Comparison

Physics Lab AR vs Unreal Chemist

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

Head to head
About

Physics Lab AR

Explore physics through interactive virtual experiments and augmented reality. Build and test electrical circuits with over 100 components, visualize electromagnetic fields, and even design your own galaxy. Ideal for students, teachers, and curious minds of all ages.

Highlights
  • Virtual lab with AR mode
  • Build 3D electric circuits
  • 100+ circuit components
  • Precise scientific calculations
  • Electromagnetic field visualization
  • Design custom galaxies
Features
Read full description

Are you a curious student eager to explore deeper into the physics world? Are you a science enthusiast who wants to share your ideas with others? Are you an adventurer bounded by textbook instructions and budget limits? Are you a romantic dreaming of having your own customized galaxy? Are you a teacher who wants to use fun and interactive demonstrations in your physics lessons? Learn science by doing experiments in your virtual lab with Physics Lab. With our new AR mode, you can even bring your experiments to life! In Physics Lab, you can play with various circuit components, build your own 3D electric circuits, and see how they work in real time. With 100+ circuit components to choose from (and more coming soon), the possibilities are endless. Plus, all of our experiments are backed by science and calculated with precise numbers, so you can learn and have fun at the same time. Physics Lab is not only for students, but for teachers too! Use it to demonstrate experiments in class, and help your students learn and explore in a new way. And because it's virtual, you don't have to worry about expensive lab equipment or safety concerns. Explore with freedom - Pick from 100+ circuit components (more coming!) - Drag them from the toolbox to the virtual desk and connect them the way you like - All experiment results are backed by science and calculated in precise numbers - Design your own galaxy or load from our solar system - Electromagnetic experiments with field line visualization Better than real life - Set properties of circuit components to different figures and observe changes of behavior and stats in real time - One-click to turn what you have built into an editable circuit diagram and vice versa - No expenses on lab equipments, no worry about safety issues A lab for everyone - Teachers have been using Physics Lab to demonstrate experiments and assist teaching in class - Students, in primary or high schools, can learn science and explore freely anywhere, anytime - Kids or not, curious minds now have their own virtual lab to learn knowledge by doing experiments Whether you're a teacher, student, or just someone who loves learning about physics, Physics Lab has something for everyone. Connect with us and let us know what you think, and check out our subscription options to access even more experiments and components. We can't wait to see what you create! Email: turtlesim@u.northwestern.edu =========================== Concerning Component Subscription During your subscription period, you will have access to all paid components for free, including future ones. 1) Subscription periods are one month long and will be charged to your iTunes Account at the time of purchase. 2) Your subscription is linked to your Physics Lab account. 3) You will be charged for renewals 24 hours before the end of the current period, and will be notified of the cost. 4) You can manage your subscriptions at any time in your Account Settings. 5) By purchasing a subscription, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Terms of Use: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Term-Of-Use.txt Privacy Policy: https://static.turtlesim.com/products/Privacy-Policy.txt

About

Unreal Chemist

Explore a virtual chemistry lab on your phone. Mix chemicals, observe reactions, and conduct over 750 unique simulations with more than 150 available substances. Adjust variables like temperature and concentration to understand chemical principles.

Highlights
  • Mix chemicals for reactions
  • Burn salts for colorful flames
  • Heat elements for color emission
  • Adjust reactant concentration and quantity
  • Regulate reaction temperature
  • Control time flow (slow/fast forward)
  • Monitor pH changes with indicators
Features
Read full description

Chemistry experiments on your smartphones. You can Mix chemicals to see how they react, Burn salts to colorful flames and Heat elements to see what colors it emits There are 150 plus chemicals available to experiment with and more than 750 unique experiment simulations. Key Highlights - Adjusting the concentration and quantity of the reactants. - Regulate the temperature of the reaction. - Modify temperatures in precipitation reactions and see the effect of temperatures on solubility. - Slow down / Fast forward time. - Check the PH and PH change in a reaction, using Indicators. - Ignite flammable gases formed during reaction. Disclaimer Some reactions you will be doing in Unreal Chemist are extremely dangerous and may cause serious injury if conducted in real word. Even though most of the reactions are accurate to the real world, some reactions may be theoretical since physical verification of some reactions are not completed as of now.

Screenshots

Physics Lab AR4 screens
Unreal Chemist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Physics Lab AR at none against Unreal Chemist's shown. Physics Lab AR also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 67) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Unreal Chemist's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 48%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Physics Lab AR sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Unreal Chemist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Physics Lab AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Physics Lab AR has 1.8K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Physics Lab AR's written reviews are positive against 73% of Unreal Chemist's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Physics Lab AR ships an update every 2 months, Unreal Chemist every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Physics Lab AR versus Unreal Chemist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics Lab ARUnreal Chemist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.8K ratings) — better4.5 (67 ratings)
Positive reviews47.5% of reviews73.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K — better67
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size177 MB342 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTurtle Sim LLCZipoApps

Customer experience

Physics Lab AR

All ratings1,811 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive47.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative45.1%

Unreal Chemist

All ratings67 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive73.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative21.9%

User reviews

Physics Lab AR

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Nice app
  • 🚀 Awesome app
  • 💡 Good app idea
  • 👍 Helpful for learning
  • 👍 Useful for teachers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Unstable app
  • 🐛 Buggy app
  • 🐛 App doesn't work
  • 🔧 Needs improvements

Unreal Chemist

From 67 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Very educational for chemistry students
  • 👍 Realistic looking and lots to do
  • 🌟 Contains a heap of information
  • 👍 Ads are occasional and not deterring
  • 🚀 Amazing graphics and advanced features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Some reactions are inaccurate
  • 🐛 Buggy interface and features
  • 💸 Many features behind a paywall
  • 😩 Ads can be excessive
  • 🤔 Free version is uninspiring

Bugs and requests

Physics Lab AR

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes when opening experiments or circuits
  • Wires don't attach properly
  • Objects fall through the table
  • Camera position issues
  • App freezes or becomes unresponsive

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more components like transistors and potentiometers
  • Improve camera controls and view options
  • Implement saving and loading of circuits
  • Add more tutorials and explanations
  • Support for Vietnamese and other languages
Show 1 more
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes

Unreal Chemist

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Sulfuric acid not dissolving with salts
  • Heating solution during titration
  • Watch ad for premium session not working
  • Mixing game not always working intuitively
  • Buttons on iPhone blocked by camera
Show 12 more
  • Some metal flame colors don't match description
  • Program sometimes locks up
  • Music setting resets after closing program
  • Some reactions don't show the full formula
  • App crashes on opening
  • App gets stuck on the home page
  • App kicks the user out
  • App opens to a blank grey or white screen
  • App won't open
  • App crashes when it takes too long to open
  • Free version has only 2 reactions
  • Interface is buggy (e.g., clicking play sends to home page)

Requested features

32 requests
  • Add more elements (e.g., Mn, H, O, Cl, F, Pb)
  • Add more acids (e.g., Chloroauric acid, Vanadic acid, Perrhenic acid)
  • Add more bases and solvents (e.g., styrofoam, polystyrene, ethanol, acetone)
  • Add gases (e.g., Chlorine, Fluorine, Hydrogen, Oxygen)
  • Option to specify amounts of chemicals to add
Show 27 more
  • Kid version with simplified instructions
  • Add crafting or new science game modes
  • Add more glassware and scientific equipment
  • Reintroduce feature to see compound information
  • Add challenges or daily missions
  • Add ability to use previously made chemicals for new reactions
  • Add definitions for elements and reactions
  • Add a story or background context
  • Add more reactions and compounds
  • Add liquid elements (e.g., liquid oxygen, hydrogen)
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add styrofoam/polystyrene
  • Add more elements
  • Add more acids
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add more glassware
  • Add more scientific equipment
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Physics Lab AR

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Component Subscription$1.491 Month
One-time6
  • 60 Diamonds$0.99
  • 10 Diamonds$0.99
  • 120 Diamonds$1.99
Show 3 more
  • 300 Diamonds$4.99
  • 680 Diamonds$9.99
  • 1280 Diamonds$19.99
1 purchases

Unreal Chemist

One-time1
  • Premium Version$5.99

Questions

Is Physics Lab AR free?
Physics Lab AR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Unreal Chemist free?
Unreal Chemist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Physics Lab AR or Unreal Chemist?
Physics Lab AR is rated higher. Physics Lab AR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Unreal Chemist averages 4.5 from 67 ratings.
Do Physics Lab AR or Unreal Chemist have ads?
Unreal Chemist shows ads; Physics Lab AR does not.
Which is updated more often, Physics Lab AR or Unreal Chemist?
Physics Lab AR ships an update every 2 months, and Unreal Chemist every 2 weeks. Most recently, Physics Lab AR was updated on October 17, 2026 and Unreal Chemist on October 16, 2026.

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