Comparison

DIY Lake Science vs Tinkercad

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

Head to head
About

DIY Lake Science

Explore freshwater ecosystems with hands-on activities and interactive simulations. Learn about lake mixing, seasonal changes, and the diverse life within aquatic environments through engaging videos and guided experiments.

Highlights
  • Hands-on activities with step-by-step instructions
  • Under the Lake simulation
  • Videos of global freshwater ecosystems
  • Learn about lake mixing and seasonal changes
  • Information on aquatic plants and animals
  • Content for families and educators
Features
Read full description

DIY Lake Science, funded by NSF, allows families and educators to investigate and learn about lakes and other freshwater ecosystems at home, at school, or anywhere you go! Developed by UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES Includes a dozen, easy to use, hands-on activities to learn about freshwater ecosystems. Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. The activity materials are widely available and inexpensive—you probably have many of them in your home. UNDER THE LAKE Want to explore what happens under a lake's surface? In the Under the Lake simulation, you can explore a process called lake mixing and how lakes change across the seasons, in different climates, and for different lake sizes. VIDEOS View collections of videos of lakes and other freshwater ecosystems around the world! Learn about the plants and animals that live in lakes and other bodies of water, the scientists who study freshwater ecosystems, and how people can care for lakes.

About

Tinkercad

This app empowers aspiring designers and engineers with essential skills in 3D design, electronics, and coding. Learn through hands-on projects, build confidence, and bring your creations to life in the real world. It's a safe, ad-free environment for all ages to explore innovation.

Highlights
  • 3D design optimized for mobile
  • Circuit simulation with Arduino/micro:bit
  • 3D design from code (Codeblocks)
  • AR viewer for designs
  • Import/export various file formats
  • Educational tools for teachers
Read full description

Tinkercad is a free app that equips the next generation of designers and engineers with the foundational skills for innovation: 3D design, electronics, and coding. • FREE FOR EVERYONE: No strings attached. Start creating from the first click. • LEARN BY DOING: Build confidence, persistence, and problem-solving skills. • SAFE FOR ALL AGES: Ad-free. kidSAFE certified. Privacy first. KEY FEATURES • Easily build 3D with controls optimized for your device. • Connect, code, and simulate circuit components with Arduino and micro:bit microcontrollers. • Make 3D designs from code using Tinkercad Codeblocks. • Bring your designs into the real world with the Tinkercad AR viewer. • Import STL, OBJ and SVG files into the 3D design space to build on an existing design. • Export your files including STL, OBJ, USDZ, and SVG or send them to other programs. • All you need is a device and an internet connection. • Apple Pencil compatible. FOR EDUCATORS • Tinkercad Classrooms allows teachers to assign Activities, send and receive assignments, invite co-teachers, and monitor student progress—all from your dashboard. • Tinkercad Lesson Plans and starters available for students to get started with 3D CAD design, electronics simulation, and block-based programming. • Compatible with Google Classroom. Tinkercad is a free product from Autodesk, a leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software. Tomorrow's innovators start here. Children’s Privacy Statement: https://www.autodesk.com/company/legal-notices-trademarks/privacy-statement/childrens-privacy-statement

Screenshots

DIY Lake Science4 screens

Verdict

The call

DIY Lake Science and Tinkercad both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of DIY Lake Science's written reviews are positive against 59% of Tinkercad's. DIY Lake Science also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). Tinkercad's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 16). On price, rating, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tinkercad holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tinkercad has 20K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of DIY Lake Science's written reviews are positive against 59% of Tinkercad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
DIY Lake Science versus Tinkercad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDIY Lake ScienceTinkercad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (16 ratings)4.6 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better58.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1620K — better
Update frequency—Every 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS7.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Lawrence Hall of ScienceAutodesk Inc.

Customer experience

DIY Lake Science

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tinkercad

All ratings19,985 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews659 reviews
Positive58.9%
Neutral8.8%
Negative32.3%

Bugs and requests

DIY Lake Science

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Tinkercad

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and lost connection problems
  • Dimensions box repeatedly appearing
  • Designs reverting to earlier versions
  • Overlapping UI elements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Apple Pencil and trackpad
  • Improve alignment and grouping tools
  • Provide offline functionality
  • Expand library of shapes and templates
  • Implement better tutorial and documentation

In-app purchases

None

DIY Lake Science

No in-app purchases

None

Tinkercad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DIY Lake Science free?
DIY Lake Science is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tinkercad free?
Tinkercad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DIY Lake Science or Tinkercad?
Tinkercad is rated higher. DIY Lake Science averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Tinkercad averages 4.6 from 20K ratings.
Do DIY Lake Science or Tinkercad have ads?
Neither DIY Lake Science nor Tinkercad shows ads.

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