# BYU vs School Mom

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BYU at none against School Mom's 2. BYU also leads on ratings volume (7.1K vs 1). School Mom's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. School Mom sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BYU asks for nothing beyond the download.

School Mom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BYU has 7.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BYU ships an update every 2 weeks, School Mom every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BYU | School Mom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byu/id468518180/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-mom-homework-lock/id6818352485/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 72 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Brigham Young University](https://appshunter.io/developer/445934469) | [JOSE RAUL RAMIREZ OZAETA](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790927603) |

## What reviewers say

### BYU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byu/id468518180)

Access a suite of university services designed for students. Manage academic tasks, campus resources, and personal accounts all in one place. This app streamlines your university experience.

**Highlights:** BYU Learning Suite, Add/Drop Classes, Testing Center access, Cannon Commons information, Cougar Cash management, Digital ID Card

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Helpful features like clocking in/out, accessing ID, and more
- 💡 Frequent updates and responsive to feedback
- 🚀 Saves time and increases efficiency

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches frequently
- 🔒 Unreliable login and authentication process
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Constant log-outs and need to re-authenticate
- Mobile ordering and Cougar Cash integration issues
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Outdated or incorrect information in some areas

**Requested features**

- Integrate with Learning Suite for full functionality
- Add ability to view/manage Cougar Cash and dining plan
- Improve search and navigation capabilities
- Provide more personalized and customizable features


### School Mom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-mom-homework-lock/id6818352485)

This app helps students stay focused by locking distracting apps during study sessions. It also organizes assignments and due dates from syllabi or learning platforms into a single to-do list.

**Highlights:** App blocking study timer, Syllabus and Canvas assignment import, Customizable study session lengths, Weekly study schedule planning, Assignment due date tracking, Streak tracking for consistent study

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| School Mom Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| School Mom Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BYU free?

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

### Is School Mom free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BYU or School Mom?

School Mom is rated higher. BYU averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.1K ratings, while School Mom averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BYU or School Mom have ads?

Neither BYU nor School Mom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BYU or School Mom?

BYU ships an update every 2 weeks, and School Mom every 5 days. Most recently, BYU was updated on November 1, 2026 and School Mom on November 6, 2026.

---

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