# Light Up the Cave vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is price: Light Up the Cave at Free against Smithsonian's $3.99. Smithsonian's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 35 months) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Light Up the Cave is free to download; Smithsonian costs $3.99 up front. 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 Light Up the Cave against 5.0 for Smithsonian. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smithsonian has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Light Up the Cave ships an update every 35 months, Smithsonian every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Light Up the Cave | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-up-the-cave/id1471647543/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 42 MB | 440 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Light Up the Cave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-up-the-cave/id1471647543)

Explore different light sources within a simulated dark cave environment. This educational tool is designed to align with grade 1 physical science curriculum, focusing on how we can illuminate our surroundings.

**Highlights:** Cave light source simulation, Grade 1 physical science alignment, Interactive learning tool, Exploration of illumination methods

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867)

Explore a prehistoric world by digging for fossils and uncovering facts about dinosaurs. Earn coins to unlock new tools and learn about over 15 dinosaur species through interactive scenes and quizzes. Develop literacy and critical thinking skills with engaging educational content.

**Highlights:** Dig for fossils with virtual tools, Learn facts about 15+ dinosaur species, Unlock dinosaur cards with information, Interactive prehistoric world exploration, Earn coins for better digging tools, Prehistoric quiz to test knowledge, Phonetic spelling for vocabulary building

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Light Up the Cave free?

Light Up the Cave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smithsonian free?

Smithsonian costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Light Up the Cave or Smithsonian?

Light Up the Cave and Smithsonian are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Light Up the Cave or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Light Up the Cave nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Light Up the Cave or Smithsonian?

Light Up the Cave ships an update every 35 months, and Smithsonian every 6 months. Most recently, Light Up the Cave was updated on November 3, 2026 and Smithsonian on November 4, 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.*