LOC Collections vs Deep Time Audio Description
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LOC Collections
Access and explore millions of digitized items from the world's largest library. Discover iconic photos, historic maps, books, films, and manuscripts. Save, share, and zoom in on details within the vast digital archives.
- Access millions of digitized items
- Explore photos, maps, books, and films
- Search and browse collections
- Save and share favorites
- Zoom in for detailed image exploration
- Read historic books and newspapers
- Watch early films
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Explore the Library of Congress digital collections. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. Use LOC Collections to access iconic photos, historic maps, books, films, newspapers, manuscripts and sound recordings. Search and browse millions of items. Save and share your favorites. Zoom in to explore images in detail. Read books. Search historic newspapers. Watch early films from Thomas Edison and other pioneers. Explore the papers of U.S. presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and more). View iconic photos and maps documenting the Civil War. View letters, diaries and notes in the papers of Rosa Parks, Mary Church Terrell, Susan B. Anthony and other changemakers.
Deep Time Audio Description
Explore the Smithsonian Fossil Hall with a self-guided audio tour designed for blind and low-vision users. Learn about evolution, ecosystems, and the interconnectedness of life from its origins to the Age of Humans. Features include screen reader compatibility, alt text, and zoomable text.
- Screen Reader compatible
- Background contrast
- Alt text and captions
- Zoomable text
- Search feature
- Audio descriptions of exhibits
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Assistive technology for blind and low-vision users to explore the new Fossil Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History through a self-guided tour. Discover how all life is connected–past, present, and future–to all other life and to the Earth itself. Learn more about evolution, ecosystems, and extinction from the beginning of life 3.7 billion years ago to the Age of Humans today. Features: • Screen Reader compatible • Background contrast • Alt text and captions for all images • Zoomable text • Search feature This app contains descriptive overviews of: • tactile models • iconic specimens such as T. rex • multimedia videos and interactives • content stories Download ahead of time to plan your visit, follow along in the gallery, or read afterwards. The app uses the accessibility features native to your phone. By downloading this mobile app, you agree to the Smithsonian’s Privacy Policy (http://si.edu/privacy) NOTE: WiFi is available in all Smithsonian museums.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Deep Time Audio Description at 5.0 against LOC Collections's 3.9. Deep Time Audio Description also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). LOC Collections's advantage is ratings volume (35 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Deep Time Audio Description holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LOC Collections has 35 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LOC Collections ships an update every 2 months, Deep Time Audio Description every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LOC Collections | Deep Time Audio Description |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (35 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Library Of Congress | Smithsonian Institution |
Customer experience
LOC Collections
Deep Time Audio Description
In-app purchases
LOC Collections
No in-app purchases
Deep Time Audio Description
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LOC Collections free?
Is Deep Time Audio Description free?
Which has better reviews, LOC Collections or Deep Time Audio Description?
Do LOC Collections or Deep Time Audio Description have ads?
Which is updated more often, LOC Collections or Deep Time Audio Description?
Other comparisons
