Comparison

Simple Machines by Tinybop vs Inventioneers Full Version

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

Inventioneers Full Version

Unleash your creativity by building unique inventions with the help of tiny characters. Explore real-time physics concepts like air, fire, and magnetism. Share your creations with friends and even classmates.

Highlights
  • Create your own inventions
  • Learn real-time physics
  • Share inventions with friends
  • 120 inventions across 8 chapters
  • Over 100 objects to use
  • 18 characters to help
Features
Read full description

* FROM THE CREATORS OF PETTSON'S INVENTIONS DELUXE * *** Winner of Parents' Choice Gold Award *** BE CREATIVE! In this game you can create your own crazy, fun inventions! With the help of the Inventioneers, our tiny helpers with unique characteristics, you can invent fun, creative and often quite weird inventions. A lot of inventions are included in the game, the more you solve the more parts you receive for your own inventions! LEARN ABOUT PHYSICS! Inventioneers is an outstanding tool for learning about realtime physics and the science behind different features like air, fire, magnetism and jumping bunnies. What you can do with the tool is virtually endless. SHARE WITH FRIENDS! Invite friends to share their crazy inventions and you can share yours too! If you are a teacher you can set up the whole classroom as a user and share with other classes! The full version: • 8 chapters with a total of 120 inventions! • Create! - A fully working tool to create your own inventions • Share up to 16 inventions with your friends! • 100+ objects • 18 characters that you can help • 8 Inventioneers with unique features - "Windy", "Blaze", "Sporty", "Zappy", "Bunny", "Magneta", "Freezy" and "Maggie"

Screenshots

Simple Machines by Tinybop4 screens
Inventioneers Full Version4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Inventioneers Full Version at 4.5 against Simple Machines by Tinybop's 3.7. Inventioneers Full Version also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 37%). Simple Machines by Tinybop's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $5.99). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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

Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99 and Inventioneers Full Version $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Inventioneers Full Version holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 115 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Simple Machines by Tinybop's written reviews are positive against 79% of Inventioneers Full Version's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, Inventioneers Full Version every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Simple Machines by Tinybop versus Inventioneers Full Version: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Machines by TinybopInventioneers Full Version
Price$2.99 — better$5.99
Rating3.7 (62 ratings)4.5 (115 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.4% of reviews78.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings62115 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB189 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTinybop Inc.Filimundus AB

Customer experience

Simple Machines by Tinybop

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

Inventioneers Full Version

All ratings115 ratings
Positive87.0%
Neutral3.5%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive78.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative15.2%

User reviews

Simple Machines by Tinybop

From 62 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and design
  • 🧠 Educational and informative
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Good for kids and learning
  • 💡 Sparks curiosity and imagination
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 😴 Boring and repetitive
  • 💸 Expensive for limited content
  • 🤷‍♂️ Lacks clear goals or objectives
  • 🤏 Limited interaction and content
  • 🚫 Not a game, more of a toy

Inventioneers Full Version

From 115 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🧠 Teaches problem solving
  • 💡 Encourages spatial reasoning
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for all ages
  • ✨ Nostalgic and engaging
  • 💯 High-quality and educational

Room to improve

  • 💰 Perceived as a rip-off
  • 🐌 Slow puzzle creation
  • 📈 Some levels too hard
  • ⚠️ Update ruined experience
  • ❌ Can't restore progress

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

Inventioneers Full Version

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • App crashes when not on WiFi
  • App crashes on launch (black screen)
  • Worlds/places won't click
  • Spinny thingy turns on its side
Show 4 more
  • Incompatible with older OS versions
  • Cannot sign in to old account
  • Japanese language not displayed
  • Full version won't open

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add more levels
  • Add more animals
  • Add cockroaches and socks
  • Add a cat named Carlile
  • Add a second game
Show 8 more
  • Add more places
  • Add disco ball item
  • Add new character: force man
  • Add sky and ground levels
  • Bring back present collection
  • Allow level skipping
  • Add rock and cheese slide to level
  • Restore progress/account feature

In-app purchases

None

Simple Machines by Tinybop

No in-app purchases

None

Inventioneers Full Version

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Machines by Tinybop free?
Simple Machines by Tinybop costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Inventioneers Full Version free?
Inventioneers Full Version costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Machines by Tinybop or Inventioneers Full Version?
Inventioneers Full Version is rated higher. Simple Machines by Tinybop averages 3.7 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Inventioneers Full Version averages 4.5 from 115 ratings.
Do Simple Machines by Tinybop or Inventioneers Full Version have ads?
Neither Simple Machines by Tinybop nor Inventioneers Full Version shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Machines by Tinybop or Inventioneers Full Version?
Simple Machines by Tinybop ships an update every 4 months, and Inventioneers Full Version every 5 months. Most recently, Simple Machines by Tinybop was updated on September 23, 2026 and Inventioneers Full Version on September 22, 2026.

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