Sphero Play vs Material Calculator
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.
Material Calculator
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Free calculator in Material Design
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Material Calculator at every 5 days against Sphero Play's every 2 months. Material Calculator also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 ships an update every 2 months, Material Calculator every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sphero Play | Material Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (37K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sphero, Inc. | The Rocks S.r.l. |
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
Material Calculator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sphero Play
No in-app purchases
Material Calculator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sphero Play free?
Is Material Calculator free?
Do Sphero Play or Material Calculator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Material Calculator?
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