Comparison

Sphero Play vs Patchie

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice)
  • Robot-controlled games
  • Block Drive programming
  • Sports-themed drive modes
  • Voice control
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Patchie

Read full description

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

Sphero Play4 screens
Patchie4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sphero Play versus Patchie: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSphero PlayPatchie
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (37K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings37K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSphero, 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

None

Sphero Play

No in-app purchases

None

Patchie

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sphero Play free?
Sphero Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Patchie free?
Patchie costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sphero Play or Patchie have ads?
Neither Sphero Play nor Patchie shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Patchie?
Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, and Patchie every 2 months. Most recently, Sphero Play was updated on October 17, 2026 and Patchie on October 8, 2026.

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