Comparison

Top Hat vs Penn State Go

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

Head to head
About

Top Hat

Enhance your learning experience with interactive resources, in-class participation tools, and dynamic digital textbooks. Engage with professors and peers, and test your knowledge with quizzes and polls to improve comprehension and retention.

Highlights
  • Follow lecture slides on your device
  • In-class response system
  • In-app discussions with peers and professors
  • Dynamic, interactive digital textbooks
  • Take polls and quizzes
  • Access graded and non-graded homework
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Top Hat is the perfect companion app to our comprehensive assessment platform that helps you learn better before, during and after class. Top Hat makes learning fun and engaging (seriously!) and sets you up for success, helping you connect with your professors, your peers and the content you’re learning in and out of the classroom. Here’s what Top Hat offers you: Compelling resources, delivered on your smartphone or laptop: • Follow your prof’s lecture slides on your own device • Contribute in class with an easy-to-use response system that’s always with you • Participate with your profs and peers using in-app discussions Content tailored to your course: • Experience dynamic, interactive textbooks loaded up with images, videos, audio clips and more • Read your digital materials from anywhere and keep them forever Quizzes, tests and polls that improve learning comprehension: • Challenge yourself by taking polls and quizzes on your own devices • Improve your knowledge retention with interactive assessment elements • Check for gaps in your understanding with graded and non-graded homework and short quizzes Thanks for using Top Hat. As you experience the app, we’d love to get your feedback: support@tophat.com or follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook @TopHat

About

Penn State Go

This app provides a personalized hub for the Penn State community, offering access to academic tools, campus life management, important updates, and essential resources. It helps users stay informed and connected with campus services and events.

Highlights
  • Personalized homepage with campus weather
  • Academic calendar and course updates
  • Campus dining and meal plan management
  • Access to PSU email and student ID
  • Campus event discovery and alerts
  • Campus maps and shuttle tracking
  • Health, wellness, and safety resources
Features
Read full description

Penn State Go is the official mobile app of Penn State. The app connects you with the tools, services, and updates that matter most. With a personalized homepage, Penn State Go greets you with the current date and campus weather, and highlights timely content based on your experience. STAY ON TOP OF ACADEMICS • LionPATH: Check grades, class schedules, tuition bills, and more • Canvas: View course updates, announcements, to-do items, messages, and grades • Academic Calendar: Track key academic dates and semester milestones • Starfish: Connect with your adviser and receive academic alerts • Countdown Widget: Track upcoming deadlines, events, and breaks MANAGE CAMPUS LIFE • PSU Email: Quick access to your Penn State email account • id+ Card: View LionCash and meal plan balances, manage transactions, and update plans • Dining: Order food on the go, view past orders, and manage payment methods • Housing: View your current housing assignment and meal plan, with quick access to housing resources STAY INFORMED AND CONNECTED • Messages: Get personalized push notifications and in-app alerts based on your college, housing, meal plan, international status, and more • Events Calendars: Discover campus events and filter by your academic college or interests • Special Events: Stay up to date on Arrival Week, THON, Homecoming, Commencement, Welcome Week, and more • Digital Signage: View content from campus digital signage, directly in the app • News: Catch up on the latest updates from across the Penn State community SUPPORT AND SAFETY • Wellness: Find campus health, counseling, and fitness resources • Safety: Access emergency contacts, safety tips, and campus services CAMPUS RESOURCES • Maps: Explore buildings, departments, services, and parking • Shuttles: Get live updates on Penn State and CATA shuttle routes • Library: Search library catalogs and access academic resources • Paw Prints: Use pay-as-you-go printing services on campus You can also share your Penn State pride with Penn State Go Sticker Packs in Messages. Penn State Go is available to students, faculty, staff, parents and families, and alumni. While some features are designed for students, the app provides valuable tools and information for the entire Penn State community. Whether you’re managing your classes, supporting a student, or staying connected to your alma mater, Penn State Go helps you stay in the know and on the go.

Screenshots

Top Hat4 screens
Penn State Go4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penn State Go at 45% against Top Hat's 15%. Penn State Go also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Top Hat's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and chart position (#197 vs unranked). 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

Top Hat ships an update every 2 weeks, Penn State Go every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Top Hat versus Penn State Go: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTop HatPenn State Go
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (23K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews14.6% of reviews45.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#197 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTop Hat MonocleThe Pennsylvania State University

Customer experience

Top Hat

All ratings23,089 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews198 reviews
Positive14.6%
Neutral8.6%
Negative76.8%

Penn State Go

Written reviews40 reviews
Positive45.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative47.5%

Bugs and requests

Top Hat

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Answers not registering correctly
  • Slides not loading properly on mobile devices
  • Inconsistent performance across platforms

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add page numbers and search functionality to ebooks
  • Improve syncing between mobile and web versions
  • Allow more flexible location settings for attendance

Penn State Go

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Top Hat

No in-app purchases

None

Penn State Go

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Top Hat free?
Top Hat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Penn State Go free?
Penn State Go is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Top Hat or Penn State Go have ads?
Neither Top Hat nor Penn State Go shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Top Hat or Penn State Go?
Top Hat ships an update every 2 weeks, and Penn State Go every 3 months. Most recently, Top Hat was updated on October 19, 2026 and Penn State Go on October 16, 2026.

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