# Benkyo Box vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is update cadence: Benkyo Box at weekly against Smithsonian's every 3 months. Smithsonian's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Benkyo Box sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Benkyo Box ships an update weekly, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Benkyo Box | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benkyo-box/id6475318444/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 153 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [autorelease LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502054942) | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Benkyo Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benkyo-box/id6475318444)

Create and study custom flashcards with rich media support, including sketching and image annotations. Organize your learning with folders and track your progress with daily study schedules and trend analysis.

**Highlights:** Custom flashcard creation, Image sketching and annotation, Quick entry and CSV import, Folder organization, Daily study scheduling, Progress tracking and trends, Shortcut integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced Learner (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Advanced Learner (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-planets/id6504839302)

Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.

**Highlights:** Fascinating facts about the solar system, Mini games like Space Winter Rush, Interactive activities, Educational animations, Read to Me text, Collect planet badges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy 5 Planets | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Benkyo Box free?

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

### Is Smithsonian free?

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

### Do Benkyo Box or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Benkyo Box nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Benkyo Box or Smithsonian?

Benkyo Box ships an update weekly, and Smithsonian every 3 months. Most recently, Benkyo Box was updated on October 8, 2026 and Smithsonian on October 9, 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.*