Backyard Apollo AR vs Pocket Rocket
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Life-sized rocket model
- 360-degree viewing
- Augmented reality placement
- Realistic launch sequence
- Authentic mission sounds
- Customizable rocket experience
- Snapshot sharing
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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”!
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.
- Upcoming launch reminders
- Launch date countdowns
- Livestream launches
- 3D and AR rocket models
- Detailed launch updates
- Historical launch viewing
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Backyard Apollo AR | Pocket Rocket |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better | 4.5 (522 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews — better | 52.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 522 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 702 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wobbleworks LLC | Voyager Space Systems, LLC |
Customer experience
Backyard Apollo AR
Pocket Rocket
User reviews
Backyard Apollo AR
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Backyard Apollo AR
No in-app purchases
Pocket Rocket
- Pocket Rocket Plus1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Pocket Rocket Silver1 Month trial$4.991 Month
- Pocket Rocket Gold1 Month trial$9.991 Month
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- 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?
Is Pocket Rocket free?
Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket?
Do Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or Pocket Rocket?
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