Sphero Play vs Patchie
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.
Patchie
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Make clean tier lists without setting up a spreadsheet or image editor. Patchie Tier Maker helps you turn photos, text items, and links into visual ranking boards. Start from a blank board or template, add items in batches, then drag everything into customizable tier rows. Rank anything you care about: - Anime characters, movies, shows, and songs - Game characters, gear, maps, and loadouts - Restaurants, snacks, coffee spots, and products - Study topics, habits, tools, and project ideas - Links, references, wishlists, and playlists Why Patchie works: - Create a board quickly from a template or blank canvas - Add photos, text items, or links to the same ranking workflow - Keep unranked items in the Item Tray while you sort - Drag items between tiers, reorder inside rows, or move them back - Customize tier labels and board names - Favorite important boards and reopen recent work - Use adaptive layouts built for iPhone, iPad, and macOS How it works: 1. Create a board or choose a template. 2. Add your photos, names, ideas, or links. 3. Drag items into ranked tiers and keep editing anytime. Patchie is built for fast personal ranking sessions, fandom debates, game comparisons, content prompts, study planning, and everyday decisions. Create your first tier list with Patchie. privacy: https://patchietiermaker.viennci.dev/privacy support: https://patchietiermaker.viennci.dev
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sphero Play at Free against Patchie's $2.99. Sphero Play also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On update cadence, 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
Sphero Play is free to download; Patchie costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sphero Play | Patchie |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (37K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sphero, Inc. | Viennarz Curtiz |
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
Patchie
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sphero Play
No in-app purchases
Patchie
No in-app purchases









