Simple Circuit Builder vs Turtle Universe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Circuit Builder
This virtual lab offers a hands-on experience for learning about resistors and circuit resistance. Easily build and test series and parallel circuits, measure voltage and current, and understand the impact of component changes in real-time.
- Build circuits with up to eight components
- Five component types
- Virtual volt and amp meters
- Adjustable resistor and voltage values
- Real-time circuit analysis
- Demonstrates 'Opens' and 'Shorts'
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Description This is the BEST app to learn about Resistors and Circuit Resistance (Equivalent Resistance). This virtual lab provides an excellent environment for anyone who is interested in understanding series and parallel resistors, learning how to measure voltages across resistors, current through series and parallel circuits and solving simple circuits. Features - VERY SIMPLE and EASY TO USE, with up to eight component sections. - Component sections can easily be configured from five different types. - VIRTUAL "Hands On" experience using volt and amp meters. - Resistor values can easily be changed with a picker, keypad or using randomize button. - Circuit voltage can easily be changed from 1 to 1000 volts with a picker or a keypad. - The "Basics" screen make this app unique for the simplicity and speed of seeing the effects of "Opens" (resistor component with infinite resistance) and "Shorts" (resistor component with zero resistance). - FREE and NO ADVERTISEMENTS. - The circuit is always "LIVE" and immediately shows voltage, current and circuit resistance with any changes made to the circuit.
Turtle Universe
Explore and learn about scientific phenomena through interactive microworlds. Create your own simulations using text or blocks, and engage with a global community of young learners. Discover over 100 scientific models and create computational art and games.
- Explore 100+ scientific models
- Create custom microworlds
- Code with text or blocks
- Investigate phenomena
- Engage in global discussions
- Create computational art and games
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Dive into the mesmerizing world of Turtle Universe, where you can explore and learn about various social and scientific phenomena through captivating microworlds. Unleash your creativity by coding your own microworlds with text or blocks, and join lively discussions with young learners across the globe! 1) Discover over 100 intriguing scientific models from diverse fields – with even more on the way! 2) Investigate phenomena such as traffic jams, predator-prey interactions, and the blooming of flowers. 3) Immerse yourself in enthralling storylines within the microworlds. 4) Create and play with stunning computational art and addictive games just for fun! Inspired by NetLogo, the leading multi-agent programmable modeling environment, Turtle Universe brings the limitless power of computational modeling to smartphones and tablets of young students and educators like you! Experience genuine scientific modeling shared by countless researchers and students worldwide. Turtle Universe supports most NetLogo, NetLogo Web, and NetTango models right from the start. From the creators of Physics Lab, a physics experiment simulation app loved by over 3 million learners and teachers. =========================== Term of Use: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Term-Of-Use.txt Privacy Policy: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Privacy-Policy.txt =========================== Copyright 2021 John Chen & Uri Wilensky. All rights reserved. Turtle Universe is authored by John Chen & Uri Wilensky and maintained by CCL at Northwestern University. If you mention the software in a publication, please include the citation below: * Chen, J. & Wilensky, U. (2021). Turtle Universe. Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Turtle Universe at 4.6 against Simple Circuit Builder's 4.0. Turtle Universe also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 53%). Simple Circuit Builder's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.
Turtle Universe holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 52 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Simple Circuit Builder's written reviews are positive against 67% of Turtle Universe's.
Simple Circuit Builder ships an update every 3 weeks, Turtle Universe every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Circuit Builder | Turtle Universe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (28 ratings) | 4.6 (52 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.6% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 28 | 52 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 120 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David White | Turtle Sim LLC |
Customer experience
Simple Circuit Builder
Turtle Universe
In-app purchases
Simple Circuit Builder
No in-app purchases
Turtle Universe
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Simple Circuit Builder free?
Is Turtle Universe free?
Which has better reviews, Simple Circuit Builder or Turtle Universe?
Do Simple Circuit Builder or Turtle Universe have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simple Circuit Builder or Turtle Universe?
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