Wonder for Dash vs Merge Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Wonder for Dash
This app introduces children aged 8 and up to coding through interactive challenges and creative play with robots. It features a picture-based language and guided adventures to teach programming concepts. Users can create their own inventions and transfer code directly to the robots.
- Picture-based coding language
- Over 50 guided challenges
- Robotic adventures in various environments
- Transform robot capabilities
- Free Play mode for custom inventions
- Code transfer to robots
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Wonder makes robotics as delightful as finger painting. With a picture-based coding language and guided challenges, Wonder lets kids ages 8 and up explore robotics on their own – and have a blast doing it. A FRESH NEW LOOK The redesigned main menu puts everything one tap away: - Scroll Quest – multiple guided coding adventures, from first steps to tricky puzzles - Free Play – an open coding canvas for your own inventions CODING ADVENTURES WITH DASH Travel through the African Grasslands, the Arctic Wilderness and even Outer Space to uncover new ideas for your robot. Transform Dash into a ferocious lion, dodge asteroids together, play a game of Marco Polo, and much more. Every challenge introduces a new coding concept – sequences, events, loops, conditions and variables – through play. CREATE YOUR OWN INVENTIONS When you're ready, jump into Free Play and build anything you can imagine. Once your program is finished, transfer it to Dash – the next time you turn Dash on, it runs your code without being connected to an iPhone or iPad. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Turn on Dash and enable Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad. 2. Open Wonder and connect to Dash from the main menu. 3. Update your robot when prompted. The update brings new sounds, personality and abilities and may take up to 10 minutes. 4. Start with Challenges to learn the basics, then explore Free Play. PRAISE FOR WONDER "Thoroughly absorbing." – The New York Times "Both kids begged me to take out the robots and start playing with them again." – Business Insider SAFE FOR KIDS Wonder contains no third-party advertising and does not collect personal information. For details, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. ABOUT WONDER WORKSHOP Wonder Workshop creates award-winning educational robots and apps that make learning to code meaningful and fun. Founded in 2012 by three parents, Wonder Workshop is now part of MORAVIA Education. We play-test with children throughout development to make sure every experience is frustration-free and fun. Questions or ideas? We'd love to hear from you at https://help.makewonder.com. Privacy Policy: https://www.makewonder.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://www.makewonder.com/TOS
Merge Explorer
Explore over 100 interactive science simulations using a smartphone and a Merge Cube. Investigate volcanoes, sharks, the solar system, and more with hands-on activities and quizzes. Ideal for K-8 students learning science at school or home.
- Over 100 science simulations
- Interactive Merge Cube experiences
- Hands-on learning activities
- Built-in quizzes
- NGSS-aligned K-8 curriculum
- Physical, Life, and Earth/Space Science topics
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PLEASE NOTE: This app requires a Merge Cube and a smartphone or a tablet to experience. Find out how to get a Merge Cube and learn more at: https://www.MergeCube.com. Students can learn science effectively with over 100 science simulations they can touch, hold and interact with! Merge Explorer (along with a Merge Cube) allows students to investigate a smoking volcano in the palm of their hand, examine a great white shark up close, hold and explore the solar system, dissect a frog (humanely!), and so much more. With easy-to-follow activities and built-in quizzes, students gain key knowledge while immersed in learning, both in the classroom or while remote learning at home. Merge Explorer includes NGSS-aligned topics for K-8th grade, like Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science. If you have any questions or suggestions, we want to hear from you! Contact us at any time at support@mergeedu.com. Privacy Policy: https://MergeEdu.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://MergeEdu.com/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wonder for Dash at none against Merge Explorer's 4. Wonder for Dash also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 46%). Merge Explorer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Merge Explorer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Wonder for Dash asks for nothing beyond the download.
Wonder for Dash holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 476 and 279 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Wonder for Dash's written reviews are positive against 46% of Merge Explorer's.
Wonder for Dash ships an update every 3 months, Merge Explorer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Wonder for Dash | Merge Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (476 ratings) — better | 4.1 (279 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews — better | 46.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 476 — better | 279 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 455 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MORAVIA Consulting, spol. s r.o. | Merge Apps |
Customer experience
Wonder for Dash
Merge Explorer
User reviews
Wonder for Dash
From 476 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app for programming robots
- 🚀 Fun and engaging for kids
- 💡 Allows transferring programs to robots
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Teaches coding and logic skills
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity issues
- 🐛 Buggy app behavior
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy
Merge Explorer
From 279 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy for young students
- 💡 Flexible for lesson needs
- 🔬 Used for research and experiments
- 💡 Introduces new content exploratorily
- 🤩 Engaging and versatile for learning
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive purchase
- 💰 Forced subscription for software
- 💰 Cannot view software before paying
- 💰 Money trap
- 💰 Only for rich people
Bugs and requests
Wonder for Dash
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes when trying to run certain programs
- Bluetooth connection frequently drops
- Incorrect Bluetooth status detection
- Certain features and commands not working as expected
- App freezes or becomes unresponsive
Requested features
5 requests- Add more robots and accessories support
- Improve app stability and performance
- Implement a user profile system
- Add more advanced programming features
- Improve Bluetooth connectivity and reliability
Merge Explorer
Reported bugs
13 issues- App crashes on iPad
- App crashes when pressing play
- Camera not working in app
- Black screen when using cube or camera
- VR function broken
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- VR doesn't work with iPhone XS Max
- App crashes or loads forever
- Problems with galactic explore
- App has trouble recognizing the cube
- Screen recording only records cube, not overlay
- Words appear sideways in horizontal mode
- Content appears incorrectly
- App crashes
Requested features
9 requests- Make the app free to play
- Add more fun things, not just learning
- Bring back the fun apps (time bomb, block courses)
- Allow users to create their own games for the merge cube
- Add a way to reset quizzes for class sets of devices
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- Improve functionality for remote teaching, including screen recording
- Add more content in the future
- Add dark mode option
- Add advanced analytics dashboard
In-app purchases
Wonder for Dash
No in-app purchases
Merge Explorer
- Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Explorer Premium Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
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- Explorer Premium Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Wonder for Dash free?
Is Merge Explorer free?
Which has better reviews, Wonder for Dash or Merge Explorer?
Do Wonder for Dash or Merge Explorer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Wonder for Dash or Merge Explorer?
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