Comparison

Simple Machines by Tinybop vs PomoPals

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Machines by Tinybop

Explore the playful side of physics and learn about simple machines through interactive experiments. Kids can discover how levers, pulleys, and other mechanisms work by building and testing them in a digital sandbox environment. This app is designed to spark curiosity and understanding of scientific principles.

Highlights
  • Explore 6 simple machines
  • Experiment with real-world physics
  • Investigate physics at work
  • Learn about force and motion
  • Kid-friendly design
  • Interactive labels in 40+ languages
Features
Read full description

Explore the playful side of physics! “I just love how apps like these get kids genuinely excited about science." — COOL MOM TECH Experiment with levers, pulleys, inclined planes, inclined planes, wedges, wheel and axles, and screws. Discover how they work and investigate the invisible forces behind them in this sandbox app. Destroy a castle, make music, send satellites into orbit & more! *** App Store Editor's Choice *** *** Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner *** Simple Machines integrates with STEM curriculum: kids can alter and test each machine to learn about force and motion, actions and reactions, inputs and outputs, conservation of energy, mechanical advantages, and tradeoffs. Get free activity sheets at tinybop.com. Simple Machines is No. 4 in Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library series, designed for curious kids ages 4+ to dive deep into big ideas. The apps in this series have won Best of the App Store, App Store Editors’ Choice, Parents’ Choice, and Children's Technology Review Editor’s Choice awards. Features: * Explore 6 simple machines: levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, wheel and axles, and screws. * Experiment with real world physics, actions and reactions, inputs and outputs. Learn about force and motion. * Investigate the physics at work behind each machine. * Sophisticated sound design rewards experimentation. * Original artwork by James Gilleard. * Smart features use your device’s camera to bring your kids’ world into the app. * Learn new vocabulary in 40+ languages with interactive labels. * Intuitive, safe, and kid-friendly design. * Entertaining for kids and adults alike. FREE handbook Our expert-reviewed handbook is full of facts, interaction hints, and discussion questions to support learning in this app, in the classroom or at home. Download in your app or at: http://tinybop.com/handbooks. Privacy Policy We take your and your child’s privacy very seriously. We do not collect or share personal information about your child, nor do we allow any third-party advertising. When the camera, microphone, and other services are used within an app, your information is neither collected nor distributed outside of the app. Read our complete privacy policy at tinybop.com. Tinybop, Inc. is a Brooklyn-based studio of designers, engineers, and artists. We make toys for tomorrow. We’re all over the internet. Visit us: www.tinybop.com Follow us: twitter.com/tinybop Like us: facebook.com/tinybop Peek behind the scenes: instagram.com/tinybop We love hearing your stories! If you have ideas, or something isn’t working as you expect it to, please contact us: hi@tinybop.com. Compatible with iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, 6, 6 Plus, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2, 3, mini, and Air. **This app is optimized for iPad 2 and iPhone 5 or higher. Requires iOS 7.0 or later. psst! It's not Tiny Bop, or Tiny Bob, or Tiny Pop. It's Tinybop.

About

PomoPals

Read full description

Pomo Pals – Hatch Your Productivity! Transform every study session into an exciting adventure with PomoPals, the ultimate app that combines the power of the Pomodoro technique with the fun of collecting virtual pals. Whether you're hitting the books or crushing work deadlines, PomoPals makes staying focused rewarding and playful.

Screenshots

Simple Machines by Tinybop4 screens
PomoPals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PomoPals at Free against Simple Machines by Tinybop's $2.99. PomoPals also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). Simple Machines by Tinybop's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PomoPals is free to download; Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, PomoPals daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simple Machines by Tinybop versus PomoPals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Machines by TinybopPomoPals
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (62 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings62 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTinybop Inc.MATTHEW KA-WING LOW

Bugs and requests

Simple Machines by Tinybop

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Crashes immediately on launch
  • Cannot install after purchase
  • App crashes after loading screen
  • No sound
  • Does not work
Show 3 more
  • Download issues
  • Does not open
  • Chinese language not displayed

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add a creative building mode
  • More levels and modules
  • Sandbox mode
  • Ability to build own machines
  • More interactive elements
Show 3 more
  • Add more complex mechanisms
  • Improve wheel and axle interaction
  • Allow bringing up planets in pulley game

PomoPals

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Simple Machines by Tinybop

No in-app purchases

None

PomoPals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Machines by Tinybop free?
Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PomoPals free?
PomoPals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Simple Machines by Tinybop or PomoPals have ads?
Neither Simple Machines by Tinybop nor PomoPals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Machines by Tinybop or PomoPals?
Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, and PomoPals daily. Most recently, Simple Machines by Tinybop was updated on October 15, 2026 and PomoPals on October 8, 2026.

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