# STEM School vs The Thinking Machines

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: STEM School at none against The Thinking Machines's 4. STEM School also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). The Thinking Machines's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 27 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Thinking Machines sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. STEM School asks for nothing beyond the download.

STEM School ships an update every 27 months, The Thinking Machines every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STEM School | The Thinking Machines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 27 months | **Every 7 months** |
| Size | 178 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Myclassboard Educational Solutions Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1261722731) | [TagMango Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611765353) |

## What reviewers say

### STEM School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stem-school/id1579053560)

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Thinking Machines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-thinking-machines/id6469945047)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fighter Membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buddha Membership | $79.99 | one-time |
| Sages | $129.99 | one-time |
| Master Membership | $149.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is STEM School free?

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

### Is The Thinking Machines free?

The Thinking Machines is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do STEM School or The Thinking Machines have ads?

Neither STEM School nor The Thinking Machines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, STEM School or The Thinking Machines?

STEM School ships an update every 27 months, and The Thinking Machines every 7 months. Most recently, STEM School was updated on October 5, 2026 and The Thinking Machines on October 18, 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.*