# Piazza vs U

The clearest difference is rating: U at 4.0 against Piazza's 2.1. U also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Piazza's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 45 months) and ratings volume (279 vs 12). 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.

U holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piazza has 279 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 14% of Piazza's written reviews are positive against 0% of U's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Piazza ships an update every 11 days, U every 45 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piazza | U |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (279 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piazza/id453142230/reviews) | **[4.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/u-m-public-safety/id1263108621/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **279** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **14.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 45 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piazza Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/453142233) | [The University of Michigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/380339599) |

## What reviewers say

### Piazza

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piazza/id453142230)

This platform facilitates communication and learning for higher education. Students can ask and answer questions, while instructors can monitor student engagement. It provides real-time updates and a centralized space for class interactions.

**Highlights:** Ask and answer questions, Real-time updates, Centralized class communication, Student engagement monitoring, Mobile access for students and instructors

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful app
- 🚀 Great for tracking classes
- 🚀 Convenient mobile access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🐛 Lacks key features from web version
- 🐛 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to post or reply
- Randomly logs out users
- Fails to load posts and resources
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to access course materials
- Improved formatting and editing tools
- Better organization of posts and discussions
- Seamless integration with web version


### U

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/u-m-public-safety/id1263108621)

This app provides students, faculty, and staff with enhanced safety on the University of Michigan campus. It offers emergency contacts, real-time location sharing, and direct reporting of concerns to campus security. Users receive important safety alerts and access essential safety tips and resources.

**Highlights:** Emergency contact access, Real-time location sharing, Friend Walk safety feature, Direct tip reporting to security, Safety tips and resources, Instant safety notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piazza free?

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

### Is U free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Piazza or U?

U is rated higher. Piazza averages 2.1 out of 5 from 279 ratings, while U averages 4.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Piazza or U have ads?

Neither Piazza nor U shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piazza or U?

Piazza ships an update every 11 days, and U every 45 months. Most recently, Piazza was updated on October 14, 2026 and U on October 9, 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.*