# OnCampus vs Top Hat

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Top Hat at 23K against OnCampus's 43. Top Hat also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#197 vs unranked). OnCampus's advantage is review sentiment (36% vs 15%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). 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.

OnCampus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Top Hat has 23K ratings behind it against 43, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of OnCampus's written reviews are positive against 15% of Top Hat's.

OnCampus ships an update every 6 weeks, Top Hat every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OnCampus | Top Hat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oncampus/id431844600/reviews)** | [4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 43 | **23K** |
| Positive reviews | **35.7% of reviews** | 14.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#197** |
| Size | 30 MB | 152 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [North Carolina State University](https://appshunter.io/developer/377191484) | [Top Hat Monocle](https://appshunter.io/developer/411098284) |

## 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


### Top Hat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Enhance your learning experience with interactive resources, in-class participation tools, and dynamic digital textbooks. Engage with professors and peers, and test your knowledge with quizzes and polls to improve comprehension and retention.

**Highlights:** Follow lecture slides on your device, In-class response system, In-app discussions with peers and professors, Dynamic, interactive digital textbooks, Take polls and quizzes, Access graded and non-graded homework

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 👍 Useful for attendance and in-class quizzes
- 💡 Potential for interactive learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Answers not registering correctly
- Slides not loading properly on mobile devices
- Inconsistent performance across platforms

**Requested features**

- Add page numbers and search functionality to ebooks
- Improve syncing between mobile and web versions
- Allow more flexible location settings for attendance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OnCampus free?

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

### Is Top Hat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OnCampus or Top Hat?

OnCampus is rated higher. OnCampus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Top Hat averages 4.6 from 23K ratings.

### Do OnCampus or Top Hat have ads?

Neither OnCampus nor Top Hat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OnCampus or Top Hat?

OnCampus ships an update every 6 weeks, and Top Hat every 2 weeks. Most recently, OnCampus was updated on October 14, 2026 and Top Hat on October 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*