# U.S. Army STARS Elements vs Elements Academy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: U.S. Army STARS Elements at none against Elements Academy's 2. U.S. Army STARS Elements also leads on update cadence (every 8 months vs every 27 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Elements Academy's advantage is ratings volume (79 vs 18). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elements Academy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. U.S. Army STARS Elements asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for U.S. Army STARS Elements against 4.7 for Elements Academy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 79 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

U.S. Army STARS Elements ships an update every 8 months, Elements Academy every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | U.S. Army STARS Elements | Elements Academy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/us-army-stars-elements/id1103901837/reviews) | [4.7 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elements-academy-play-and-learn/id1563933861/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **79** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 months** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 213 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Army Game Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/540858534) | [Xiang Dong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511041685) |

## What reviewers say

### U.S. Army STARS Elements

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/us-army-stars-elements/id1103901837)

Explore the world of chemistry with interactive tools to build atoms, learn chemical bonds, and discover elements. Test your knowledge with engaging challenges designed for students, teachers, and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Atom Builder, SmashBond game, Interactive Periodic Table, STARS Challenge quiz, 3D atom construction, Bohr's model visualization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Elements Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elements-academy-play-and-learn/id1563933861)

Master chemical elements and formulas through engaging levels and challenges. Earn certificates for each module and explore an interactive Periodic Table. This app offers an effective and fun learning strategy with offline access.

**Highlights:** Learn element symbols, names, and atomic numbers, Master 161 common chemical compounds/molecules, Interactive Periodic Table exploration, Earn certificates for module completion, Offline learning capabilities, Fun and effective teaching strategy

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is U.S. Army STARS Elements free?

U.S. Army STARS Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Elements Academy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, U.S. Army STARS Elements or Elements Academy?

U.S. Army STARS Elements and Elements Academy are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 18 and 79 ratings respectively.

### Do U.S. Army STARS Elements or Elements Academy have ads?

Neither U.S. Army STARS Elements nor Elements Academy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, U.S. Army STARS Elements or Elements Academy?

U.S. Army STARS Elements ships an update every 8 months, and Elements Academy every 27 months. Most recently, U.S. Army STARS Elements was updated on August 25, 2026 and Elements Academy on September 16, 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.*