# The Force Guide vs Exploring Tolkien

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Force Guide at none against Exploring Tolkien's 1. The Force Guide also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). Exploring Tolkien's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Exploring Tolkien sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. The Force Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The Force Guide against 5.0 for Exploring Tolkien. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploring Tolkien has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

The Force Guide ships an update every 2 months, Exploring Tolkien every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Force Guide | Exploring Tolkien |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-force-guide/id1672413300/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploring-tolkien/id6759834594/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Freemium |
| Size | 50 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [CollectionStation LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1672413302) | [Jonathan Watson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881068413) |

## What reviewers say

### The Force Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-force-guide/id1672413300)

Connect with fellow enthusiasts of a galaxy far, far away. Share your passion for movies, series, and collectibles. Discover events and earn achievements within a dedicated fan community.

**Highlights:** Connect with Star Wars fans, Discuss movies, series, and collectibles, Share photos and videos of collections, Blog about Star Wars, Find Star Wars events, Earn badges and achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Exploring Tolkien

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploring-tolkien/id6759834594)

Dive deep into J.R.R. Tolkien's works with this comprehensive companion app. Access podcast episodes, news, videos, and exclusive member content. Engage with a dedicated community of fans and explore Middle-earth chapter by chapter.

**Highlights:** Podcast episodes (audio/video), Offline downloads, Background playback, Push notifications, Tolkien news updates, YouTube video integration, AI Middle-earth portraits (members)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exploring Tolkien Membership | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Force Guide free?

The Force Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Exploring Tolkien free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Force Guide or Exploring Tolkien?

The Force Guide and Exploring Tolkien are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do The Force Guide or Exploring Tolkien have ads?

The Force Guide shows ads; Exploring Tolkien does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Force Guide or Exploring Tolkien?

The Force Guide ships an update every 2 months, and Exploring Tolkien every 11 days. Most recently, The Force Guide was updated on October 6, 2026 and Exploring Tolkien on October 5, 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.*