# Purple Hat vs Next Step Academy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Purple Hat at none against Next Step Academy's 10. Purple Hat also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 14 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Next Step Academy sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Purple Hat asks for nothing beyond the download.

Purple Hat ships an update every 3 months, Next Step Academy every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Purple Hat | Next Step Academy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 110 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aakash Sinha](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741940052) | [Online Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1790866777) |

## What reviewers say

### Purple Hat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purple-hat/id6670333636)

This educational app offers interactive lessons, quizzes, and resources to make learning engaging for all ages. It provides personalized learning paths, real-time progress tracking, and a supportive community to help users succeed.

**Highlights:** Interactive lessons, Quizzes and resources, Personalized learning paths, Real-time progress tracking, Community support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Next Step Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-step-academy/id6737465890)

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Package - CF | $199.99 | one-time |
| Package - CH | $299.99 | one-time |
| Package - CI | $349.99 | one-time |
| Package - CJ | $399.99 | one-time |
| Package - CK | $449.99 | one-time |
| Package - CL | $499.99 | one-time |
| Package - CM | $599.99 | one-time |
| Package - CN | $699.99 | one-time |
| Package - CO | $799.99 | one-time |
| Package - CP | $899.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Purple Hat free?

Purple Hat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Next Step Academy free?

Next Step Academy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Purple Hat or Next Step Academy have ads?

Neither Purple Hat nor Next Step Academy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Purple Hat or Next Step Academy?

Purple Hat ships an update every 3 months, and Next Step Academy every 14 months. Most recently, Purple Hat was updated on October 26, 2026 and Next Step Academy on October 7, 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.*