# Elemental Box vs Playground AR

The clearest difference is rating: Elemental Box at 4.2 against Playground AR's 3.0. Elemental Box also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (63 vs 2). Playground AR's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Playground AR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Elemental Box asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elemental Box holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elemental Box has 63 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Elemental Box's written reviews are positive against 66% of Playground AR's.

Elemental Box ships an update every 4 months, Playground AR every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental Box | Playground AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-box/id1269914616/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **63** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **72.1% of reviews** | 65.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAN-BALL](https://appshunter.io/developer/348592290) | [Marc Sureda](https://appshunter.io/developer/657241759) |

## What reviewers say

### Elemental Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental-box/id1269914616)

Engage in a sandbox game focused on realistic physical simulations. Experiment with various shapes and materials to observe their unique interactions and transformations. This app offers a creative space for exploration and discovery through physics.

**Highlights:** Physical simulation, Material interaction, Shape manipulation, Sandbox gameplay, Real-time physics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Playground AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341)

Transform your space into an augmented reality physics sandbox. Build intricate structures, design functional machines, and unleash epic destruction with realistic physics. Play with friends in real-time and capture your creations.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality physics sandbox, Infinite construction with diverse blocks, Design functional machines with joints and wheels, Realistic physics simulations, Control RC vehicles, Multiplayer and social sharing, In-game screenshot tool

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Blocks | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing AR experience
- 🎮 Fun sandbox gameplay
- 🔥 Great physics engine
- 💫 Impressive AR detection
- 👍 Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty in surface detection
- 🤖 Limited NPC/character options
- 🔒 Locked content behind ads
- 🔀 Multiplayer functionality not working

**Reported bugs**

- Devices unable to detect surfaces properly
- Saved creations not persisting across sessions
- Controls for vehicles/devices not intuitive
- Occasional freezing and crashing of the app
- Incompatibility issues with certain device models

**Requested features**

- Add human/character models to interact with
- Implement liquids and more environmental elements
- Introduce terraforming and customizable terrain
- Provide more building/creation tools and options
- Enable seamless multiplayer and sharing of creations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elemental Box free?

Elemental Box is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Playground AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elemental Box or Playground AR?

Elemental Box is rated higher. Elemental Box averages 4.2 out of 5 from 63 ratings, while Playground AR averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Elemental Box or Playground AR have ads?

Elemental Box shows ads; Playground AR does not.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental Box or Playground AR?

Elemental Box ships an update every 4 months, and Playground AR every 3 weeks. Most recently, Elemental Box was updated on September 21, 2026 and Playground AR on September 20, 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.*