USThing vs HKUST Research
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
USThing
This campus app consolidates various Hong Kong University of Science and Technology IT services into a single platform. It offers features like facility booking, grade viewing, timetable access, and event information, all accessible with encrypted local storage of credentials.
- Facility booking (Library, FBS)
- View grades and timetables
- Course waitlist positions
- Next lesson notifications
- TimeMatch for finding free time
- Campus info and directory
- News and events
Read full descriptionHide full description
USThing is a student-developed campus app for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. With USThing, you can access multiple HKUST IT services in one single app. Features include: - Facility Booking (supports both Library rooms and FBS facilities) - View Grades, Time Tables and Course Waitlist positions - Next Lesson Notification - TimeMatch (Find common free time among friends) - Campus Info and Directory - News and Events around campus and more are on their way... USThing requires your ITSC username and password in order to help you access services conveniently. Your credentials are only saved locally with encryption and never stored on remote servers. If you have any enquiry regarding privacy, feel free to contact us. USThing is not affiliated with student societies and contains no paid ads or promotions. All contents are freely uploaded by our users.
HKUST Research
This app serves as a platform for researchers to find and receive reminders about research-related information. It aims to streamline access to important academic data and updates.
- Research information search
- Research-related reminders
- Platform for researchers
- Access academic data
Read full descriptionHide full description
HKUST Research provided HKUST researchers a platform to search and get reminder of research-related information.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HKUST Research at 5.0 against USThing's 4.0. HKUST Research also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 16.4). USThing's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HKUST Research holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
USThing ships an update every 3 weeks, HKUST Research every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | USThing | HKUST Research |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 12.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zachary Lo | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
Customer experience
USThing
HKUST Research
In-app purchases
USThing
No in-app purchases
HKUST Research
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is USThing free?
Is HKUST Research free?
Which has better reviews, USThing or HKUST Research?
Do USThing or HKUST Research have ads?
Which is updated more often, USThing or HKUST Research?
Other comparisons
