# ParentSquare vs Canvas Parent

ParentSquare and Canvas Parent both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of ParentSquare's written reviews are positive against 9% of Canvas Parent's. ParentSquare also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). 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.

ParentSquare holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 78K and 112K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ParentSquare's written reviews are positive against 9% of Canvas Parent's.

ParentSquare ships an update weekly, Canvas Parent monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ParentSquare | Canvas Parent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (78K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parentsquare/id908126679/reviews)** | [4.4 (112K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-parent/id1097996698/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 78K | **112K** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 9.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ParentSquare](https://appshunter.io/developer/908126682) | [Instructure Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/418441198) |

## What reviewers say

### ParentSquare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parentsquare/id908126679)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app connects schools and families, providing a central hub for communication and information. Families can receive important alerts, view school news, and message teachers directly. It aims to keep everyone informed and engaged to support student success.

**Highlights:** Centralized school and family communication, Receive school news, alerts, and messages, Direct messaging with teachers and staff, View classroom updates and photos, Respond to absences or tardies, Pay school fees and invoices

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💬 Helpful communication tool
- 🗓️ Keeps parents informed
- 🤝 Facilitates parent-teacher interaction
- 📤 Streamlines notifications and updates
- 🧭 Centralizes school information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Overwhelming notifications
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find information
- 🔒 Login and access issues
- 🐌 Slow performance and glitches
- 🤖 Lacks customization and user control

**Reported bugs**

- Notification issues and delays
- Inconsistent app behavior across devices
- Login problems and lost user sessions
- Attachment and media viewing difficulties
- Syncing and data display errors

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter and customize notifications
- Improved search and organization of content
- Integration with other school/student platforms
- Enhanced mobile app functionality
- Parent-teacher group messaging capabilities


### Canvas Parent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canvas-parent/id1097996698)

This app allows parents and guardians to monitor their child's academic progress, communicate with teachers, and receive important updates. It helps families stay involved in their student's education by tracking grades, assignments, and feedback.

**Highlights:** Message teachers directly, View grades and assignments, Receive real-time notifications, See teacher feedback, Use calendar view for upcoming tasks

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient for tracking assignments and grades
- 👍 Allows communication with teachers
- 🤖 Useful for remote/virtual learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤯 Confusing and not user-friendly
- 🔍 Lack of visibility into student work and progress
- 🔀 Inconsistent implementation across teachers and schools
- 🤖 Struggles with remote/virtual learning needs

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent log-out issues
- Inability to access account or find school
- Delayed or inaccurate display of assignment statuses and grades
- Calendar view and other key features not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to view submitted assignments and teacher feedback
- Better organization and sorting of assignments by due date
- Improved communication and coordination between parents, students, and teachers
- More consistent and intuitive user experience across the platform


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ParentSquare free?

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

### Is Canvas Parent free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ParentSquare or Canvas Parent?

ParentSquare is rated higher. ParentSquare averages 4.6 out of 5 from 78K ratings, while Canvas Parent averages 4.4 from 112K ratings.

### Do ParentSquare or Canvas Parent have ads?

Neither ParentSquare nor Canvas Parent shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ParentSquare or Canvas Parent?

ParentSquare ships an update weekly, and Canvas Parent monthly. Most recently, ParentSquare was updated on October 15, 2026 and Canvas Parent 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.*