# Top Hat vs Iowa State Safe

The clearest difference is update cadence: Top Hat at every 2 weeks against Iowa State Safe's every 14 months. Top Hat also leads on ratings volume (23K vs 1). Iowa State Safe's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Iowa State Safe holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Top Hat has 23K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Top Hat ships an update every 2 weeks, Iowa State Safe every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Top Hat | Iowa State Safe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iowa-state-safe/id1660274301/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 14.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 152 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Top Hat Monocle](https://appshunter.io/developer/411098284) | [Iowa State University of Science and Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/433925044) |

## What reviewers say

### Top Hat

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

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


### Iowa State Safe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iowa-state-safe/id1660274301)

This official university safety application provides students, faculty, and staff with enhanced campus security. It offers direct access to emergency services, real-time location sharing for personal safety, and a comprehensive suite of tools for reporting concerns and receiving critical alerts.

**Highlights:** Emergency Contacts, Mobile Bluelight with real-time location, Friend Walk location sharing, Report safety concerns, Virtual WalkHome monitoring, Live chat with campus security, Emergency response documentation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Top Hat free?

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

### Is Iowa State Safe free?

Iowa State Safe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Top Hat or Iowa State Safe?

Iowa State Safe is rated higher. Top Hat averages 4.6 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while Iowa State Safe averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Top Hat or Iowa State Safe have ads?

Neither Top Hat nor Iowa State Safe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Top Hat or Iowa State Safe?

Top Hat ships an update every 2 weeks, and Iowa State Safe every 14 months. Most recently, Top Hat was updated on October 25, 2026 and Iowa State Safe on October 16, 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.*