# Helium vs Semester Stuff

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Helium at none against Semester Stuff's 2. Helium also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Semester Stuff sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Helium asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Helium against 5.0 for Semester Stuff. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Helium has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Helium ships an update every 4 days, Semester Stuff every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Helium | Semester Stuff |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helium-student-planner/id6758323154/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/semester-stuff/id6795694624/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Helium Edu, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872281093) | [Ryan Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831257281) |

## What reviewers say

### Helium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helium-student-planner/id6758323154)

Organize your academic life with a color-coded planner. Track classes, assignments, grades, and notes. Features smart calendars, live grade tracking, and a rich notebook for all your academic needs.

**Highlights:** Color-coded academic calendar, Live grade tracking and analysis, Rich note-taking linked to planner items, Detailed assignment planning, Supplies and materials organizer, Customizable to-do lists and filters, File attachments and reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Semester Stuff

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/semester-stuff/id6795694624)

Organize your academic life with a comprehensive student planner. Track courses, assignments, grades, attendance, and study time. Experiment with future outcomes and keep all course materials in one place.

**Highlights:** Course and term organization, Grade tracking (points, percentages, letters), Attendance logging and study time tracking, Assignment and event scheduling, GPA estimation, Course material storage, Customizable appearance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Semester Stuff Full Access | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Helium free?

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

### Is Semester Stuff free?

Semester Stuff is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Helium or Semester Stuff?

Helium and Semester Stuff are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Helium or Semester Stuff have ads?

Neither Helium nor Semester Stuff shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Helium or Semester Stuff?

Helium ships an update every 4 days, and Semester Stuff every 8 days. Most recently, Helium was updated on October 28, 2026 and Semester Stuff on October 12, 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.*