# BGC Next vs SMAAT Research

The clearest difference is update cadence: SMAAT Research at every 2 weeks against BGC Next's every 2 months. BGC Next's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

BGC Next ships an update every 2 months, SMAAT Research every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and August 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BGC Next | SMAAT Research |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Size | 522 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Northeastern University Information Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/455790172) | [Yury Shevchenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198209382) |

## What reviewers say

### BGC Next

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bgc-next/id6743176334)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SMAAT Research

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smaat-research/id6746647722)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BGC Next free?

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

### Is SMAAT Research free?

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

### Do BGC Next or SMAAT Research have ads?

Neither BGC Next nor SMAAT Research shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BGC Next or SMAAT Research?

BGC Next ships an update every 2 months, and SMAAT Research every 2 weeks. Most recently, BGC Next was updated on September 11, 2026 and SMAAT Research on August 11, 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.*