# The Castle App vs Here Before

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Castle App at none against Here Before's 2. Here Before's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Here Before sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. The Castle App asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Castle App ships an update every 3 months, Here Before every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Castle App | Here Before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-castle-app/id6737998437/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kathleen Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573994212) | [Benjamin Styles](https://appshunter.io/developer/856831184) |

## What reviewers say

### The Castle App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-castle-app/id6737998437)

Explore castles and historic sites worldwide. Save your favorites, get directions, and plan your next adventure. Discover hidden ruins and famous landmarks all in one convenient map.

**Highlights:** Discover nearby castles and ruins, Plan trips with saved locations, Get directions to sites, View key information before visiting, Explore famous landmarks and hidden ruins, No account required for exploration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Here Before

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/here-before/id6746383721)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Explorer | $1.99 | per month |
| Explorer Month Pass | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Castle App free?

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

### Is Here Before free?

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

### Do The Castle App or Here Before have ads?

The Castle App shows ads; Here Before does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Castle App or Here Before?

The Castle App ships an update every 3 months, and Here Before every 2 months. Most recently, The Castle App was updated on September 22, 2026 and Here Before on September 18, 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.*