# Sphero Play vs CubePaintAR

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sphero Play at 69% against CubePaintAR's 10%. Sphero Play also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). CubePaintAR's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CubePaintAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sphero Play asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sphero Play holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Sphero Play's written reviews are positive against 10% of CubePaintAR's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphero Play | CubePaintAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** | [2.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cubepaintar/id1288635680/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **68.9% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 193 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) | [highlewelt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082678494) |

## What reviewers say

### Sphero Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522)

Control and play with various Sphero robots using a single application. Explore multiple drive modes, engage in robot-controlled games, and learn basic programming through a block-based interface.

**Highlights:** Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice), Robot-controlled games, Block Drive programming, Sports-themed drive modes, Voice control

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and engaging app
- 👍 Great controls and customization
- 🎮 Enjoyable games and activities
- 💡 Compatibility with multiple Sphero products

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- 🔧 Limited features compared to older apps
- 🔋 Concerns about battery life and durability

**Reported bugs**

- Joystick controls not working as expected
- Alignment issues causing unexpected movement

**Requested features**

- More games and activities
- Support for additional Sphero products (e.g. Ollie, BB-8)
- Improved aiming and control precision
- Camera integration to see the Sphero's view


### 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 Sphero Play free?

Sphero Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CubePaintAR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sphero Play or CubePaintAR?

Sphero Play is rated higher. Sphero Play averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while CubePaintAR averages 2.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do Sphero Play or CubePaintAR have ads?

Neither Sphero Play nor CubePaintAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or CubePaintAR?

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, and CubePaintAR every 2 months. Most recently, Sphero Play was updated on September 29, 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.*