# Stack the States® vs Interactive Protist Explorer

The clearest difference is chart position: Stack the States® at #10 against Interactive Protist Explorer's unranked. Interactive Protist Explorer's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Stack the States® costs $2.99 and Interactive Protist Explorer $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Stack the States® ships an update every 3 months, Interactive Protist Explorer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stack the States® | Interactive Protist Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-the-states/id381342267/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 99 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Freecloud Design, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/324355664) | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) |

## What reviewers say

### Stack the States®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-the-states/id381342267)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Paid · Education, #104 Top Paid (US App Store)

Learn about the 50 US states through a fun and interactive game. Collect all states, unlock bonus games, and master capitals, shapes, flags, and more. This app makes geography engaging for all ages.

**Highlights:** Learn state capitals, shapes, and flags, Interactive drag-and-drop gameplay, Collect all 50 states on a personalized map, Unlock four bonus educational games, Hundreds of unique questions, Create multiple player profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 No ads/tracking
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 👍 Helpful for learning states
- 👍 Nostalgic/childhood game
- 👍 Great for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Capital drop glitch
- 🔍 Needs more content after completing all states
- 🔍 Difficulty level may be too high for younger kids

**Reported bugs**

- Washington state mapping issue
- Battery drain when app returns to home screen

**Requested features**

- Ability to view completed states again
- Add more state facts/trivia
- Include background photos related to states
- Add a country-wide puzzle mode
- Option to turn off state faces


### Interactive Protist Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interactive-protist-explorer/id1270888856)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stack the States® free?

Stack the States® costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Interactive Protist Explorer free?

Interactive Protist Explorer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Stack the States® or Interactive Protist Explorer have ads?

Neither Stack the States® nor Interactive Protist Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stack the States® or Interactive Protist Explorer?

Stack the States® ships an update every 3 months, and Interactive Protist Explorer every 4 months. Most recently, Stack the States® was updated on October 21, 2026 and Interactive Protist Explorer on September 23, 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.*