# Mad River Local vs ProgressBook Parent/Student

The clearest difference is rating: ProgressBook Parent/Student at 4.7 against Mad River Local's 3.6. ProgressBook Parent/Student also leads on ratings volume (4.5K vs 13) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 15 months). On price, review sentiment, 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.

ProgressBook Parent/Student holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ProgressBook Parent/Student has 4.5K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Mad River Local's written reviews are positive against 46% of ProgressBook Parent/Student's.

Mad River Local ships an update every 15 months, ProgressBook Parent/Student every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mad River Local | ProgressBook Parent/Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-river-local/id922186783/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbook-parentstudent/id1551002406/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **4.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **46.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 79 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mad River Local School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1436601746) | [Frontline Technologies Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/494961802) |

## What reviewers say

### Mad River Local

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-river-local/id922186783)

Stay informed about your local school district with personalized news, updates, and direct communication channels. Access important school information, receive notifications, and view grades and attendance.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, District tip line, Customizable notifications, District directory access, View grades and assignments, View attendance records

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ProgressBook Parent/Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/progressbook-parentstudent/id1551002406)

Access essential student information on the go, including grades, attendance, assignments, and class schedules. This app connects parents and students to their learning community with no extra setup required.

**Highlights:** View grades, Track attendance, Check assignments, Access class schedule, On-the-go information

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to check grades
- 👍 Helpful for students and parents
- 🚀 Convenient access to grades and assignments
- 👍 Reliable and organized
- 👍 Good for keeping track of progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 Layout/UI could be improved
- 🐛 Compatibility issues on tablets
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Inability to switch accounts

**Reported bugs**

- Constant need to update app with no update available
- App gets stuck in loading loop and won't open
- Zoomed in UI on tablets makes it unusable
- Login issues and inability to access grades

**Requested features**

- Add ability to adjust font/UI size
- Include option to view graded assignments
- Improve communication with teachers
- Provide more customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mad River Local free?

Mad River Local is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ProgressBook Parent/Student free?

ProgressBook Parent/Student is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mad River Local or ProgressBook Parent/Student?

ProgressBook Parent/Student is rated higher. Mad River Local averages 3.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while ProgressBook Parent/Student averages 4.7 from 4.5K ratings.

### Do Mad River Local or ProgressBook Parent/Student have ads?

Neither Mad River Local nor ProgressBook Parent/Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mad River Local or ProgressBook Parent/Student?

Mad River Local ships an update every 15 months, and ProgressBook Parent/Student every 5 months. Most recently, Mad River Local was updated on October 12, 2026 and ProgressBook Parent/Student on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*