# OnCampus vs Budburst

The clearest difference is rating: OnCampus at 4.8 against Budburst's 4.2. OnCampus also leads on ratings volume (74 vs 13). Budburst's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 40%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

OnCampus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OnCampus has 74 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of OnCampus's written reviews are positive against 50% of Budburst's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

OnCampus ships an update every 6 weeks, Budburst every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OnCampus | Budburst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oncampus/id431844600/reviews)** | [4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budburst/id1531186881/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 30 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [North Carolina State University](https://appshunter.io/developer/377191484) | [Chicago Horticultural Society](https://appshunter.io/developer/566331682) |

## What reviewers say

### OnCampus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oncampus/id431844600)

Navigate and engage with university life through real-time information on campus services, transportation, and emergency alerts. Access course catalogs, dining options, and campus maps to enhance your experience.

**Highlights:** Emergency alerts, Course catalog browsing, Live bus tracking, Campus directory, Interactive campus map, Real-time parking data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Budburst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/budburst/id1531186881)

Observe and record plant data to contribute to a national community science project. Identify plants, track their life cycles, and collaborate with others to understand and preserve nature.

**Highlights:** Observe plants with interactive map, In-app plant identification tool, Monitor plant life cycles, Track plant-animal interactions, Collaborate in community groups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OnCampus free?

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

### Is Budburst free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OnCampus or Budburst?

OnCampus is rated higher. OnCampus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Budburst averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.

### Do OnCampus or Budburst have ads?

Neither OnCampus nor Budburst shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OnCampus or Budburst?

OnCampus ships an update every 6 weeks, and Budburst every 2 months. Most recently, OnCampus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Budburst on October 15, 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.*