# Polar Explorer vs Adopt

The clearest difference is update cadence: Polar Explorer at every 2 weeks against Adopt's every 40 months. Polar Explorer also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 1) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 17.5). Adopt's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). 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.

Adopt holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polar Explorer has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Polar Explorer ships an update every 2 weeks, Adopt every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polar Explorer | Adopt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-explorer-sea-level/id1056414420/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adopt-a-float/id1473875623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 40 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Columbia University](https://appshunter.io/developer/405514802) | [Frederik Simons](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687712314) |

## What reviewers say

### Polar Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-explorer-sea-level/id1056414420)

Explore historical, current, and future sea levels through interactive maps and images. This educational app uses text and audio guidance to cover over 100 topics, engaging users with questions to deepen their understanding of climate science.

**Highlights:** Interactive sea level maps, Historical and future projections, Text and audio guidance, Over 100 exploration topics, Question-based learning

**In-app purchases:** none


### Adopt

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adopt-a-float/id1473875623)

Access real-time data from autonomous oceanographic floats that record seismic activity. View instrument locations, trajectories, and health parameters. This app provides a low-cost method for oceanic data collection.

**Highlights:** View MERMAID instrument locations, Access recent trajectories, Obtain ocean depth information, View instrumental metadata, Identify instruments by name and institution

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polar Explorer free?

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

### Is Adopt free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Polar Explorer or Adopt?

Adopt is rated higher. Polar Explorer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Adopt averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Polar Explorer or Adopt have ads?

Neither Polar Explorer nor Adopt shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Polar Explorer or Adopt?

Polar Explorer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Adopt every 40 months. Most recently, Polar Explorer was updated on October 19, 2026 and Adopt on October 12, 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.*