# Hape Junior Inventor vs Ridwell

The clearest difference is ads: Hape Junior Inventor at none against Ridwell's shown. Hape Junior Inventor also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Ridwell's advantage is ratings volume (9K vs 5) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hape Junior Inventor against 4.9 for Ridwell. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ridwell has 9K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hape Junior Inventor ships an update every 4 months, Ridwell every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hape Junior Inventor | Ridwell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hape-junior-inventor/id1439294470/reviews)** | [4.9 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **9K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 73.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Hape](https://appshunter.io/developer/1324043096) | [Ridwell, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623854287) |

## What reviewers say

### Hape Junior Inventor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hape-junior-inventor/id1439294470)

This app guides children aged four and up in building various STEAM-focused toys. It provides detailed instructions and a sample display to help young inventors create diggers, mechanical arms, and more, fostering logical thinking and creativity.

**Highlights:** Builds STEAM toys, Detailed instructions, Sample experiment display, Develops logical thinking, Encourages creativity, In-app sharing gallery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ridwell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075)

Easily dispose of hard-to-recycle items with convenient doorstep pickups. Schedule collections, track your impact, and feel good knowing your items are being reused or recycled by trusted partners.

**Highlights:** Schedule doorstep pickups, Collect hard-to-recycle items, Receive real-time notifications, Track community impact, Transparent item destinations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💚 Excellent for the environment
- 🙌 Convenient pickup service
- 🤗 Helpful customer service
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎉 Reduces waste

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Missed pickups
- 🤔 Inconsistent service
- 💰 Overcharging for extras
- 🏢 Inaccessible for apartment buildings
- 🤷‍♀️ Unclear communication

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect pickup status notifications
- Drivers unable to access buildings

**Requested features**

- Advance scheduling for pickups
- More recycling categories
- Proactive notifications for missed pickups


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hape Junior Inventor free?

Hape Junior Inventor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ridwell free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hape Junior Inventor or Ridwell?

Hape Junior Inventor is rated higher. Hape Junior Inventor averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Ridwell averages 4.9 from 9K ratings.

### Do Hape Junior Inventor or Ridwell have ads?

Ridwell shows ads; Hape Junior Inventor does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hape Junior Inventor or Ridwell?

Hape Junior Inventor ships an update every 4 months, and Ridwell every 2 months. Most recently, Hape Junior Inventor was updated on October 25, 2026 and Ridwell on November 1, 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.*