# Backyard Safari vs CubePaintAR

The clearest difference is rating: Backyard Safari at 4.3 against CubePaintAR's 2.1. Backyard Safari also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (33% vs 10%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backyard Safari sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and CubePaintAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Backyard Safari holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Backyard Safari's written reviews are positive against 10% of CubePaintAR's.

Backyard Safari ships an update weekly, CubePaintAR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Safari | CubePaintAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-safari/id1279544871/reviews)** | [2.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cubepaintar/id1288635680/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MPV Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1242475362) | [highlewelt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082678494) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard Safari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-safari/id1279544871)

Explore wildlife in your own environment using augmented reality. Interact with animals by moving and rotating them, then capture memorable photos. A free tiger is included, with more animals available for purchase.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality animal viewing, Interactive animal manipulation, Pose and photograph animals, Free tiger included, Additional animals available for purchase

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiger | Free | one-time |
| Bear | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crocodile | $0.99 | one-time |
| Elephant | $0.99 | one-time |
| Giraffe | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hippo | $0.99 | one-time |
| Jaguar | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rhino | $0.99 | one-time |
| Zebra | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gazelle | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Animals | $2.99 | one-time |


### CubePaintAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cubepaintar/id1288635680)

This augmented reality coloring book lets you bring 13 different animals to life in real space. Scan a special cube with your device, choose an animal, and paint it with your finger. The animated creatures can be recorded and shared.

**Highlights:** Color 13 different animals, Augmented reality integration, Animated animal models, Adjustable brush size, Record and share creations, Requires Merge Cube

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Animals | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Safari free?

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

### Is CubePaintAR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Backyard Safari or CubePaintAR?

Backyard Safari is rated higher. Backyard Safari averages 4.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while CubePaintAR averages 2.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do Backyard Safari or CubePaintAR have ads?

Neither Backyard Safari nor CubePaintAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Safari or CubePaintAR?

Backyard Safari ships an update weekly, and CubePaintAR every 2 months. Most recently, Backyard Safari was updated on June 1, 2026 and CubePaintAR on June 10, 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.*