# Piazza vs Synapse

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Piazza at none against Synapse's 2. Piazza also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Synapse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $79.99 per year. Piazza asks for nothing beyond the download.

Piazza ships an update fortnightly, Synapse every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piazza | Synapse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.1 (277 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piazza/id453142230/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **277** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piazza Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/453142233) | [Roi Rozenthal](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775226779) |

## 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


### Synapse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synapse-flashcard-maker/id6780468536)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Synapse Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Synapse Premium — Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piazza free?

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

### Is Synapse free?

Synapse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Piazza or Synapse have ads?

Neither Piazza nor Synapse shows ads.

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

Piazza ships an update fortnightly, and Synapse every 5 weeks. Most recently, Piazza was updated on September 21, 2026 and Synapse on September 4, 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.*