BrainPOP vs Explore NC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BrainPOP
This app offers award-winning animated educational videos, interactive activities, and quizzes designed by educators. It aims to transform passive screen time into active, enriched learning experiences for children in grades 3-8 across all subjects.
- Animated educational movies
- Interactive activities
- Quizzes
- Content for grades 3-8
- All subjects covered
- Research-backed learning platform
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Access BrainPOP’s award-winning animated movies, activities and quizzes made by educators and replace your kids’ passive screen time with active, enriched learning. Start your free trial today to access content for grades 3-8 across all subjects. BrainPOP is a research-backed learning platform created by educators that know how kids learn best, and perfect for age-appropriate, independent learning. Start watching, learning, playing and growing with us! Terms of Use: https://www.brainpop.com/about/terms_of_use/ Privacy Policy: https://www.brainpop.com/about/privacy_policy/ User Agreement: https://www.brainpop.com/about/user_agreement/
Explore NC
Discover North Carolina's historical and cultural sites through an engaging augmented reality experience. Interactive games and educational content are designed for children aged 5 and up, offering a fun way to learn about the state's attractions.
- Augmented reality experiences
- Interactive games
- Historical and cultural attractions
- Educational content for kids
- Learn about North Carolina sites
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Explore the wonders of North Carolina with this fun and engaging augmented reality experience. Designed for kids age 5+ and their grown-ups, the app takes you to historical and cultural attractions across the state. Highlights include interactive games with the carnivorous Venus flytrap and aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright as well as trips to the North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony and a Civil Rights monument in Raleigh. Each experience offers educational and entertainment enrichment for children and families looking to learn more about important sites in North Carolina. This app was developed by PBS North Carolina in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Explore NC at none against BrainPOP's 5. Explore NC also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). BrainPOP's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (34K vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. BrainPOP sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Explore NC asks for nothing beyond the download.
Explore NC holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainPOP has 34K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of BrainPOP's written reviews are positive against 100% of Explore NC's.
BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, Explore NC every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BrainPOP | Explore NC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (34K ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 92.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 1.1 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BrainPOP® | Horizon Video Productions, Inc. |
Customer experience
BrainPOP
Explore NC
Bugs and requests
BrainPOP
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues
- Playback problems
- Syncing issues across devices
Requested features
5 requests- More topics and content
- Lower subscription cost
- Better organization of content
- More character diversity
- Support for older devices
Explore NC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BrainPOP
- BrainPOP Explorer Subscription$3.991 Month
- BrainPOP Full Access14 Days trial$15.991 Month
- BrainPOP Combo Monthly14 Days trial$19.991 Month
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- BrainPOP Full Access Yearly14 Days trial$129.991 Year
- BrainPOP Combo Yearly14 Days trial$159.991 Year
Explore NC
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BrainPOP free?
Is Explore NC free?
Which has better reviews, BrainPOP or Explore NC?
Do BrainPOP or Explore NC have ads?
Which is updated more often, BrainPOP or Explore NC?
Other comparisons
