# BrainPOP vs Primer Institute

The clearest difference is update cadence: Primer Institute at every 6 days against BrainPOP's every 2 months. BrainPOP's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainPOP sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Primer Institute sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, Primer Institute every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainPOP | Primer Institute |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 25 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BrainPOP®](https://appshunter.io/developer/364894355) | [Roman Court Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885590330) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainPOP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352)

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.

**Highlights:** Animated educational movies, Interactive activities, Quizzes, Content for grades 3-8, All subjects covered, Research-backed learning platform

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrainPOP Explorer Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Full Access | $15.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Combo Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Full Access Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| BrainPOP Combo Yearly | $159.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and educational
- 🚀 Helpful for learning
- 👍 Great for kids
- 👍 Funny and entertaining
- 👍 Informative videos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 💰 Limited free content
- 🙄 Biased or one-sided content
- 🙄 Lacks detail in some topics

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Playback problems
- Syncing issues across devices

**Requested features**

- More topics and content
- Lower subscription cost
- Better organization of content
- More character diversity
- Support for older devices


### Primer Institute

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primer-institute/id6768650996)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Primer.Institute - 1 Student | $39.99 | per month |
| Primer.Institute - 2 Students | $79.99 | per month |
| Primer.Institute - 3 Students | $119.99 | per month |
| 100 extra credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| 300 credits | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainPOP free?

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

### Is Primer Institute free?

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

### Do BrainPOP or Primer Institute have ads?

Neither BrainPOP nor Primer Institute shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainPOP or Primer Institute?

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, and Primer Institute every 6 days. Most recently, BrainPOP was updated on October 30, 2026 and Primer Institute on October 28, 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.*