# Animata vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smithsonian at 100% against Animata's 0%. Smithsonian also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 38 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Animata's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $3.99). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Animata costs $2.99 and Smithsonian $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Animata ships an update every 38 months, Smithsonian every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Animata | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 84 MB | 440 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ting Tze Chuen](https://appshunter.io/developer/654138164) | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Animata

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animata-play-to-learn/id725186720)

This app allows children to create their own animated movies by tapping to move characters, adding effects, and inserting personal photos. It offers various weather effects, theme songs, and sound effects to enhance storytelling and creativity.

**Highlights:** Intuitive tap-to-animate controls, Character creation with personal photos, Add effects, animations, and speech bubbles, Variety of weather effects, Studio-quality theme songs and custom music, Sound effects for immersive experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-dinosaurs/id6503628867)

Explore a prehistoric world by digging for fossils and uncovering facts about dinosaurs. Earn coins to unlock new tools and learn about over 15 dinosaur species through interactive scenes and quizzes. Develop literacy and critical thinking skills with engaging educational content.

**Highlights:** Dig for fossils with virtual tools, Learn facts about 15+ dinosaur species, Unlock dinosaur cards with information, Interactive prehistoric world exploration, Earn coins for better digging tools, Prehistoric quiz to test knowledge, Phonetic spelling for vocabulary building

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Animata free?

Animata costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smithsonian free?

Smithsonian costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Animata or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Animata nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Animata or Smithsonian?

Animata ships an update every 38 months, and Smithsonian every 6 months. Most recently, Animata was updated on November 1, 2026 and Smithsonian on November 4, 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.*