Comparison

Explorer vs Queens Public Library

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Explorer

Navigate a world-renowned museum with ease. This app provides interactive maps, turn-by-turn directions to exhibits and amenities, and personalized recommendations based on your interests. Enhance your visit with behind-the-scenes content and engaging quizzes.

Highlights
  • Interactive museum map
  • Turn-by-turn directions
  • Customized exhibit recommendations
  • Exhibit information and quizzes
  • Amenity finder (restrooms, shops)
  • Multi-language support
Read full description

Download Explorer, the Museum’s free mobile app! Get a map, turn-by-turn directions to exhibits and amenities, customized recommendations for what to see, and more!    “A great aid to anyone seeing the museum for the first or 40th time.” - The New York Times   Available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Explorer is automatically set to the language of your device.   Map and Turn-by-Turn Directions Get directions to exhibits and amenities, including shortest and accessible routes.   Get Recommendations for What to See Explorer recommends exhibits based on interests you select—and sorts them by how close they are to your location.   Learn More About the Museum’s Exhibits Go behind the scenes and dive deeper with videos, fun quizzes, and more.   Find the Nearest Restroom Explorer provides you the shortest route to restrooms, shops, exits, and more. How does Explorer know where you are? The Museum has placed more than 700 Bluetooth beacons throughout its 45 permanent halls. These tiny beacons give off signals that your phone can detect (when Bluetooth is enabled). Your phone calculates your position based on detecting three of these beacons simultaneously. This triangulation is not always perfect, especially in certain areas like large, multi-level halls, meandering walkways, or stairwells. Your phone should be able to detect the hall that you are in and provide turn-by-turn directions, but sometimes the “blue dot” is not exactly in the right place. In some rare cases it will even be missing. Moving to another area and waiting a few moments will usually fix the issue. The Museum’s free AMNH-GUEST Wi-Fi also varies in strength throughout the complex. Certain materials and large exhibits (i.e. the Blue Whale) either absorb or reflect the radio signals used by Wi-Fi, further complicating this technology. If you experience difficulty connecting to Wi-Fi in a particular part of the Museum, you can usually fix the issue by moving a short distance away.   We’d Love to Hear From You! Your feedback is important and will help us improve your Museum experience. Email explorer@amnh.org.   Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies

About

Queens Public Library

Access library services on your mobile device. Read, listen to, and watch materials, search the catalog, manage your account, and discover events. Connect with your local library community anywhere with a network connection.

Highlights
  • Read, listen, and watch materials
  • Search library catalog
  • Manage account information
  • Request books
  • Search and register for events
  • Find library locations
  • Join online community
Features
Read full description

The Queens Public Library App is your gateway to QPL’s services on your mobile device. Our revamped application represents a leap forward in usability, speed, and convenience for our users. You can read, listen to, and watch materials directly, search our catalog, view account information, request books, search and register for events, find our locations, ask for assistance, join our vibrant online community, and much more. The QPL Mobile App is compatible with both iPhones and iPads. Experience Queens Public Library like never before, anywhere you have a network connection.

Screenshots

Explorer3 screens
Queens Public Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Explorer at 3.8 against Queens Public Library's 3.2. Explorer also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 29%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Queens Public Library's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explorer holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 64 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Explorer's written reviews are positive against 29% of Queens Public Library's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explorer ships an update every 2 months, Queens Public Library every 7 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Explorer versus Queens Public Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplorerQueens Public Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (115 ratings) — better3.2 (64 ratings)
Positive reviews58.1% of reviews — better29.1% of reviews
Number of ratings115 — better64
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryQueens Borough Public Library

Customer experience

Explorer

All ratings108 ratings
Positive68.5%
Neutral6.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews117 reviews
Positive58.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative32.5%

Queens Public Library

All ratings53 ratings
Positive54.7%
Neutral5.7%
Negative39.6%
Written reviews79 reviews
Positive29.1%
Neutral16.5%
Negative54.4%

User reviews

Explorer

From 115 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗺️ Accurate indoor navigation and turn-by-turn directions
  • 📍 Real-time location tracking within museum
  • 🎯 Helpful exhibit search and discovery features
  • 🚻 Easy access to restroom and facility locations
  • 📱 User-friendly interface and design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • 📍 Location detection fails inconsistently
  • 🔋 Excessive battery drain from Bluetooth usage
  • 🌐 Poor performance without WiFi connection
  • 🗺️ Outdated maps missing recent renovations

Queens Public Library

From 64 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient for requesting books
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Access to ebooks and eContent
  • 👍 Barcode for library card
  • 👍 Useful for checking availability

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 App freezes often
  • 🐛 Login issues
  • 🐛 Search function broken
  • 🐛 Scan function not working

Bugs and requests

Explorer

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes when accessing membership/ticket linking
  • Location services fail to detect user position
  • Bluetooth continues tracking after app closes
  • Payment confirmation button unresponsive
  • Duplicate charges on payment attempts
Show 7 more
  • App freezes on food page navigation
  • Crashes when changing map levels
  • Swiping on image galleries doesn't work
  • App won't open or closes immediately
  • GPS shows incorrect floor levels
  • Directions loop back on themselves
  • Maps don't match physical museum layout

Requested features

10 requests
  • Digital membership card storage
  • Apple Pay support for payments
  • Search function for exhibits
  • Swipe functionality for image galleries
  • To-do list based on interests and time
Show 5 more
  • Planetarium and show times integration
  • Ability to highlight halls on map
  • Improved battery optimization
  • Current exhibition listings
  • Ticket pricing and hours information

Queens Public Library

Reported bugs

41 issues
  • Scan function doesn't work on iPhone
  • App freezes when accepting terms
  • App freezes when trying to accept terms
  • Pages take a long time to load
  • Search doesn't separate books and movies
Show 36 more
  • Search doesn't work
  • Search button turns into a blank screen
  • App does not show requests or checked out books
  • Search button goes blank, only shows recommended books
  • No notifications for holds or due dates
  • Cannot see checkouts or other functions
  • Cannot request books
  • Logged out randomly, error with login
  • Login info incorrect error
  • Keeps saying number and PIN are invalid
  • Does not recognize card number and email
  • App crashes when trying to request a book
  • App kicks out when trying to request a book on iPhone 6 and 7
  • App closes when clicking 'request'
  • App crashes all the time
  • App opens in phone dimensions on iPad
  • Messages keeps crashing the app
  • CAPTCHA image doesn't show when contacting library
  • App crashes when trying to place a request
  • Library location information not available when requesting a book
  • Card number and PIN not working
  • App crashes on launch after iOS 12 update
  • App immediately exits after opening
  • App doesn't work with iOS 12
  • App crashes in iOS 12 environment
  • App doesn't open after installing iOS 12
  • App stopped working after updating to iOS 12
  • Login issues after update
  • Local library shows closed when it's open
  • Update has broken the app, cannot log in
  • App showing old overdue books, not current ones
  • Cannot view available ebooks
  • Cannot log on, black screen
  • Request function not working properly
  • False info about checked out books
  • App not working after update, cannot login

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add renewal feature
  • Add 'would read again' list
  • Add 'favorite lists' or 'save for later'
  • Add history of checked-out books
  • Add option to rate books (1-5 stars)
Show 8 more
  • Add Apple Wallet support for library cards
  • Offer special notification features for events
  • Add a wishlist feature
  • Ability to type library name in search
  • Display requested books and queue position
  • Develop a version for kids or change age rating
  • Add a text feature for request notifications
  • Confirm a return feature

In-app purchases

None

Explorer

No in-app purchases

None

Queens Public Library

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explorer free?
Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Queens Public Library free?
Queens Public Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explorer or Queens Public Library?
Explorer is rated higher. Explorer averages 3.8 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Queens Public Library averages 3.2 from 64 ratings.
Do Explorer or Queens Public Library have ads?
Neither Explorer nor Queens Public Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Explorer or Queens Public Library?
Explorer ships an update every 2 months, and Queens Public Library every 7 months. Most recently, Explorer was updated on October 23, 2026 and Queens Public Library on October 23, 2026.

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