# The Playground App vs The Playground Guide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Playground App at none against The Playground Guide's 2. The Playground Guide's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Playground Guide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. The Playground App asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Playground App ships an update every 8 days, The Playground Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Playground App | The Playground Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-playground-app/id6504211925/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kathleen Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573994212) | [Codefish AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845423159) |

## What reviewers say

### The Playground App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-playground-app/id6504211925)

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.

**Highlights:** Nearly 1 million playgrounds globally, No account required, Satellite & map views, Smart filters for amenities, Get directions, Favorites & visited tracking, Earn badges and achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Playground Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-playground-guide/id6760616630)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Playground App free?

The Playground App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Playground Guide free?

The Playground Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do The Playground App or The Playground Guide have ads?

The Playground App shows ads; The Playground Guide does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Playground App or The Playground Guide?

The Playground App ships an update every 8 days, and The Playground Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Playground App was updated on October 18, 2026 and The Playground Guide on October 6, 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.*