# School Gateway vs Arbor Parent App

The clearest difference is rating: School Gateway at 2.5 against Arbor Parent App's 1.9. School Gateway also leads on review sentiment (16% vs 2%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Arbor Parent App's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). 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.

School Gateway holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of School Gateway's written reviews are positive against 2% of Arbor Parent App's.

School Gateway ships an update every 6 weeks, Arbor Parent App monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | School Gateway | Arbor Parent App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-gateway/id596039615/reviews)** | [1.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | **15.7% of reviews** | 2.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 14 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ISUZ Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/596039618) | [Arbor Education Partners](https://appshunter.io/developer/602224921) |

## 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


### Arbor Parent App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412)

Manage your child's school life from one app. Track attendance, behavior, and academic progress. Book parent consultations, register for clubs and trips, and handle payments easily. Add medical information and check homework assignments.

**Highlights:** Track attendance and behavior, Monitor academic progress, Register for clubs and trips, Manage payments for meals and trips, Book parent consultations, View child's timetable, Check homework assignments

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Versatile and has many options
- 👍 Good app for parents to view child's progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive layout
- 🔒 Forced password changes every 180 days
- 💳 No option to add reminders for low meal balance
- 🤯 Complicated to book clubs and appointments

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues with incorrect password errors
- Inconsistent behavior across web and mobile versions
- Inability to delete or archive old assignments and activities

**Requested features**

- Add a calendar view for events and appointments
- Improve messaging functionality with better organization and notifications
- Allow parents to manage multiple children from a single account
- Integrate with digital wallets and enable auto top-up for meal balances


## Frequently asked questions

### Is School Gateway free?

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

### Is Arbor Parent App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, School Gateway or Arbor Parent App?

School Gateway is rated higher. School Gateway averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Arbor Parent App averages 1.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do School Gateway or Arbor Parent App have ads?

Neither School Gateway nor Arbor Parent App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, School Gateway or Arbor Parent App?

School Gateway ships an update every 6 weeks, and Arbor Parent App monthly. Most recently, School Gateway was updated on September 24, 2026 and Arbor Parent App on September 22, 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.*