Comparison

Backyard Apollo AR vs Pocket Rocket

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

Head to head
About

Backyard Apollo AR

Experience a life-sized Apollo Saturn V rocket in augmented reality. Explore it from all angles, walk around it, and launch it with realistic sounds and visuals. Customize your rocket experience and share snapshots.

Highlights
  • Life-sized rocket model
  • 360-degree viewing
  • Augmented reality placement
  • Realistic launch sequence
  • Authentic mission sounds
  • Customizable rocket experience
  • Snapshot sharing
Read full description

Its the model rocket you’ve always wanted! See a life-sized Apollo Saturn V rocket up close from every angle walk under and around it, then blast it off! Authentic mission sounds using 3D positional audio — wear headphones for the coolest effect — combine with realistic high-detail graphics, physically-based rendering, and HDR audio recordings of real rocket launches to make the experience just like being there! You’ll be able to launch your rocket again and again, from anywhere you like. Just tap where you want your rocket to appear. It's that easy! Launch a tiny model on your desktop or a full-sized giant in a field! Backyard Apollo offers ways to customize your experience too, making it even more fun to launch your rockets and take snapshots for your friends. “3…2…1…Houston: we have liftoff”!

About

Pocket Rocket

Stay informed about all upcoming SpaceX rocket launches with real-time updates and reminders. View rocket models, livestream launches, and interact with rockets in AR. Never miss a historic moment in space exploration.

Highlights
  • Upcoming launch reminders
  • Launch date countdowns
  • Livestream launches
  • 3D and AR rocket models
  • Detailed launch updates
  • Historical launch viewing
Features
Read full description

Pocket Rocket keeps track of all upcoming SpaceX rocket launches, and reminds you of when they're happening. Launch dates change constantly, so we act as your launch concierge to make sure you never miss out on witnessing history.  With this app, you can view existing and future rocket models, receive critical updates about launches, livestream new launches, watch each historical launch, and see your favorite rocket in Augmented Reality. Base Features for All Users: - Day-Of Reminder notification about every Upcoming Launch. - Full access to all features of the app! What you see is what you get. - See dates and countdowns for each launch, so you know exactly when they will happen. - Interact with your favorite rockets in a 3D view, and in AR. - Livestream every launch directly from the app! Subscription Tiers: Pocket Rocket Plus - All the Base features. - Receive Launch Updates and Detailed Reminders. - Updates for when a launch date changes just before a launch is expected to happen. - Reminders for each upcoming launch, from T - 1 Week, T - 24 Hrs/12 Hrs (it varies), T - 1 Hr, and T - 5 Minutes. Pocket Rocket Silver - All the Base features. - All Launch Updates and Reminders - Support the development of the app. This helps us continue building Pocket Rocket full-time. - A Silver Decal in your app to display your level of support. - Exclusive future features to further display your level of support! Pocket Rocket Gold - All the Base features. - All Launch Updates and Reminders - Support the development of the app. - A Gold Decal in your app to display your level of support. - Exclusive future features to further display your level of support! We hope you'll love it. (Disclaimer: This is app is not affiliated with SpaceX or its partners or customers)

Screenshots

Backyard Apollo AR4 screens
Pocket Rocket4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backyard Apollo AR at none against Pocket Rocket's 6. Backyard Apollo AR also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). Pocket Rocket's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pocket Rocket sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Backyard Apollo AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backyard Apollo AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 522 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Backyard Apollo AR's written reviews are positive against 52% of Pocket Rocket's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, Pocket Rocket every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Backyard Apollo AR versus Pocket Rocket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard Apollo ARPocket Rocket
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better4.5 (522 ratings)
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews — better52.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better522
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB702 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWobbleworks LLCVoyager Space Systems, LLC

Customer experience

Backyard Apollo AR

All ratings1,488 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral4.4%
Negative25.0%

Pocket Rocket

All ratings521 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

Backyard Apollo AR

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Realistic rocket simulation
  • 👍 Engaging and educational experience
  • 💡 Potential for more rocket models
  • 👍 Free to download

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Camera authorization issues
  • 🔋 High memory and storage usage
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems on older devices

Pocket Rocket

From 522 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Awesome AR features
  • 👍 Beautiful and sleek design
  • 🚀 Detailed rocket models
  • 👍 Useful launch countdown and notifications

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes, especially with AR
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔍 Lack of up-to-date launch information

Bugs and requests

Backyard Apollo AR

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Startup crashes and sensor reset loops
  • Rocket launch sequence freezes
  • Persistent audio issues after app closure

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add more rocket models and launch configurations
  • Implement video recording capability
  • Improve overall stability and performance

Pocket Rocket

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • AR feature crashes on launch
  • Incorrect or outdated launch information
  • Unreliable push notifications

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for other launch providers beyond SpaceX
  • Improve reliability and accuracy of launch notifications
  • Provide a 1:1 scale mode for AR rockets
  • Develop an iPad-optimized version of the app

In-app purchases

None

Backyard Apollo AR

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Pocket Rocket

Subscriptions6
  • Pocket Rocket Plus1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Pocket Rocket Silver1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pocket Rocket Gold1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pocket Rocket Plus (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • Pocket Rocket Silver (Yearly)$44.991 Year
  • Pocket Rocket Gold (Yearly)$74.991 Year

Questions

Is Backyard Apollo AR free?
Backyard Apollo AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket Rocket free?
Pocket Rocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket?
Backyard Apollo AR is rated higher. Backyard Apollo AR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Pocket Rocket averages 4.5 from 522 ratings.
Do Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket have ads?
Neither Backyard Apollo AR nor Pocket Rocket shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket?
Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, and Pocket Rocket every 2 months. Most recently, Backyard Apollo AR was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pocket Rocket on September 21, 2026.

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