# PhET Simulations vs Train Ears

The clearest difference is price: Train Ears at Free against PhET Simulations's $0.99. Train Ears also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 14 months). PhET Simulations's advantage is chart position (#35 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Train Ears is free to download; PhET Simulations costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PhET Simulations ships an update every 14 months, Train Ears every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhET Simulations | Train Ears |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **49** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 125 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) | [Tomas Novotny](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599884030) |

## What reviewers say

### PhET Simulations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Explore science and math concepts through interactive simulations. This app provides over 75 HTML5 simulations for learning about atoms, energy, multiplication, and more. It's ideal for students, parents, and educators, offering offline access and multiple language support.

**Highlights:** Interactive science and math simulations, Offline play capability, Multiple language support, Customizable favorites collection, Automatic simulation updates, Easy simulation sorting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Train Ears

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-ears/id6769655105)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhET Simulations free?

PhET Simulations costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Train Ears free?

Train Ears is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do PhET Simulations or Train Ears have ads?

Neither PhET Simulations nor Train Ears shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PhET Simulations or Train Ears?

PhET Simulations ships an update every 14 months, and Train Ears every 2 days. Most recently, PhET Simulations was updated on September 23, 2026 and Train Ears on September 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*