CSULB App vs SMC Go
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CSULB App
Manage your academic life and connect with your campus community. Stay organized with event and class schedules, receive important notifications, and access campus resources. Discover activities, join groups, and navigate campus easily.
- Event and class calendar
- Academic tools access
- Deadline reminders
- Campus event discovery
- Campus services information
- Push notifications
- Campus map
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The CSULB app brings California State University, Long Beach to your fingertips, keeping you connected to everything happening on campus. Discover events, join student organizations, access your classes, track deadlines, and explore campus resources all in one place. Designed to support your campus experience, the app makes it easy to stay organized, engaged, and informed. Connect with your community, navigate campus life, and never miss what matters, wherever you are.
SMC Go
This official college app helps students navigate their academic journey. It provides resources, tips, and tools to manage daily tasks, connect with the campus community, and achieve educational goals.
- Ask Pearl virtual assistant
- Quick Links to resources
- Class finding assistance
- Message Channels for communication
- Events & Workshops listings
- Pearl's Marketplace
- Programs & Services information
- Student Life updates
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Stay connected with SMC GO, the official app of Santa Monica College. SMC GO is more than a resource, it’s a journey, full of tips, videos, and ways to keep achieving. Begin with Start, then Manage your day, Connect to enrich your college experience, and GO towards your goals. Ready, Set, SMC GO! Favorite Features: · Ask Pearl · Quick Links · Finding Classes · Message Channels · Events & Workshops · Pearl’s Marketplace · Programs & Services · Student Life
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CSULB App at every 2 months against SMC Go's every 12 months. CSULB App also leads on ratings volume (550 vs 17) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CSULB App holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CSULB App has 550 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of CSULB App's written reviews are positive against 67% of SMC Go's.
CSULB App ships an update every 2 months, SMC Go every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CSULB App | SMC Go |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (550 ratings) — better | 4.3 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 550 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | CSU Long Beach | Santa Monica Community College District |
Customer experience
CSULB App
SMC Go
Bugs and requests
CSULB App
Reported bugs
10 issues- Automatic logout upon login
- Double login requirement for BeachBoard
- Content not loading in tabs
- Desktop version of BeachBoard instead of mobile
- Page refresh losing user position in documents
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- Cannot zoom into documents
- Inconsistent session persistence
- In-app browser functionality limited
- GPS lag on shuttle map
- Unexpected co-payment charges without notification
Requested features
10 requests- Stay logged in option across sessions
- Simultaneous multi-device login capability
- Event and athletic notification system
- Mobile-optimized BeachBoard version
- Document access and printing from classes
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- Dropbox folder integration for submissions
- Parking lot occupancy tracking
- Session persistence when exiting app
- Native BeachBoard app instead of browser wrapper
- MyCSULB integration instead of weather tab
SMC Go
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CSULB App
No in-app purchases
SMC Go
No in-app purchases
