Sphero Play vs HoverBots
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sphero Play
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.
- Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice)
- Robot-controlled games
- Block Drive programming
- Sports-themed drive modes
- Voice control
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Drive and play games from ONE app with your Sphero Mini, Sphero 2.0, SPRK, SPRK+, BOLT, and BOLT+. Connect and control your robots with several exciting drive modes, use your robot as a controller to play games, or try out Block Drive for an intro to programming with colorful blocks. Features include: DRIVE MODES Drive your robots several ways with the Sphero Play app. Use the joystick and slingshot controls, tilt your device, or use your voice. Our sports-themed drive modes keep things fun with the ability to swing your device to "golf"*, or flick to "kick" your robot. BLOCK DRIVE PROGRAMMING Learn programming basics by controlling your robot with colorful movement and light blocks. GAMES Use your robot as a controller to shoot your way through space, race your vehicle through a tunnel avoiding obstacles and scoring points, or rotate your ball to destroy a polygon of bricks. Need robots? We know a guy. Visit sphero.com and order today. *This mode is not available on iPads.
HoverBots
Build and program two-wheeled robots that balance themselves. Use a Bluetooth-enabled device to control, adjust settings, and create custom programs for your creations. Explore three distinct operational modes for interactive robotic fun.
- Build and program six different robots
- Robots balance on two wheels
- Remote control via Bluetooth
- Adjust balance settings
- Three operational modes: Remote Control, Balance Settings, Programming
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ABOUT ROBOTICS: SMART MACHINES - HOVERBOTS The HoverBots kit allows you to build and program six amazing robots that balance on two wheels! With this app installed on a supported Bluetooth-enabled device, you can remotely control, program, and adjust the balance settings of your robots. HOW TO USE: Position the balancing robot model with its wheels on a smooth floor in an open area. Turn on the switch and hold the model upright with its weight on the floor until you feel its motors turning. Then the model will start balancing on its own. Open the app on your device. Establish a Bluetooth connection between the app and the robotic base unit. There are three different modes: Remote Control, Balance Settings, and Programming. Refer to the product manual for more details. ***** Questions or suggestions for improvements: Mail to apps@kosmos.de We are looking forward to your feedback! *****
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sphero Play at 69% against HoverBots's 0%. Sphero Play also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (37K vs 29). HoverBots's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sphero Play holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 29, 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 0% of HoverBots's.
Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, HoverBots every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sphero Play | HoverBots |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (37K ratings) — better | 3.1 (29 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.1% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | 29 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sphero, Inc. | Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co. KG |
Customer experience
Sphero Play
HoverBots
Bugs and requests
Sphero Play
Reported bugs
2 issues- Joystick controls not working as expected
- Alignment issues causing unexpected movement
Requested features
4 requests- 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
HoverBots
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sphero Play
No in-app purchases
HoverBots
No in-app purchases
