# Backyard Apollo AR vs HoppAR

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backyard Apollo AR at none against HoppAR's 14. HoppAR's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (85% vs 71%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HoppAR sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Backyard Apollo AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Backyard Apollo AR against 4.8 for HoppAR. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 579 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Backyard Apollo AR's written reviews are positive against 85% of HoppAR's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Apollo AR | HoppAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-apollo-ar/id1258795104/reviews) | **[4.8 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoppar/id1497739070/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 579 |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | **85.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 82 MB | 372 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wobbleworks LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/404664339) | [Josef Grunig](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497739069) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard Apollo AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-apollo-ar/id1258795104)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add more rocket models and launch configurations
- Implement video recording capability
- Improve overall stability and performance


### HoppAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoppar/id1497739070)

Experience rocket launches and landings in augmented reality. Control thrust vectoring, perform engine test fires, and customize rockets with your own colors. Explore a variety of real spacecraft and space mission scenarios.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality rocket launches, Manual thrust vectoring control, Rocket engine test fires, Customizable rocket coloring, Variety of real spacecraft models, Entry, Descent, and Landing simulations, Indoor and Outdoor AR modes

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HoppAR Supporter | $7.99 | per year |
| FALCON HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| STARSHIP Belly Flop | $0.99 | one-time |
| SUPER HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| DELTA IV HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| PERSEVERANCE | $0.99 | one-time |
| DRONESHIP OCISLY | $0.99 | one-time |
| NEW SHEPARD | $0.99 | one-time |
| ARIANE 5 | $0.99 | one-time |
| ARTEMIS I | $0.99 | one-time |
| SOYUZ | $0.99 | one-time |
| ELECTRON | $0.99 | one-time |
| SATURN V | $1.99 | one-time |
| Control Feature | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent AR simulation and gameplay mechanics
- 🎨 High-quality rocket models and realistic designs
- 🎵 Great music and audio (with some caveats)
- 📱 Well-made and polished app overall
- 🌟 Immersive and satisfying launch experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Premium rockets locked behind paywall
- 🐛 AR functionality issues on some devices
- 📱 Orientation requirement (vertical/horizontal) frustrating
- ⏱️ Limited gameplay - rockets auto-launch and auto-land
- 🎬 Short 5-second clips lack player control

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen on horizontal surface scanning
- Camera not working on certain devices
- App won't open or crashes on startup
- Gray screen display issue
- iPad AR compatibility problems

**Requested features**

- Space Shuttle addition
- Manual control for Falcon 9 and Dragon
- Free access to premium rockets
- Launch towers for all rockets
- Soyuz rocket


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Apollo AR free?

Backyard Apollo AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HoppAR free?

HoppAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or HoppAR?

HoppAR is rated higher. Backyard Apollo AR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while HoppAR averages 4.8 from 579 ratings.

### Do Backyard Apollo AR or HoppAR have ads?

Neither Backyard Apollo AR nor HoppAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or HoppAR?

Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, and HoppAR every 2 months. Most recently, Backyard Apollo AR was updated on September 23, 2026 and HoppAR on September 21, 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.*