# Piazza vs UIC SAFE

The clearest difference is rating: UIC SAFE at 3.6 against Piazza's 2.1. UIC SAFE also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 14%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Piazza's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (277 vs 24). 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.

UIC SAFE holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piazza has 277 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Piazza's written reviews are positive against 36% of UIC SAFE's.

Piazza ships an update fortnightly, UIC SAFE every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piazza | UIC SAFE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (277 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piazza/id453142230/reviews) | **[3.6 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uic-safe/id1454417093/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **277** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **36.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 29 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) | [University of Illinois at Chicago](https://appshunter.io/developer/903164824) |

## 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


### UIC SAFE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uic-safe/id1454417093)

This official campus safety app connects students, faculty, and staff to university security systems. It offers real-time location sharing, emergency alerts, and direct communication with campus police for enhanced safety.

**Highlights:** Emergency call button, Real-time location sharing with friends, Instant safety notifications and alerts, Live chat with campus police, Anonymous tip reporting, Emergency preparedness guidance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piazza free?

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

### Is UIC SAFE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Piazza or UIC SAFE?

UIC SAFE is rated higher. Piazza averages 2.1 out of 5 from 277 ratings, while UIC SAFE averages 3.6 from 24 ratings.

### Do Piazza or UIC SAFE have ads?

Neither Piazza nor UIC SAFE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piazza or UIC SAFE?

Piazza ships an update fortnightly, and UIC SAFE every 4 months. Most recently, Piazza was updated on September 21, 2026 and UIC SAFE on June 3, 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.*