# BrainPOP vs Starfall

The clearest difference is rating: BrainPOP at 4.7 against Starfall's 4.1. BrainPOP also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 75%) and ratings volume (34K vs 4.3K). Starfall's advantage is chart position (#197 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainPOP sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Starfall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BrainPOP holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainPOP has 34K ratings behind it against 4.3K, 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 75% of Starfall's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainPOP | Starfall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352/reviews)** | [4.1 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall/id707189889/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 4.3K |
| Positive reviews | **92.7% of reviews** | 74.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#197** |
| Size | 25 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BrainPOP®](https://appshunter.io/developer/364894355) | [Starfall Education Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1771099820) |

## 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


### Starfall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall/id707189889)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app offers engaging reading and math activities for children from preschool to 5th grade. It features games, songs, and interactive lessons designed by educators to support early literacy and numeracy skills. The platform also includes accessibility features for children with impairments.

**Highlights:** Reading phonics and fluency, Math concepts and operations, Interactive games and songs, Accessibility features, Sequential learning objectives, Holiday activities and sing-alongs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starfall Monthly | $5.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy and fun learning
- 🎨 Engaging activities and games
- 🧠 Helps with reading, math, and more
- 🌟 Nostalgic childhood memories
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for kids of all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free content, requires subscription
- 🔒 Difficulty managing parental controls
- 🐛 Technical issues like crashes and freezes
- 📱 Compatibility problems on mobile devices
- 🔍 Repetitive content and lack of updates

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues and trouble logging in
- Freezing and crashing on certain devices
- Glitches in specific games and activities
- Compatibility problems with newer OS versions
- Incorrect pronunciation of numbers and dates

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced content for older kids
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired users
- Provide offline mode for use without internet
- Allow customization of character and settings
- Integrate with other educational platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainPOP free?

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

### Is Starfall free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BrainPOP or Starfall?

BrainPOP is rated higher. BrainPOP averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Starfall averages 4.1 from 4.3K ratings.

### Do BrainPOP or Starfall have ads?

Neither BrainPOP nor Starfall shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainPOP or Starfall?

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, and Starfall every 2 months. Most recently, BrainPOP was updated on October 14, 2026 and Starfall on October 13, 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.*