# Mari vs SchoolMessenger

The clearest difference is rating: SchoolMessenger at 4.4 against Mari's 4.0. SchoolMessenger also leads on review sentiment (53% vs 28%) and ratings volume (816 vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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.

SchoolMessenger holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SchoolMessenger has 816 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Mari's written reviews are positive against 53% of SchoolMessenger's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mari | SchoolMessenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mari-time/id786765523/reviews) | **[4.4 (816 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolmessenger/id978894818/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **816** |
| Positive reviews | 27.8% of reviews | **53.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 50 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Surrey School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/634542422) | [PowerSchool Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057394489) |

## What reviewers say

### Mari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mari-time/id786765523)

Stay informed with the official mobile app for Earl Marriott Secondary. Receive push notifications for important news, access up-to-date event calendars, and easily connect to school resources and online platforms. Share school events and integrate them into your personal calendar.

**Highlights:** Push notifications for school news, Up-to-date event calendars, Direct access to school resources, Shareable school events, Calendar integration, Contact school via email/phone

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SchoolMessenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolmessenger/id978894818)

Stay connected with your school or district through this app. It provides a unified inbox for notifications and messages, allowing for two-way communication between teachers, parents, and students. Manage your notification preferences and receive alerts for important updates.

**Highlights:** Unified inbox for notifications and messages, Two-way teacher-parent-student communication, Scrollable notification history, Customizable notification preferences, Push notifications for alerts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for reporting absences
- 📢 Helpful for staying informed about school events
- 💡 Consolidates all school communications in one place

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Messages still show as unread after being read
- 🔍 Difficult to mark multiple messages as read
- 🔄 Frequent log-outs and need to re-login
- 🔔 Excessive and repeated notifications for the same message
- 📱 Small text size and poor formatting in the app

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to report late arrivals or early departures
- Attendance reporting not working for some users
- Syncing issues between app and school records
- Verification emails not being delivered

**Requested features**

- Add option to mark all messages as read
- Improve navigation and message management
- Implement dark mode and accessibility features
- Allow parents to initiate messages to teachers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mari free?

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

### Is SchoolMessenger free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mari or SchoolMessenger?

SchoolMessenger is rated higher. Mari averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while SchoolMessenger averages 4.4 from 816 ratings.

### Do Mari or SchoolMessenger have ads?

Neither Mari nor SchoolMessenger shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mari or SchoolMessenger?

Mari ships an update every 2 months, and SchoolMessenger every 2 months. Most recently, Mari was updated on November 1, 2026 and SchoolMessenger 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.*