Backyard Apollo AR vs Rocket Simulator
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”!
Rocket Simulator
Build and launch your own rockets in augmented reality. Assemble various rocket models, learn about their history and functions, and customize them with AI-generated stickers. Experience space exploration with different missions and modes.
- AR rocket assembly
- Rocket model customization
- Historical rocket information
- AI sticker generation
- Flight simulation
- Educational facts about rockets
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3… 2… 1… Liftoff! Are you ready to launch your very first space rocket? Assemble rockets in AR and launch it into outer space! VARIOUS ROCKET MODELS Just choose your favourite rocket model and let’s begin. ASSEMBLY PUZZLE Assemble all rocket parts in the right order and discover historical info about its creation and missions. Customize rockets with AI stickers. INTERESTING FACTS Read about every rocket in detail and learn the functions of each rocket part. Rocket models from all over the world are waiting for you! KEEP IN MIND: Some features are only available for Subscription holders. Paid version includes all rocket models, all missions, free mode, sharing, unlimited access to AR mode, unlimited sticker generation. Free version includes 2 rockets, 2 missions, 2 AR mode launches, 3 sticker generations. https://educationterra.com/privacy https://educationterra.com/tos
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backyard Apollo AR at 71% against Rocket Simulator's 10%. Backyard Apollo AR also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Rocket Simulator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Rocket Simulator sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Backyard Apollo AR asks for nothing beyond the download.
Backyard Apollo AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 422 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Backyard Apollo AR's written reviews are positive against 10% of Rocket Simulator's.
Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, Rocket Simulator every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Backyard Apollo AR | Rocket Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better | 3.8 (422 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews — better | 10.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 422 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 280 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wobbleworks LLC | Education Terra |
Customer experience
Backyard Apollo AR
Rocket Simulator
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
Rocket Simulator
From 422 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Cool concept
- 👍 Epic game
- 👍 Nice
- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Great game!
Room to improve
- 💸 Pay to play
- 💸 Subscription required
- 💸 Expensive
- 💸 Misleading free trial
- 💸 Unusable without payment
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
Rocket Simulator
Reported bugs
7 issues- Parts don't connect
- No command center on launch
- Rocket goes to sky and mission complete
- Animations not shown correctly
- Slow rollout animation
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- Minimal launch animation
- Typos in subtitles
Requested features
6 requests- Add command center
- Add space exploration
- Add more to the game
- Add staging and space rocket control
- Add other planets to land on
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- Make it free
In-app purchases
Backyard Apollo AR
No in-app purchases
Rocket Simulator
- Rocket Ship - 1 Week$6.997 Days
- 1 Week Subscription$9.997 Days
- Rocket Simulator: Spaceflight$19.991 Month
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- Rocket Ship Building & Launch3 Days trial$20.991 Year
- 3 Months Subscription3 Days trial$20.993 Months
- 2 Months Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months
Questions
Is Backyard Apollo AR free?
Is Rocket Simulator free?
Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or Rocket Simulator?
Do Backyard Apollo AR or Rocket Simulator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or Rocket Simulator?
Other comparisons
