# Smithsonian vs Touch and Sparkle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Touch and Sparkle at none against Smithsonian's 2. Touch and Sparkle also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). Smithsonian's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Touch and Sparkle asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smithsonian ships an update every 3 months, Touch and Sparkle every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian | Touch and Sparkle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-and-sparkle-planets/id6774626918/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **9** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 285 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) | [Peter Denniss](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889050196) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Touch and Sparkle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-and-sparkle-planets/id6774626918)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smithsonian free?

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

### Is Touch and Sparkle free?

Touch and Sparkle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Smithsonian or Touch and Sparkle have ads?

Neither Smithsonian nor Touch and Sparkle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian or Touch and Sparkle?

Smithsonian ships an update every 3 months, and Touch and Sparkle every 4 days. Most recently, Smithsonian was updated on October 9, 2026 and Touch and Sparkle on October 24, 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.*