GlennKessler vs Election Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GlennKessler
Access the latest articles, interviews, and videos from a prominent political fact-checker. Engage with interactive content like The Pinocchio Game and learn more about the author's work. Features include push notifications, article saving, and watchOS integration for on-the-go updates.
- Read latest articles
- Push notifications for new articles
- Save articles for later
- The Pinocchio Game
- Watch latest videos
- Read interviews
- watchOS summary
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Read Glenn Kessler's latest articles and interviews, play The Pinocchio Game, watch his newest videos, learn more about him, and contact him, all through the app. The simple, clean design gets out of your way, highlighting the content you care about. Read: ∙ Read the latest articles right in the app. ∙ Turn on push notifications to get notified each time an article is published. ∙ Save articles to read later, either by left swiping them, or tapping the share button. Your saved articles are synced over iCloud, so all your devices are ready to read. GlennKessler for watchOS: ∙ See a summary of the latest five articles at any time on your wrist. ∙ With a tap, save an article to read later in full on your iPhone or iPad. Play the game: ∙ The Pinocchio Game: read a quote, select the number of Pinocchios you think the quote should receive, and see what Glenn Kessler actually gave it, with an option to read the full article. ∙ Each game has a different set of 7 randomly picked questions. ∙ Optionally share your game scores with your friends. Watch and read interviews: ∙ Watch the latest videos with Glenn Kessler in a constantly updating grid. ∙ Read the latest interviews with Glenn Kessler. And even more: ∙ Learn more about Glenn Kessler, the Fact Checker column, and his book, The Confidante. ∙ Email Glenn Kessler. ∙ VoiceOver support.
Election Explorer
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Election Explorer: The Ultimate Political Sandbox Stop guessing and start simulating. Election Explorer is the definitive, professional-grade tool for modeling every outcome of the U.S. Presidential, Senate, and House elections. Whether you are a dedicated political junkie, a student of history, or a strategist mapping out the 2026 midterms, Election Explorer puts the power of the map in your hands. The Election Time Machine Journey back to the very beginning. Explore an interactive archive of every U.S. election from 1788 to today. See the Evolution: Watch how the American political landscape shifted through the rise and fall of the Whigs, the Federalists, and the Bull Moose party. Historical Accuracy: Every map reflects the actual electoral college count and state borders of its era. Interactive 2026 Midterm Maps Predict the next shift in power with high-precision simulation tools. Senate and House Control: Toggle between the White House and Congress. Use the +/- seat steppers to adjust the House of Representatives and watch the balance of power swing as you make your picks. Granular Detail: Includes split electoral vote support for Maine and Nebraska (district-level allocation) for 100% accuracy in your modeling. Dynamic Dashboard: The "Road to 270" and "Senate Majority" gauges update as you flip states from Red to Blue—or Independent. Races to Watch Stay ahead of the 2026 cycle. We track the high-stakes battles that will define the next two years. Battleground Insights: Get the latest on the "Toss-Up" seats in the House and the Senate. The Path to Victory: Analyze the candidates and the margins needed to flip the most contested districts in the country. Fun Facts and Civics Trivia Level up your political IQ with our deep-dive trivia library. Quirky History: Discover the strangest moments in American democracy, from tied elections to "faithless electors" and the candidates who defied the odds. Educational and Engaging: Learn the mechanics of the Electoral College and how seat assignments are actually calculated. Full Customization Custom Candidates: Want to see what happens if a Third Party surges? Create your own candidates, assign them colors, and track their path to an upset victory. Bulk Assignments: Easily reset maps or assign all states to a specific party to start your scenario from scratch.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: GlennKessler at Free against Election Explorer's $2.99. Election Explorer's advantage is chart position (#6 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
GlennKessler is free to download; Election Explorer costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GlennKessler | Election Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (992 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 992 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | — | #6 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Glenn Kessler | Carlton Payne III |
Bugs and requests
GlennKessler
Reported bugs
2 issues- Connectivity issues with certain app sections
- Compatibility problems on older devices
Requested features
3 requests- Improve balance and objectivity in fact-checking
- Provide more accessibility options
- Enhance user communication and support channels
Election Explorer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
GlennKessler
No in-app purchases
Election Explorer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is GlennKessler free?
Is Election Explorer free?
Do GlennKessler or Election Explorer have ads?
Which is updated more often, GlennKessler or Election Explorer?
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