# SchoolMessenger vs Union

The clearest difference is rating: SchoolMessenger at 4.5 against Union's 2.0. SchoolMessenger also leads on ratings volume (802 vs 4). 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, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SchoolMessenger has 802 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SchoolMessenger | Union |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (802 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schoolmessenger/id978894818/reviews)** | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/union-endicott-csd/id6446040579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **802** | 4 |
| Positive 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 | 43 MB | 144 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PowerSchool Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057394489) | [Union Endicott Central School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491146344) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Union

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/union-endicott-csd/id6446040579)

Stay informed about school district events, customize notifications for your student's organizations, and access weekly cafeteria menus. Get real-time updates from administration and easily find staff contact information.

**Highlights:** Event calendar with sharing, Customizable student organization notifications, Weekly cafeteria menus, District live feed updates, Staff and department directory

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SchoolMessenger free?

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

### Is Union free?

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

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

SchoolMessenger is rated higher. SchoolMessenger averages 4.5 out of 5 from 802 ratings, while Union averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do SchoolMessenger or Union have ads?

Neither SchoolMessenger nor Union shows ads.

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

SchoolMessenger ships an update every 2 months, and Union every 2 months. Most recently, SchoolMessenger was updated on October 19, 2026 and Union on October 13, 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.*