Comparison

Hydra vs VAN IN Plus

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head

About

Hydra

Stay updated on the latest news and activities from your favorite student associations. Check restaurant menus and read student publications.

Highlights

Latest news updates
Student association activities
Restaurant menu information
Access to student publications

Features

Read full description

Met Hydra ben je steeds op de hoogte van het laatste nieuws en de activiteiten van jouw favoriete studentenverenigingen. Lees Schamper of beslis of het menu van de resto's vandaag bij je in de smaak valt. Waar je ook bent, vanaf nu heb je met Hydra steeds de UGent in je broekzak.

About

VAN IN Plus

This educational app unlocks interactive 3D visuals from textbooks. Simply scan a book page with your device's camera to activate augmented reality content and explore immersive learning experiences.

Highlights

3D visual content activation
Textbook page recognition
Augmented reality integration
Camera permission required
Book selection via plus icon

Features

Read full description

Via VAN IN Plus heb je toegang tot de 3D-beelden die via het lesmateriaal (boek of e-book) van Uitgeverij VAN IN beschikbaar zijn. Hoe gebruik je de app? - Open de app en geef toestemming om je camera te gebruiken. - Gebruik het plusicoon en selecteer je boek. - Breng via de app de volledige pagina van je boek in beeld. - De app zal de pagina herkennen en tonen waar je de 3D-beelden kan activeren.

Screenshots

Hydra4 screens

VAN IN Plus1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hydra at 50% against VAN IN Plus's 0%. VAN IN Plus's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hydra ships an update every 5 months, VAN IN Plus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level

Hydra versus VAN IN Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Hydra	VAN IN Plus
Price	Free	Free
Positive reviews	50.0% of reviews — better	0.0% of reviews
Update frequency	Every 5 months	Every 2 months — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No	No
Monetization	Free	Free
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod — better	iPhone, iPad
Requires iOS	16	16.0
Further details — not scored
Size	13 MB	195 MB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	Universiteit Gent	Uitgeverij VAN IN

Customer experience

Hydra

Written reviews2 reviews

Positive50.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative50.0%

VAN IN Plus

Written reviews4 reviews

Positive0.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hydra

No in-app purchases

None

VAN IN Plus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hydra free?

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

Is VAN IN Plus free?

VAN IN Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

Do Hydra or VAN IN Plus have ads?

Neither Hydra nor VAN IN Plus shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Hydra or VAN IN Plus?

Hydra ships an update every 5 months, and VAN IN Plus every 2 months. Most recently, Hydra was updated on September 30, 2026 and VAN IN Plus on October 8, 2026.