App

All ratings212 ratings
Positive16.5%
Neutral9.9%
Negative73.6%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative80.0%

User reviews

GroupMe

From 1.6M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent group communication
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 🚀 Reliable
  • 👍 Versatile for various use cases

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Syncing and loading issues
  • 🐛 Notification problems
  • 🐛 Bugs with media uploads
  • 🐛 Laggy performance

Schools App

From 210 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good for meeting people
  • 👍 Good for networking
  • 👍 Connects with school staff
  • 👍 Potential for meeting roommates

Room to improve

  • ❌ Requires Facebook login
  • ❌ Login errors persist
  • ❌ App is broken/unusable
  • ❌ No other login options
  • ❌ Internet connection issues

Bugs and requests

GroupMe

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to log in or account issues
  • Problems with adding/removing group members
  • Disappearing messages and chat history
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to delete/edit messages
  • Announcement mode for admins
  • Pinned messages
  • Improved group management features
  • Better cross-device/platform sync

Schools App

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Login errors (User not allowed, app in development)
  • Facebook login not working
  • App freezes or crashes
  • Help page submit button not working
  • Account inactive errors
Show 9 more
  • Internet connection errors despite having connection
  • Messages not fully received
  • No push notifications received
  • Message inbox not working
  • App crashes and shows 'Schools app error'
  • Verification email not sending
  • App stuck on 'connecting' screen
  • Cannot access admin privileges
  • Slow loading times

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add alternative login options (email, Twitter, Insta, Google)
  • Fix login errors and 'app not setup' issues
  • Improve notification reliability
  • Add a block/mute feature
  • Allow profile access from messages
Show 8 more
  • Create a separate feed for school-approved information
  • Add a search/filter for degree path
  • Add quiz for narrowing down results
  • Allow admin management from the app
  • Fix lengthy message truncation
  • Add dark mode
  • Improve app design
  • Add more gender options or remove offensive ones

In-app purchases

10 purchases

GroupMe

One-time10
  • Most Wanted Emoji Pack$0.99
  • Michigan Wolverines Emoji Pack$0.99
  • Wisconsin Badgers Emoji Pack$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Florida Gators Emoji Pack$0.99
  • March Madness Emoji Pack$0.99
  • Most Wanted 2 Emoji Pack$0.99
  • University of Alabama Emoji Pack$1.99
  • University of Texas Emoji Pack$1.99
  • Adventure Time$1.99
  • University of Notre Dame Emoji$1.99
None

Schools App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GroupMe free?
GroupMe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Schools App free?
Schools App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GroupMe or Schools App?
GroupMe is rated higher. GroupMe averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings, while Schools App averages 1.9 from 210 ratings.
Do GroupMe or Schools App have ads?
Neither GroupMe nor Schools App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GroupMe or Schools App?
GroupMe ships an update weekly, and Schools App every 2 months. Most recently, GroupMe was updated on November 15, 2026 and Schools App on November 1, 2026.

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