# Top Hat vs Gradescope

The clearest difference is rating: Top Hat at 4.6 against Gradescope's 1.4. Top Hat also leads on ratings volume (23K vs 231) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Gradescope's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, 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.

Top Hat holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Top Hat has 23K ratings behind it against 231, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Top Hat's written reviews are positive against 9% of Gradescope's.

Top Hat ships an update fortnightly, Gradescope every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Top Hat | Gradescope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291/reviews)** | [1.4 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradescope/id1563280912/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 231 |
| Positive reviews | **14.4% of reviews** | 9.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #140 | **#91** |
| Size | 162 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Top Hat Monocle](https://appshunter.io/developer/411098284) | [Turnitin](https://appshunter.io/developer/657602527) |

## What reviewers say

### Top Hat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291)

**Currently charting:** #140 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 👍 Useful for attendance and in-class quizzes
- 💡 Potential for interactive learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Answers not registering correctly
- Slides not loading properly on mobile devices
- Inconsistent performance across platforms

**Requested features**

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


### Gradescope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gradescope/id1563280912)

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Easily upload assignments for courses using this app. Submit files from your device or scan your work directly. Assign pages for variable-length assignments and resubmit if needed before the deadline.

**Highlights:** Upload assignments, Scan documents with camera, Select existing files, Assign pages for variable-length assignments, Resubmit assignments, View submitted and graded assignments

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick and effective submission process
- 👍 Clean and well-designed app
- 📸 Convenient scanning and photo upload

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Frequent log-in issues and lack of session persistence
- 📱 Suboptimal iPad and tablet experience
- 🐛 Buggy scanning and submission functionality
- 🤔 Lack of key features like viewing graded assignments

**Reported bugs**

- Camera flash issues during scanning
- Photos not uploading in correct order
- Inconsistent download button behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort assignments by due date
- Integration of tools for instructors
- Improved iPad and tablet optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Top Hat free?

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

### Is Gradescope free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Top Hat or Gradescope?

Top Hat is rated higher. Top Hat averages 4.6 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while Gradescope averages 1.4 from 231 ratings.

### Do Top Hat or Gradescope have ads?

Neither Top Hat nor Gradescope shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Top Hat or Gradescope?

Top Hat ships an update fortnightly, and Gradescope every 2 months. Most recently, Top Hat was updated on September 24, 2026 and Gradescope on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Top Hat or Gradescope?

Top Hat currently peaks at #140 in the App Store charts, and Gradescope at #91. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*