Comparison

Simple Machines by Tinybop vs ESF Hub

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

ESF Hub

Monitor your child's school activities and communications with this app. Receive messages from teachers, report absences, and manage payments for school events. Stay informed and connected about your child's educational journey.

Highlights
  • Monitor child's school journey
  • Receive teacher messages and notifications
  • Report absences
  • Make payments for school activities
  • Stay connected and informed
Features
Read full description

The ESF Hub app allows you to monitor your child’s school journey simply and efficiently. You will find numerous smart features that help streamline your day. Receive messages and notifications from teachers, report absences, make payments for school activities and more. The ESF Hub app helps you stay connected and informed about your child’s education.

Screenshots

Simple Machines by Tinybop4 screens
ESF Hub4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ESF Hub at Free against Simple Machines by Tinybop's $2.99. ESF Hub also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 37%). Simple Machines by Tinybop's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (62 vs 4). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

ESF Hub 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Machines by Tinybop holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Machines by Tinybop has 62 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Simple Machines by Tinybop's written reviews are positive against 50% of ESF Hub's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, ESF Hub monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Simple Machines by Tinybop versus ESF Hub: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Machines by TinybopESF Hub
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (62 ratings) — better2.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews37.4% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings62 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTinybop Inc.Sentral for Parents

Customer experience

Simple Machines by Tinybop

All ratings62 ratings
Positive62.9%
Neutral14.5%
Negative22.6%
Written reviews131 reviews
Positive37.4%
Neutral8.4%
Negative54.2%

ESF Hub

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

ESF Hub

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Simple Machines by Tinybop

No in-app purchases

None

ESF Hub

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Machines by Tinybop free?
Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ESF Hub free?
ESF Hub is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Machines by Tinybop or ESF Hub?
Simple Machines by Tinybop is rated higher. Simple Machines by Tinybop averages 3.7 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while ESF Hub averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Simple Machines by Tinybop or ESF Hub have ads?
Neither Simple Machines by Tinybop nor ESF Hub shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Machines by Tinybop or ESF Hub?
Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, and ESF Hub monthly. Most recently, Simple Machines by Tinybop was updated on October 26, 2026 and ESF Hub on October 24, 2026.

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