# CampusGroups vs Common App

The clearest difference is rating: CampusGroups at 4.4 against Common App's 3.1. CampusGroups also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 656). Common App's advantage is review sentiment (23% vs 13%) and chart position (#29 vs #139). 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.

CampusGroups holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CampusGroups has 5.3K ratings behind it against 656, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of CampusGroups's written reviews are positive against 23% of Common App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CampusGroups ships an update every 3 weeks, Common App every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CampusGroups | Common App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/campusgroups/id566688504/reviews)** | [3.1 (656 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.3K** | 656 |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | **23.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #139 | **#29** |
| Size | 61 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Novalsys, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566688507) | [The Common Application](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030434052) |

## What reviewers say

### CampusGroups

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/campusgroups/id566688504)

**Currently charting:** #139 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app fosters private campus communities for student organizations, departments, and teams. It provides tools for communication, event management, membership tracking, and payments, enhancing student engagement and group leadership.

**Highlights:** Upcoming events, Event registrations, Campus & group feeds, Directory & profiles, Chat, Attendance tracking, Dedicated event app

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📆 Helpful for campus events
- 🔗 Integrates with school accounts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🔄 Constant need to re-login
- 🚫 Missing critical features

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to register for events
- Events not showing up correctly
- App freezing or crashing on launch
- Login issues and invalid email errors

**Requested features**

- Add calendar view for events
- Improve event registration flow
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Provide better notification management


### Common App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-app/id1533688509)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Manage your college applications on the go. This app offers a secure and streamlined way to apply to over 1000 colleges, research financial aid options, and access guidance from counselors, all from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Apply to 1000+ colleges, Research financial aid, Get counselor advice, Secure application process, Mobile convenience

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient mobile app
- 👍 Same functionality as website
- 🎉 Finally available as an app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔑 Requires re-login every time
- 🚫 Doesn't work for transfer students

**Reported bugs**

- White screen on login
- App doesn't load past logo
- Redirects transfer students to website

**Requested features**

- Keep user logged in for longer
- Increase text box size
- Add back button navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CampusGroups free?

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

### Is Common App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CampusGroups or Common App?

CampusGroups is rated higher. CampusGroups averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while Common App averages 3.1 from 656 ratings.

### Do CampusGroups or Common App have ads?

Neither CampusGroups nor Common App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CampusGroups or Common App?

CampusGroups ships an update every 3 weeks, and Common App every 10 months. Most recently, CampusGroups was updated on September 23, 2026 and Common App on September 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, CampusGroups or Common App?

CampusGroups currently peaks at #139 in the App Store charts, and Common App at #29. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*