# Playground AR vs ARm Manipulator

The clearest difference is rating: ARm Manipulator at 5.0 against Playground AR's 3.9. Playground AR's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Playground AR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ARm Manipulator sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ARm Manipulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 4 respectively.

Playground AR ships an update every 3 weeks, ARm Manipulator every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Playground AR | ARm Manipulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arm-manipulator/id6444630772/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 133 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marc Sureda](https://appshunter.io/developer/657241759) | [BP3D, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455925283) |

## What reviewers say

### Playground AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-ar-physics-sandbox/id1305282341)

Transform your space into an augmented reality physics sandbox. Build intricate structures, design functional machines, and unleash epic destruction with realistic physics. Play with friends in real-time and capture your creations.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality physics sandbox, Infinite construction with diverse blocks, Design functional machines with joints and wheels, Realistic physics simulations, Control RC vehicles, Multiplayer and social sharing, In-game screenshot tool

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Blocks | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing AR experience
- 🎮 Fun sandbox gameplay
- 🔥 Great physics engine
- 💫 Impressive AR detection
- 👍 Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty in surface detection
- 🤖 Limited NPC/character options
- 🔒 Locked content behind ads
- 🔀 Multiplayer functionality not working

**Reported bugs**

- Devices unable to detect surfaces properly
- Saved creations not persisting across sessions
- Controls for vehicles/devices not intuitive
- Occasional freezing and crashing of the app
- Incompatibility issues with certain device models

**Requested features**

- Add human/character models to interact with
- Implement liquids and more environmental elements
- Introduce terraforming and customizable terrain
- Provide more building/creation tools and options
- Enable seamless multiplayer and sharing of creations


### ARm Manipulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arm-manipulator/id6444630772)

Experience a realistic robotic arm simulation in augmented reality. Control the arm with intuitive virtual controls or external hardware, and explore its mechanics with spatial audio and refined graphics. A free mode allows you to test compatibility before unlocking the full experience with a single purchase.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality simulation, Virtual and hardware controller support, Spatial audio, Refined graphics, Non-AR mode, Free trial mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| V2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mechanics And Game | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Playground AR free?

Playground AR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ARm Manipulator free?

ARm Manipulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Playground AR or ARm Manipulator?

ARm Manipulator is rated higher. Playground AR averages 3.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while ARm Manipulator averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Playground AR or ARm Manipulator have ads?

Neither Playground AR nor ARm Manipulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Playground AR or ARm Manipulator?

Playground AR ships an update every 3 weeks, and ARm Manipulator every 4 weeks. Most recently, Playground AR was updated on October 21, 2026 and ARm Manipulator on October 24, 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.*