# XScreenSaver vs PulseU

The clearest difference is rating: XScreenSaver at 4.9 against PulseU's 4.2. XScreenSaver also leads on ratings volume (106 vs 5). PulseU's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 months). 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.

XScreenSaver holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: XScreenSaver has 106 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

XScreenSaver ships an update every 6 months, PulseU every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | XScreenSaver | PulseU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xscreensaver/id539014593/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulseu/id6760214599/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **106** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 37 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jamie Zawinski](https://appshunter.io/developer/368900426) | [Gabriel Gonzalez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883275112) |

## What reviewers say

### XScreenSaver

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xscreensaver/id539014593)

Explore a vast collection of historic and educational graphics demos originally designed for Linux and Unix systems. This application allows you to interact with hundreds of these visual demonstrations, ported from the classic screen saver collection.

**Highlights:** Historic graphics demos, Educational visual content, Interactive demo playback, Large collection of visuals, Cross-platform heritage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ No ads or data collection
- 🎨 Extensive variety of screensavers
- 📱 Works seamlessly across multiple platforms (iOS, Mac, iPad)
- 🆓 Completely free application
- 🕰️ Nostalgic and retro aesthetic appeal

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes with certain screensavers
- 🎯 Difficult to tap small exit button on larger devices
- 🔋 High battery consumption on some devices
- ⚠️ Photo library screensaver crashes on iOS 13
- 🎪 Limited practical use on iOS devices

**Reported bugs**

- Photo library screensaver crashes on iOS 13
- GLText reveals password when system info is selected
- Framebuffer loading failures requiring app restart
- Crashes on certain devices or configurations
- Difficult UI for exiting screensavers on larger phones

**Requested features**

- Favorites or bookmarking system to save preferred screensavers
- Hide or exclude unwanted screensavers from rotation
- Ability to select specific channels in XAnalogTV screensaver
- Widget support for iOS standby mode
- Prevent auto-lock feature to keep screen on


### PulseU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulseu/id6760214599)

This app aggregates campus event listings from various official Rutgers sources into a single, easy-to-navigate feed. Users can filter events by date and campus, follow specific organizations, and save events for later. It offers a personalized experience without requiring an account.

**Highlights:** Unified event feed from official Rutgers sources, Filter events by date, campus, and online, Personalized feed by following orgs/teams, Save events and get notified of changes, Full dark mode support, Free food event toggle

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is XScreenSaver free?

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

### Is PulseU free?

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

### Which has better reviews, XScreenSaver or PulseU?

XScreenSaver is rated higher. XScreenSaver averages 4.9 out of 5 from 106 ratings, while PulseU averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do XScreenSaver or PulseU have ads?

Neither XScreenSaver nor PulseU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, XScreenSaver or PulseU?

XScreenSaver ships an update every 6 months, and PulseU every 11 days. Most recently, XScreenSaver was updated on October 17, 2026 and PulseU on October 7, 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.*