# Sphero Play vs Patchie

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphero Play | Patchie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 193 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) | [Viennarz Curtiz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509367163) |

## 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


### Patchie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patchie-tier-list-maker/id6763540427)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*