Itty Bitty Buggy vs Merge Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Itty Bitty Buggy
Build and control various shapes for a virtual buggy. Offers five distinct styles and four control gameplay modes for interactive real-world play.
- Build various shapes
- Control buggy movement
- Five distinct styles
- Four control gameplay modes
- Interactive real-world play
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This is an app for Itty Bitty Buggy. By the building procedure, you can easily build a variety of shapes for Itty Bitty Buggy and control it to move. This app contains 5 kinds of small and powerful styles, and there are 4 kinds of control gameplay, so that you can interact with the real world and enjoy the game together.
Merge Explorer
Explore over 100 interactive science simulations using a smartphone and a Merge Cube. Investigate volcanoes, sharks, the solar system, and more with hands-on activities and quizzes. Ideal for K-8 students learning science at school or home.
- Over 100 science simulations
- Interactive Merge Cube experiences
- Hands-on learning activities
- Built-in quizzes
- NGSS-aligned K-8 curriculum
- Physical, Life, and Earth/Space Science topics
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PLEASE NOTE: This app requires a Merge Cube and a smartphone or a tablet to experience. Find out how to get a Merge Cube and learn more at: https://www.MergeCube.com. Students can learn science effectively with over 100 science simulations they can touch, hold and interact with! Merge Explorer (along with a Merge Cube) allows students to investigate a smoking volcano in the palm of their hand, examine a great white shark up close, hold and explore the solar system, dissect a frog (humanely!), and so much more. With easy-to-follow activities and built-in quizzes, students gain key knowledge while immersed in learning, both in the classroom or while remote learning at home. Merge Explorer includes NGSS-aligned topics for K-8th grade, like Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science. If you have any questions or suggestions, we want to hear from you! Contact us at any time at support@mergeedu.com. Privacy Policy: https://MergeEdu.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://MergeEdu.com/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Itty Bitty Buggy at none against Merge Explorer's 4. Merge Explorer's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (279 vs 21). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Merge Explorer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Itty Bitty Buggy asks for nothing beyond the download.
Merge Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Explorer has 279 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Itty Bitty Buggy's written reviews are positive against 46% of Merge Explorer's.
Itty Bitty Buggy ships an update every 3 weeks, Merge Explorer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Itty Bitty Buggy | Merge Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (21 ratings) | 4.1 (279 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | 46.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 21 | 279 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Microduino Inc. | Merge Apps |
Customer experience
Itty Bitty Buggy
Merge Explorer
Bugs and requests
Itty Bitty Buggy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Merge Explorer
Reported bugs
13 issues- App crashes on iPad
- App crashes when pressing play
- Camera not working in app
- Black screen when using cube or camera
- VR function broken
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- VR doesn't work with iPhone XS Max
- App crashes or loads forever
- Problems with galactic explore
- App has trouble recognizing the cube
- Screen recording only records cube, not overlay
- Words appear sideways in horizontal mode
- Content appears incorrectly
- App crashes
Requested features
9 requests- Make the app free to play
- Add more fun things, not just learning
- Bring back the fun apps (time bomb, block courses)
- Allow users to create their own games for the merge cube
- Add a way to reset quizzes for class sets of devices
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- Improve functionality for remote teaching, including screen recording
- Add more content in the future
- Add dark mode option
- Add advanced analytics dashboard
In-app purchases
Itty Bitty Buggy
No in-app purchases
Merge Explorer
- Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Explorer Premium Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
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- Explorer Premium Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Itty Bitty Buggy free?
Is Merge Explorer free?
Which has better reviews, Itty Bitty Buggy or Merge Explorer?
Do Itty Bitty Buggy or Merge Explorer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Itty Bitty Buggy or Merge Explorer?
Other comparisons
