Comparison

Virtual Labs vs Unreal Chemist

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

Head to head
About

Virtual Labs

Features
Read full description

Prepare a slide and adjust magnification on an oil immersion microscope to examine a Gram-stained sample and identify microbes hiding within. The Virtual Labs series of interactive science modules help train high school and college students in basic laboratory techniques. Using a microscope is one of the basic skills of laboratory work. Learn how to choose the correct lens, adjust lighting and magnification, and prepare a slide for viewing. Lab technicians use microscopes for many tasks, including checking what kinds of microbes are present in a sample. Using Gram staining and a microscope, you can differentiate beneficial bacteria from dangerous bacteria in food samples. In this module, enter the virtual lab of a dairy processing plant to analyze yoghurt samples and test for Salmonella and E. coli. Virtual Labs – Using the Microscope familiarizes the user with food science lab equipment and teaches standard techniques for this procedure. The interactive guides the user through theory and practice of using the microscope, so that they will have familiarity with the equipment and procedures when encountered in a real lab. This work was supported by USDA CSREES and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under two Higher Education Challenge Grant projects: 2008-38411-19055 and 2011-38411-30625. © 2008-2016 NMSU Board of Regents. Collaborating universities South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University and New Mexico State University are all equal opportunity/affirmative action employers and educators.

About

Unreal Chemist

Explore a virtual chemistry lab on your phone. Mix chemicals, observe reactions, and conduct over 750 unique simulations with more than 150 available substances. Adjust variables like temperature and concentration to understand chemical principles.

Highlights
  • Mix chemicals for reactions
  • Burn salts for colorful flames
  • Heat elements for color emission
  • Adjust reactant concentration and quantity
  • Regulate reaction temperature
  • Control time flow (slow/fast forward)
  • Monitor pH changes with indicators
Features
Read full description

Chemistry experiments on your smartphones. You can Mix chemicals to see how they react, Burn salts to colorful flames and Heat elements to see what colors it emits There are 150 plus chemicals available to experiment with and more than 750 unique experiment simulations. Key Highlights - Adjusting the concentration and quantity of the reactants. - Regulate the temperature of the reaction. - Modify temperatures in precipitation reactions and see the effect of temperatures on solubility. - Slow down / Fast forward time. - Check the PH and PH change in a reaction, using Indicators. - Ignite flammable gases formed during reaction. Disclaimer Some reactions you will be doing in Unreal Chemist are extremely dangerous and may cause serious injury if conducted in real word. Even though most of the reactions are accurate to the real world, some reactions may be theoretical since physical verification of some reactions are not completed as of now.

Screenshots

Unreal Chemist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual Labs at none against Unreal Chemist's 1. Virtual Labs also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 11.0). Unreal Chemist's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. Unreal Chemist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Virtual Labs asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Virtual Labs versus Unreal Chemist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtual LabsUnreal Chemist
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.5 (65 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—73.8% of reviews
Number of ratings—65 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.3 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB342 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsZipoApps

Bugs and requests

Virtual Labs

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Unreal Chemist

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Sulfuric acid not dissolving with salts
  • Heating solution during titration
  • Watch ad for premium session not working
  • Mixing game not always working intuitively
  • Buttons on iPhone blocked by camera
Show 12 more
  • Some metal flame colors don't match description
  • Program sometimes locks up
  • Music setting resets after closing program
  • Some reactions don't show the full formula
  • App crashes on opening
  • App gets stuck on the home page
  • App kicks the user out
  • App opens to a blank grey or white screen
  • App won't open
  • App crashes when it takes too long to open
  • Free version has only 2 reactions
  • Interface is buggy (e.g., clicking play sends to home page)

Requested features

32 requests
  • Add more elements (e.g., Mn, H, O, Cl, F, Pb)
  • Add more acids (e.g., Chloroauric acid, Vanadic acid, Perrhenic acid)
  • Add more bases and solvents (e.g., styrofoam, polystyrene, ethanol, acetone)
  • Add gases (e.g., Chlorine, Fluorine, Hydrogen, Oxygen)
  • Option to specify amounts of chemicals to add
Show 27 more
  • Kid version with simplified instructions
  • Add crafting or new science game modes
  • Add more glassware and scientific equipment
  • Reintroduce feature to see compound information
  • Add challenges or daily missions
  • Add ability to use previously made chemicals for new reactions
  • Add definitions for elements and reactions
  • Add a story or background context
  • Add more reactions and compounds
  • Add liquid elements (e.g., liquid oxygen, hydrogen)
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add styrofoam/polystyrene
  • Add more elements
  • Add more acids
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add more glassware
  • Add more scientific equipment
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds

In-app purchases

None

Virtual Labs

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Unreal Chemist

One-time1
  • Premium Version$5.99

Questions

Is Virtual Labs free?
Virtual Labs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Unreal Chemist free?
Unreal Chemist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Virtual Labs or Unreal Chemist have ads?
Unreal Chemist shows ads; Virtual Labs does not.

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