The Playground App vs Mid
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Playground App
Discover parks and playgrounds globally with a vast database of nearly one million locations. This app offers satellite and map views, smart filters for amenities, and directions. Track visits, earn badges, and share discoveries with friends and family.
- Nearly 1 million playgrounds globally
- No account required
- Satellite & map views
- Smart filters for amenities
- Get directions
- Favorites & visited tracking
- Earn badges and achievements
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**Your new Saturday morning routine** Check the weather before you leave the house. Filter by what actually matters — swings, splash pads, accessible equipment, surface type. Get directions. Save the ones your family loves. **The Playground Passport** Track every playground you visit. Earn badges. Watch your map fill up over the season. It turns "let's find a new one" into a family project your kids will actually want to keep going. **Found one we missed?** Submit a new playground right from the app. No login required. No hoops. Just add it. **Made by Bears with Apps** The Playground App is from Bears with Apps — we build family-first apps for discovering places together. **Features** • Find nearby playgrounds — "playgrounds near me" anywhere in the world • Almost 1 million playgrounds in the database • No account, no ads — open and explore instantly • Satellite and map views • Smart filters — amenities, sports, surface type, accessibility • Weather for playgrounds when available • One-tap directions • Favorites and visited history • Photo gallery — browse and upload • Share links and calendar invites • Help grow the database — add new playgrounds
Mid
Manage your library account, search the catalog, and borrow digital content like eBooks and eAudiobooks. Discover library events, get directions, and receive important notifications.
- Search library catalog
- Manage account
- Download eBooks and eAudiobooks
- Place holds
- Find library events and hours
- Store multiple library cards
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Access your account, connect with your library, and enjoy the following features: - Search the catalog - Manage your account - Download eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines - Place holds - Find library events, hours, and directions - Search by ISBN barcode - Store multiple library cards - Track reading sessions - Get library notifications
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mid at 5.0 against The Playground App's 4.3. Mid also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). The Playground App's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mid holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
The Playground App ships an update every 8 days, Mid monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Playground App | Mid |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Kathleen Smith | Mid-Hudson Library System |
Customer experience
The Playground App
Mid
In-app purchases
The Playground App
No in-app purchases
Mid
No in-app purchases
