# Backyard Safari vs ARtoon

The clearest difference is rating: ARtoon at 5.0 against Backyard Safari's 4.1. Backyard Safari's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (14 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backyard Safari sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and ARtoon sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ARtoon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard Safari has 14 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Backyard Safari ships an update weekly, ARtoon monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Safari | ARtoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-safari/id1279544871/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artoon-augmented-reality/id1565211213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MPV Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1242475362) | [Grigor Agabalyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1520386247) |

## 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 (10)**

| 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 |
| Lion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rhino | $0.99 | one-time |
| Zebra | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Animals | $2.99 | one-time |


### ARtoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artoon-augmented-reality/id1565211213)

Create magical photos and videos by adding 3D models and special effects to your surroundings. Transform your imagination into reality with augmented reality, customizing your world with ease. You can also generate 3D floor plans of rooms.

**Highlights:** Add 3D models and special effects, Create AR photos and videos, Customize size and placement of models, Generate 3D room floor plans, Share creations with friends and family

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anolis garmani | $0.99 | one-time |
| Turtle | $0.99 | one-time |
| RoomPlan | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Safari free?

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

### Is ARtoon free?

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

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

ARtoon is rated higher. Backyard Safari averages 4.1 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while ARtoon averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Backyard Safari or ARtoon have ads?

Neither Backyard Safari nor ARtoon shows ads.

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

Backyard Safari ships an update weekly, and ARtoon monthly. Most recently, Backyard Safari was updated on November 3, 2026 and ARtoon on November 3, 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.*