UHLS Libraries vs The Playground App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UHLS Libraries
Access your local library system's services from your mobile device. Search the catalog, manage your account, download digital books, and find branch information.
- Search library catalog
- Manage account
- Download eBooks and audiobooks
- Place and renew holds
- View branch hours and locations
- Connect on social media
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UHLS Libraries – Your Public Library On the Go! Access the services of the Upper Hudson Library System from your device. Features: - Search the catalog - Manage your account - Download eBooks and Audiobooks - Place holds - Renew materials · Connect with us on social media - Check branch opening hours, location and get directions Use the UHLS Mobile app to access these participating libraries: Albany Public Library Altamont Free Library Berlin Free Town Library Berne Public Library Bethlehem Public Library Brunswick Community Library Castleton Public Library Cheney Library (Hoosick Falls) Cohoes Public Library Colonie Town Library Diver Library (Schaghticoke) East Greenbush Community Library Grafton Community Library Guilderland Public Library Menands Public Library Nassau Free Library North Greenbush Public Library Petersburgh Public Library Poestenkill Library RCS Community Library Rensselaer Public Library Rensselaerville Library Sand Lake Town Library Stephentown Memorial Library Troy Public Library Valley Falls Free Library Voorheesville Public Library Watervliet Public Library Westerlo Public Library
The Playground App
Discover parks and playgrounds globally with a vast database of nearly one million locations. This app offers satellite and map views, smart filters for amenities, and directions. Track visits, earn badges, and share discoveries with friends and family.
- Nearly 1 million playgrounds globally
- No account required
- Satellite & map views
- Smart filters for amenities
- Get directions
- Favorites & visited tracking
- Earn badges and achievements
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**Your new Saturday morning routine** Check the weather before you leave the house. Filter by what actually matters — swings, splash pads, accessible equipment, surface type. Get directions. Save the ones your family loves. **The Playground Passport** Track every playground you visit. Earn badges. Watch your map fill up over the season. It turns "let's find a new one" into a family project your kids will actually want to keep going. **Found one we missed?** Submit a new playground right from the app. No login required. No hoops. Just add it. **Made by Bears with Apps** The Playground App is from Bears with Apps — we build family-first apps for discovering places together. **Features** • Find nearby playgrounds — "playgrounds near me" anywhere in the world • Almost 1 million playgrounds in the database • No account, no ads — open and explore instantly • Satellite and map views • Smart filters — amenities, sports, surface type, accessibility • Weather for playgrounds when available • One-tap directions • Favorites and visited history • Photo gallery — browse and upload • Share links and calendar invites • Help grow the database — add new playgrounds
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Playground App at 100% against UHLS Libraries's 25%. The Playground App also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). UHLS Libraries's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases 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.
The Playground App holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of UHLS Libraries's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Playground App's.
UHLS Libraries ships an update monthly, The Playground App every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on July 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | UHLS Libraries | The Playground App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (7 ratings) | 4.3 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Upper Hudson Library System | Kathleen Smith |
Customer experience
UHLS Libraries
The Playground App
In-app purchases
UHLS Libraries
No in-app purchases
The Playground App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is UHLS Libraries free?
Is The Playground App free?
Which has better reviews, UHLS Libraries or The Playground App?
Do UHLS Libraries or The Playground App have ads?
Which is updated more often, UHLS Libraries or The Playground App?
Other comparisons
