# SmartPlay Early Learners vs Explore & Develop

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Explore & Develop at 10.0 against SmartPlay Early Learners's 12.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

SmartPlay Early Learners ships an update every 9 months, Explore & Develop every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartPlay Early Learners | Explore & Develop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 months** | Every 10 months |
| Size | 69 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRIES LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490047082) | [Suzanne Barrett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543655349) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartPlay Early Learners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartplay-early-learners/id1490801998)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Explore & Develop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-and-develop/id1543655347)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartPlay Early Learners free?

SmartPlay Early Learners is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Explore & Develop free?

Explore & Develop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SmartPlay Early Learners or Explore & Develop have ads?

Neither SmartPlay Early Learners nor Explore & Develop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartPlay Early Learners or Explore & Develop?

SmartPlay Early Learners ships an update every 9 months, and Explore & Develop every 10 months. Most recently, SmartPlay Early Learners was updated on September 19, 2026 and Explore & Develop on September 14, 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.*