# SMTOWN | OFFICIAL vs Higher 하이어

The clearest difference is rating: SMTOWN | OFFICIAL at 3.6 against Higher 하이어's 1.7. SMTOWN | OFFICIAL also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 18) and ads (none vs shown). Higher 하이어's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Higher 하이어 sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. SMTOWN | OFFICIAL asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMTOWN | OFFICIAL holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 80 and 124 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of SMTOWN | OFFICIAL's written reviews are positive against 32% of Higher 하이어's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SMTOWN | OFFICIAL ships an update monthly, Higher 하이어 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMTOWN | OFFICIAL | Higher 하이어 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smtown-official/id633333205/reviews)** | [1.7 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/higher/id1672001935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 80 | **124** |
| Positive reviews | 30.5% of reviews | **32.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 422 MB | 198 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SM ENTERTAINMENT Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452175321) | [Vision Bridge Partners Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742677922) |

## What reviewers say

### SMTOWN | OFFICIAL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smtown-official/id633333205)

This official fan app provides comprehensive access to SM Entertainment artists' schedules, concert features like light device syncing and digital stamp collection, and exclusive AR content. It also includes a video player for merchandise content and an integrated shop for official merchandise.

**Highlights:** Artist schedules and notifications, Light device syncing for concerts, Digital stamp collection (Passport), Augmented reality (AR) content viewer, Video player for merchandise, Exclusive content via tagging, Official merchandise shop

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Higher 하이어

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/higher/id1672001935)

This platform allows global K-POP fans to vote for their favorite artists, collect digital photocards, share videos, and directly participate in artist growth and content creation. It aims to foster a new fan culture with diverse features for a comprehensive K-POP experience.

**Highlights:** Fandom popularity voting, Participate in SBS INKIGAYO voting, Collect artist TIMEPIECEs (photocards), Share and watch artist videos, Birthday voting and events, Apply for artist-related events and rewards

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Slot Pass | $7.99 | per year |
| 1 UL Vote Ticket | $0.49 | one-time |
| 20 Diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 Diamonds | $2.59 | one-time |
| 39 Diamond | $2.99 | one-time |
| 8 Real-Time Voting Tickets | $2.99 | one-time |
| 40 Diamonds | $2.99 | one-time |
| 62 Diamond | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 UL Vote Tickets | $4.99 | one-time |
| 65 Diamonds | $5.39 | one-time |
| 120 Diamond | $8.99 | one-time |
| 120 Diamonds | $9.79 | one-time |
| 375 Diamond | $26.99 | one-time |
| 450 Diamonds | $30.49 | one-time |
| 650 Diamond | $44.99 | one-time |
| 800 Diamonds | $50.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Diamond | $79.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Diamonds | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy-to-use interface for voting
- 🎯 Convenient centralized voting platform
- 💰 Free ruby collection through ads
- ⚡ Improved ad-watching speed after recent updates
- 🎨 Clear voting information and instructions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during live voting
- 📱 Server instability during peak traffic
- ⏱️ Excessive ads required (50+ daily)
- 💸 Poor ruby-to-effort ratio (1 ruby per ad)
- 🔐 Login issues and forced logouts

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during live voting events
- Cannot create account - SMS verification fails
- Login fails or users get logged out unexpectedly
- Ads don't load or fail to play completely
- Rubies don't accumulate after watching ads

**Requested features**

- Increase ruby rewards per ad (3-5 instead of 1)
- Add daily check-in bonuses
- Reduce diamond prices
- Implement SMS text voting alternative
- Add timer for ad availability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMTOWN | OFFICIAL free?

SMTOWN | OFFICIAL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Higher 하이어 free?

Higher 하이어 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SMTOWN | OFFICIAL or Higher 하이어?

SMTOWN | OFFICIAL is rated higher. SMTOWN | OFFICIAL averages 3.6 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while Higher 하이어 averages 1.7 from 124 ratings.

### Do SMTOWN | OFFICIAL or Higher 하이어 have ads?

Higher 하이어 shows ads; SMTOWN | OFFICIAL does not.

### Which is updated more often, SMTOWN | OFFICIAL or Higher 하이어?

SMTOWN | OFFICIAL ships an update monthly, and Higher 하이어 weekly. Most recently, SMTOWN | OFFICIAL was updated on October 23, 2026 and Higher 하이어 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.*