# Rocket Lab vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smithsonian at 100% against Rocket Lab's 23%. Smithsonian also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.9) and device support (3 vs 1). Rocket Lab's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Rocket Lab is free to download; Smithsonian costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Smithsonian holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Rocket Lab's written reviews are positive against 100% of Smithsonian's.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rocket Lab | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [2.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-lab/id1071252785/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | — | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 218 MB | 440 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [PlayDate Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Rocket Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-lab/id1071252785)

Design, build, and launch virtual rockets as a rocket engineer. Make critical decisions about components like propellant and control systems to ensure mission success. Explore suborbital, orbital, and escape velocity missions with this educational simulation.

**Highlights:** Design virtual rockets, Choose rocket components, Personalize rocket name, Launch and observe flight, Modify for mission success, Explore different mission types

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867)

Explore a prehistoric world by digging for fossils and uncovering facts about dinosaurs. Earn coins to unlock new tools and learn about over 15 dinosaur species through interactive scenes and quizzes. Develop literacy and critical thinking skills with engaging educational content.

**Highlights:** Dig for fossils with virtual tools, Learn facts about 15+ dinosaur species, Unlock dinosaur cards with information, Interactive prehistoric world exploration, Earn coins for better digging tools, Prehistoric quiz to test knowledge, Phonetic spelling for vocabulary building

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rocket Lab free?

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

### Is Smithsonian free?

Smithsonian costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Rocket Lab or Smithsonian?

Smithsonian is rated higher. Rocket Lab averages 2.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Smithsonian averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Rocket Lab or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Rocket Lab nor Smithsonian shows ads.

---

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