# School Gateway vs Firefly for Parents

The clearest difference is rating: Firefly for Parents at 3.2 against School Gateway's 2.5. Firefly for Parents also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). School Gateway's advantage is review sentiment (16% vs 1%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Firefly for Parents holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firefly for Parents has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 16% of School Gateway's written reviews are positive against 1% of Firefly for Parents's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

School Gateway ships an update every 2 months, Firefly for Parents fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | School Gateway | Firefly for Parents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-gateway/id596039615/reviews) | **[3.2 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firefly-for-parents/id1242952640/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | **15.7% of reviews** | 1.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 14 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ISUZ Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/596039618) | [Firefly Learning Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/554504009) |

## What reviewers say

### School Gateway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-gateway/id596039615)

This app streamlines communication and management of your child's school life. It allows parents to receive messages, make payments for school items, manage dinner money, book clubs, and view academic reports and attendance. All your children's school information is consolidated in one place.

**Highlights:** Receive school messages, Make school payments, Manage dinner money, Book school clubs, View reports and timetable, Monitor attendance, Update contact details

**In-app purchases:** none


### Firefly for Parents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firefly-for-parents/id1242952640)

Stay connected with your child's education. Access school announcements, homework assignments, grades, and learning resources directly from your mobile device. Receive important updates and track your child's progress to better support their academic journey.

**Highlights:** School announcements and news, Homework assignments and resources, Child's grades and progress tracking, Access to learning resources, Important messages from school

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is School Gateway free?

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

### Is Firefly for Parents free?

Firefly for Parents is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, School Gateway or Firefly for Parents?

Firefly for Parents is rated higher. School Gateway averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Firefly for Parents averages 3.2 from 11 ratings.

### Do School Gateway or Firefly for Parents have ads?

Neither School Gateway nor Firefly for Parents shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, School Gateway or Firefly for Parents?

School Gateway ships an update every 2 months, and Firefly for Parents fortnightly. Most recently, School Gateway was updated on October 29, 2026 and Firefly for Parents 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.*