# The Elements by Theodore Gray vs U.S. Army STARS Elements

The clearest difference is price: U.S. Army STARS Elements at Free against The Elements by Theodore Gray's $9.99. U.S. Army STARS Elements also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). The Elements by Theodore Gray's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (123 vs 18). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

U.S. Army STARS Elements is free to download; The Elements by Theodore Gray costs $9.99 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 — 4.6 for The Elements by Theodore Gray against 4.7 for U.S. Army STARS Elements. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Elements by Theodore Gray has 123 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of The Elements by Theodore Gray's written reviews are positive against 100% of U.S. Army STARS Elements's.

The Elements by Theodore Gray ships an update every 3 months, U.S. Army STARS Elements every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Elements by Theodore Gray | U.S. Army STARS Elements |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elements-by-theodore-gray/id364147847/reviews) | **[4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/us-army-stars-elements/id1103901837/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **123** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1.5 GB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [NatureGuides Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/310574314) | [Army Game Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/540858534) |

## What reviewers say

### The Elements by Theodore Gray

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elements-by-theodore-gray/id364147847)

Explore the building blocks of the universe with this interactive guide to the periodic table. Discover beautifully photographed elements, fascinating stories, and detailed 3D models of over 500 objects, all presented in multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Living periodic table interface, Rotating 3D element samples, Detailed 3D object models, Pinch-zoom and 3D stereo viewing, Multilingual support, Fascinating stories and facts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Stunning visuals and 3D animations
- 📚 Comprehensive information on elements
- 🎨 Engaging and humorous writing style
- 🏫 Excellent educational tool for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific elements
- 🔌 Massive file size takes up a lot of storage
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive for the limited content

**Reported bugs**

- Element descriptions cut off on iPhone 6 Plus
- Crashes when switching landscape orientations
- Unable to download app after initial purchase

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable animations
- Improve periodic table navigation
- Include more detailed scientific information
- Support multiple languages and spellings


### U.S. Army STARS Elements

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/us-army-stars-elements/id1103901837)

Explore the world of chemistry with interactive tools to build atoms, learn chemical bonds, and discover elements. Test your knowledge with engaging challenges designed for students, teachers, and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Atom Builder, SmashBond game, Interactive Periodic Table, STARS Challenge quiz, 3D atom construction, Bohr's model visualization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Elements by Theodore Gray free?

The Elements by Theodore Gray costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is U.S. Army STARS Elements free?

U.S. Army STARS Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Elements by Theodore Gray or U.S. Army STARS Elements?

U.S. Army STARS Elements is rated higher. The Elements by Theodore Gray averages 4.6 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while U.S. Army STARS Elements averages 4.7 from 18 ratings.

### Do The Elements by Theodore Gray or U.S. Army STARS Elements have ads?

Neither The Elements by Theodore Gray nor U.S. Army STARS Elements shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Elements by Theodore Gray or U.S. Army STARS Elements?

The Elements by Theodore Gray ships an update every 3 months, and U.S. Army STARS Elements every 8 months. Most recently, The Elements by Theodore Gray was updated on October 22, 2026 and U.S. Army STARS Elements on October 11, 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.*