# Circa 1948 vs 36Exp lite

The clearest difference is update cadence: Circa 1948 at fortnightly against 36Exp lite's every 8 months. Circa 1948 also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Circa 1948 ships an update fortnightly, 36Exp lite every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Circa 1948 | 36Exp lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circa-1948/id836688265/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **22** | — |
| Positive reviews | 39.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Film Board of Canada – Office national du film du Canada](https://appshunter.io/developer/329353641) | [Thomas Schucker](https://appshunter.io/developer/1675557156) |

## What reviewers say

### Circa 1948

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circa-1948/id836688265)

Explore a historically inspired, film noir-style city from the late 1940s. This immersive art app uses photorealistic 3D illustrations and audio to recreate two distinct Vancouver neighborhoods, offering a glimpse into urban planning and social divisions of the era.

**Highlights:** Extensive historical detail, Period music and audio, Film noir influenced conversations, Historically accurate environments, Real-time 3D engine, Touch and gyroscope navigation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Immersive and beautiful visuals
- 🗺️ Detailed historical recreation
- 💡 Innovative concept and exploration
- 🎧 High-quality audio and dialogue
- 📚 Educative and thought-provoking content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- ⏳ Slow loading times
- 😵 Choppy performance and lag
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚫 App won't load or crashes on startup

**Reported bugs**

- Keeps crashing
- Barely works
- It would not load
- Crashed the first time I loaded it
- Stayed on the opening music and screen

**Requested features**

- Update to fix loading and crashing bugs
- Take advantage of newer device resolutions
- More levels/floors to explore
- Add subtitles
- More content and surrounding communities


### 36Exp lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/36exp-lite/id6451005279)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Circa 1948 free?

Circa 1948 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 36Exp lite free?

36Exp lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Circa 1948 or 36Exp lite have ads?

Neither Circa 1948 nor 36Exp lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Circa 1948 or 36Exp lite?

Circa 1948 ships an update fortnightly, and 36Exp lite every 8 months. Most recently, Circa 1948 was updated on October 12, 2026 and 36Exp lite on September 20, 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.*