# Guidebook vs Cal Poly Orientation

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Guidebook at 53% against Cal Poly Orientation's 0%. Guidebook also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Guidebook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guidebook has 3.7K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Guidebook's written reviews are positive against 0% of Cal Poly Orientation's.

Guidebook ships an update every 2 weeks, Cal Poly Orientation every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guidebook | Cal Poly Orientation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidebook/id428713847/reviews)** | [3.5 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-poly-orientation/id1255335879/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **52.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 57 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Guidebook Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/428713850) | [Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo](https://appshunter.io/developer/491511839) |

## What reviewers say

### Guidebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidebook/id428713847)

This application serves as a comprehensive guide for events, conferences, and campuses. Users can build personalized schedules, access detailed information about speakers and sponsors, and navigate venues with interactive maps. It also facilitates attendee engagement through messaging and a social feed.

**Highlights:** Personalized schedule and to-do lists, Speaker and sponsor information, Venue and local area maps, In-app search functionality, Attendee messaging and engagement, Interactive social feed

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Stable and easy to navigate
- 📚 Helpful for planning schedules and events
- 🗺️ Provides maps and venue information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔆 Lack of dark mode option
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Confusing search functionality
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🗓️ Difficulty managing old event data

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to view event details
- Inability to add custom events to schedule
- Incorrect location pinpointing on maps
- Notification issues and unwanted alerts

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to sync schedule across devices
- More customization options for user profile
- Better event filtering and search capabilities
- Integration with calendar apps


### Cal Poly Orientation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-poly-orientation/id1255335879)

This app provides resources and support for new students and their families to ensure a smooth transition to university life. It serves as a central hub for information and assistance.

**Highlights:** New student resources, Family support, Transition assistance, University information hub

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guidebook free?

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

### Is Cal Poly Orientation free?

Cal Poly Orientation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Guidebook or Cal Poly Orientation?

Guidebook is rated higher. Guidebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Cal Poly Orientation averages 3.5 from 21 ratings.

### Do Guidebook or Cal Poly Orientation have ads?

Neither Guidebook nor Cal Poly Orientation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guidebook or Cal Poly Orientation?

Guidebook ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cal Poly Orientation every 5 months. Most recently, Guidebook was updated on September 23, 2026 and Cal Poly Orientation on August 22, 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.*