# Sphero Play vs Hello Loona

The clearest difference is rating: Sphero Play at 4.8 against Hello Loona's 4.2. Sphero Play also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 233). Hello Loona's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 233, 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 62% of Hello Loona's.

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, Hello Loona every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphero Play | Hello Loona |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** | [4.2 (233 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-loona/id1615527592/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 233 |
| Positive reviews | **69.1% of reviews** | 62.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 193 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) | [Beijing KEYi Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1129134601) |

## 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


### Hello Loona

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-loona/id1615527592)

Control and program a robotic pet with this app. Explore various scenarios, perform talents, play games, and connect with other users in the community.

**Highlights:** Robot control, Programming software, Talent shows, Play games, Community interaction

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤖 Intelligent AI with ChatGPT integration
- 🎮 Engaging games and interactive features
- 🎨 Creative capabilities like drawing
- 🏃 Autonomous navigation and movement
- 📱 Helpful companion app functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 📱 Poor app UI/UX design
- 🔌 WiFi connectivity issues
- ⚙️ Clunky robot movements
- 🔋 Fast battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- App registration verification code not sending
- Email registration failing
- QR code scanner unable to focus
- WiFi connection timeouts and bad gateway errors
- App forces landscape mode only

**Requested features**

- More games and interactive content
- Spanish language support
- Turkish language support
- Adult-friendly app interface version
- Camera/photo capture feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sphero Play free?

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

### Is Hello Loona free?

Hello Loona is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sphero Play or Hello Loona?

Sphero Play is rated higher. Sphero Play averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Hello Loona averages 4.2 from 233 ratings.

### Do Sphero Play or Hello Loona have ads?

Neither Sphero Play nor Hello Loona shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Hello Loona?

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, and Hello Loona every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sphero Play was updated on October 20, 2026 and Hello Loona on October 17, 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.*