# Skyward Mobile Access vs First Bell

The clearest difference is rating: First Bell at 4.8 against Skyward Mobile Access's 1.8. First Bell also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 13%). Skyward Mobile Access's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 15) and chart position (#59 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

First Bell holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skyward Mobile Access has 3.8K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Skyward Mobile Access's written reviews are positive against 50% of First Bell's.

Skyward Mobile Access ships an update fortnightly, First Bell every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skyward Mobile Access | First Bell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyward-mobile-access/id502635374/reviews) | **[4.8 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bell/id6751309514/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 13.5% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#59** | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Skyward Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/502635377) | [Subramanian Ramaswamy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834509675) |

## What reviewers say

### Skyward Mobile Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyward-mobile-access/id502635374)

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Access student grades, attendance, discipline, payroll, and time off information on the go. This app connects directly to your school's Skyward system for instant updates.

**Highlights:** Student grades, Attendance tracking, Discipline records, Payroll information, Time off requests, Automatic district location

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for checking grades
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Secure with Face ID/password
- 💡 Convenient mobile access to school information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🤯 Confusing and outdated user interface
- 😡 Unreliable notifications and sync issues
- 🤔 Inconsistent functionality between app and website

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and accounts getting locked out
- Inability to access grades and school information
- Blank screens and app freezes
- Notification icon not clearing even after reading messages

**Requested features**

- GPA calculator
- More detailed grade and assignment information
- Improved notification system
- Streamlined navigation and user experience


### First Bell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bell/id6751309514)

This app helps high school students manage their daily class schedules with personalized views and live timers. Input your classes once to instantly organize your day and always know what's next.

**Highlights:** Personalized class schedules, Live timers for current block, View today's full schedule, Input class names and room numbers, Organized daily view

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skyward Mobile Access free?

Skyward Mobile Access is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is First Bell free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Skyward Mobile Access or First Bell?

First Bell is rated higher. Skyward Mobile Access averages 1.8 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while First Bell averages 4.8 from 15 ratings.

### Do Skyward Mobile Access or First Bell have ads?

Neither Skyward Mobile Access nor First Bell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Skyward Mobile Access or First Bell?

Skyward Mobile Access ships an update fortnightly, and First Bell every 9 days. Most recently, Skyward Mobile Access was updated on October 29, 2026 and First Bell on October 24, 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.*