Timken Museum vs GettyGuide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Timken Museum
Discover a world-class art collection featuring European old masters, 19th-century American art, and Russian icons. This free museum app enhances your visit by providing insights into centuries of artistic genius. Use it as a tool to explore and appreciate the museum's treasures.
- Explore European old masters
- Discover 19th-century American art
- View Russian icons
- Free museum access information
- Enhance art collection experience
- GPS-enabled exploration tool
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Explore the Timken Museum of Art's world-class collection of European old masters, 19th century American art and Russian icons. Known as San Diego’s “jewel box” of fine art, the Timken is the only free art museum in Balboa Park. Art education and accessibility are the heart of the Timken's mission. Visitors are encouraged to take their time, to explore and look closely at centuries of artistic genius and to use the Timken's app as a tool to experience the collection. This app will make use of your GPS which can cause a decrease in battery life.
GettyGuide
Discover unique perspectives on art with audio tours and immersive experiences of exhibitions and outdoor spaces. Navigate Getty's locations, explore art with diverse commentary, and plan your visit with essential information.
- Thematic audio tours
- Explore art on-demand
- Mood Journeys for unique experiences
- Exhibition and event information
- Location-aware navigation map
- Dining and shopping details
- Multilingual audio content
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With Getty’s official app, you’ll discover unique perspectives on art and enjoy an immersive experience of exhibitions and outdoor spaces. Let GettyGuide® be your personal tour guide during your visit. Listen to original, thematic audio tours that offer intimate experiences of the Getty’s two locations, and of the can’t-miss art, with commentary from diverse voices. At the Getty Center, stroll the one-of-a-kind Central Garden while hearing from a museum curator, landscape architect, mindfulness expert, and gardeners about this ever-changing space. Or try Mood Journeys, a feature that allows visitors to navigate hand-picked destinations and activities, according to a feeling you’d like to explore. At the Getty Villa, be transported 2,000 years into the past to experience the sounds and stories of life in an ancient Roman country house. You’ll find all the information you need to plan your day at the Getty Center or Getty Villa, including events and exhibitions currently on view, and where to eat and shop. App features include: • Audio tours and playlists of exhibitions, art, architecture, and gardens • “Explore on your own” feature for on-demand audio about hundreds of works of art • “Mood Journeys” feature, to inspire visitors to experience Getty locations and works of art in a unique way, with short activities designed to explore moods or feelings • Exhibitions and events happening today • Location-aware map to navigate Getty sites • Dining and shopping information • List and map of where to eat and shop • 10 language options for key content in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Timken Museum at 100% against GettyGuide's 50%. Timken Museum also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (11.3 vs 13.4). GettyGuide's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (43 vs 6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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.
Timken Museum holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GettyGuide has 43 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Timken Museum's written reviews are positive against 50% of GettyGuide's.
Timken Museum ships an update every 14 months, GettyGuide every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Timken Museum | GettyGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better | 4.2 (43 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 43 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | — | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.3 — better | 13.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 127 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Putnam Foundation | J. Paul Getty Trust |
Customer experience
Timken Museum
GettyGuide
In-app purchases
Timken Museum
No in-app purchases
GettyGuide
No in-app purchases
Questions
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Is GettyGuide free?
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