# Seesaw vs SchoolMessenger

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SchoolMessenger at none against Seesaw's 1. Seesaw's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (100K vs 802). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Seesaw sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SchoolMessenger asks for nothing beyond the download.

Seesaw holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seesaw has 100K ratings behind it against 802, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Seesaw's written reviews are positive against 53% of SchoolMessenger's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Seesaw ships an update weekly, SchoolMessenger every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Seesaw | SchoolMessenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (100K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seesaw/id930565184/reviews)** | [4.5 (802 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolmessenger/id978894818/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **100K** | 802 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **53.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#124** | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seesaw Learning, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/930565183) | [PowerSchool Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057394489) |

## What reviewers say

### Seesaw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seesaw/id930565184)

**Currently charting:** #124 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This educational platform empowers elementary students to showcase their thinking and creativity through multimodal tools. It facilitates authentic assessments and fosters inclusive communication between students, teachers, and families, enhancing the learning process for all.

**Highlights:** Student digital portfolios, Multimodal learning tools, Inclusive family communication, Standards-aligned instruction, Formative assessments, Ready-to-teach lessons

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month of Seesaw Plus | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Great communication tool
- 💡 Versatile for teachers and students
- 🚀 Efficient for remote/online learning
- 👍 Engaging for students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 💡 Limited text editing options
- 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
- 👎 Difficult to navigate
- 👎 Confusing interface

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Losing work when switching apps
- Inconsistent performance on different devices
- Issues with uploading and sharing content
- Notification problems

**Requested features**

- Allow parents to post and comment
- Improve text editing capabilities
- Add auto-save functionality
- Provide better organization and tracking of assignments
- Enhance video recording and editing options


### 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 Seesaw free?

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

### Is SchoolMessenger free?

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

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

Seesaw is rated higher. Seesaw averages 4.8 out of 5 from 100K ratings, while SchoolMessenger averages 4.5 from 802 ratings.

### Do Seesaw or SchoolMessenger have ads?

Neither Seesaw nor SchoolMessenger shows ads.

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

Seesaw ships an update weekly, and SchoolMessenger every 2 months. Most recently, Seesaw was updated on October 20, 2026 and SchoolMessenger on October 19, 2026.

---

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