Comparison

ARTLENS vs JEM by Kitlab

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

Head to head
About

ARTLENS

Transform your smartphone into a personal museum guide. Explore artworks, navigate galleries with an interactive map, and access in-depth information. Plan your visit, create custom tours, and discover highlights from home or within the museum.

Highlights
  • Interactive museum map
  • Artwork search by artist, title, accession number
  • Image recognition for artwork details
  • Customizable tour creation and browsing
  • Save favorite artworks
  • Real-time updates on exhibits and events
Features
Read full description

Turn your smartphone into a pocket guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art with the new and reimagined ArtLens App. Use the app as a companion within the museum, or as a way to explore from home. Download before arriving, plan your visit, and browse tours. While visiting, use the interactive map as a guide to navigate the museum, and keep track of your favorite artworks and gain in-depth information about every object on view. The ArtLens App uses Bluetooth technology to connect to the museum’s iconic ArtLens Wall and ArtLens Gallery interactives, and updates in real-time ensuring that users have access to the most accurate information available. The ArtLens App features six main categories: 1. Search Search the CMA's collection by artist name, artwork title, and accession number to discover works on view in the museum. Here you can find a scrollable list of featured artists and popular artworks. 2. Explore Homepage that provides a snapshot of everything the ArtLens app has to offer and allows for quick access to dive deeper. Discover today's museum hours, popular artworks on view, get answers to your questions, and more. 3. Map · Galleries are color-coded and grouped thematically to facilitate easier navigation. Tap any gallery number to see a gallery description and all artworks in that gallery. · Wayfinding: Push the “Find Me” button at any time to find your exact location in the museum. · Content: Includes every artwork on view, including more than 1,500 videos, available for selected artworks. Changes to any object on view are dynamically and immediately updated from the backend systems across the app and throughout the museum. · Filter for restrooms, elevators, and exits. · Bluetooth: ArtLens App uses Bluetooth to connect to ArtLens Wall and all interactives in ArtLens Exhibition, making synchronization seamless. 4. Favorites Favorited artworks on the Wall and the App and artworks played in ArtLens Exhibition interactives are automatically saved in "Favorites.” Favorites can be used to learn more, find specific artworks, or share on social media. 5. Tours Select from "All," "Featured," "Guided," and Visitor-Created" tours in the ArtLens App. The mapping feature locates specific artworks and navigates the entire tour. 6. ArtLens Gallery Access detailed information to guide your visit with the third and most innovative iteration of ArtLens Gallery, designed to remove the intimidation of an art museum and give people the tool sets to look closer and dive deeper. Features include physical docking at every interactive, accessing guided tactile descriptions, and more.

About

JEM by Kitlab

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Program and control a JEM microcontroller with: - a full micropython REPL - sample code or your own pulled from open source repositories - a customizable remote control UI to control JEM over WiFI or BLE Discover ideas and applets for JEM from the JEM Creator community!

Screenshots

ARTLENS4 screens
JEM by Kitlab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: JEM by Kitlab at 12.1 against ARTLENS's 16.4. On price, update cadence, 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARTLENS ships an update every 5 weeks, JEM by Kitlab every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ARTLENS versus JEM by Kitlab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARTLENSJEM by Kitlab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (34 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings34 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.412.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB27 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCleveland Museum of ArtKITLAB LLC

In-app purchases

None

ARTLENS

No in-app purchases

None

JEM by Kitlab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ARTLENS free?
ARTLENS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is JEM by Kitlab free?
JEM by Kitlab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ARTLENS or JEM by Kitlab have ads?
Neither ARTLENS nor JEM by Kitlab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARTLENS or JEM by Kitlab?
ARTLENS ships an update every 5 weeks, and JEM by Kitlab every 2 months. Most recently, ARTLENS was updated on November 1, 2026 and JEM by Kitlab on November 3, 2026.

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