# Compass School Manager vs SharkSmart WA

Compass School Manager and SharkSmart WA both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of SharkSmart WA's written reviews are positive against 37% of Compass School Manager's. Compass School Manager's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Compass School Manager against 4.7 for SharkSmart WA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 162 and 112 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Compass School Manager's written reviews are positive against 68% of SharkSmart WA's.

Compass School Manager ships an update every 3 weeks, SharkSmart WA every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass School Manager | SharkSmart WA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-school-manager/id778415974/reviews) | [4.7 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart-wa/id1480651764/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **162** | 112 |
| Positive reviews | 36.8% of reviews | **68.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 140 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Compass Operations Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/778415977) | [Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583142297) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass School Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-school-manager/id778415974)

This app provides a centralized platform for school communities to access important information. It delivers school news, event updates, and assignment details, making it a convenient tool for staff, students, and parents.

**Highlights:** School news updates, Event notifications, Assignment tracking, Access for staff, students, and parents, Centralized school information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Convenient for school management
- 🚀 Helpful for students and parents
- 🚀 Reliable and efficient
- 👍 Great app for school information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Login issues and session expiration
- 🤔 Confusing and cluttered UI
- 🤖 Compatibility issues on Mac devices
- 🙄 Constant need to update the app

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in or search for school
- Notifications not working as expected
- Learning tasks page layout issues
- Landscape mode not functioning properly
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve navigation and organization
- Allow students to remove submissions
- Show class rosters within each class
- Provide more customization options


### SharkSmart WA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharksmart-wa/id1480651764)

Access Western Australia's official shark activity information and beach safety features. Get real-time alerts, view shark monitoring locations, and report sightings to help plan your beach trips safely.

**Highlights:** Shark activity alerts and warnings, Map of shark monitoring receivers, Patrolled beach locations, Weather forecasts, Report shark sightings, Customizable location notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Provides awareness and information
- 👍 Awesome and improving app
- 👍 Makes users feel safer
- 👍 Useful for spear fishing and diving
- 👍 Keeps users updated and safe

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frustrating long-term sightings
- 🐛 Updates in random date order
- 🐛 Cannot select town on iPhone
- 🐛 Alerts not listed in date order
- 🐛 More info required on tagged sharks

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot select a town or tap on map on iPhone
- App crashes when opening
- App hasn't updated in over a week
- Notifications delayed for incidents
- App doesn't update

**Requested features**

- Add shark ID, tagging date, and size
- Include approximate age, weight, type, size, tagging location/date, and last scanned location/frequency for tagged sharks
- Expand coverage to all of Australia
- Show length and gender of tagged sharks
- Provide more information on tagged sharks (when, where, size when tagged)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass School Manager free?

Compass School Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SharkSmart WA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Compass School Manager or SharkSmart WA?

Compass School Manager and SharkSmart WA are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 162 and 112 ratings respectively.

### Do Compass School Manager or SharkSmart WA have ads?

Neither Compass School Manager nor SharkSmart WA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Compass School Manager or SharkSmart WA?

Compass School Manager ships an update every 3 weeks, and SharkSmart WA every 4 months. Most recently, Compass School Manager was updated on November 6, 2026 and SharkSmart WA on November 7, 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.*