# Planet cards vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is update cadence: Smithsonian at every 3 months against Planet cards's every 9 months. Smithsonian also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planet cards sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planet cards ships an update every 9 months, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planet cards | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 351 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Universo Body Planet S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1373129960) | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Planet cards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-cards/id1596481804)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-planets/id6504839302)

Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.

**Highlights:** Fascinating facts about the solar system, Mini games like Space Winter Rush, Interactive activities, Educational animations, Read to Me text, Collect planet badges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy 5 Planets | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planet cards free?

Planet cards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Smithsonian free?

Smithsonian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Planet cards or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Planet cards nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planet cards or Smithsonian?

Planet cards ships an update every 9 months, and Smithsonian every 3 months. Most recently, Planet cards was updated on October 25, 2026 and Smithsonian on October 9, 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.*