Comparison

Merge Explorer vs Virtual Reality Animals!

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

Head to head

Merge Explorer

Hands-on science simulations

Free

📚 Education

★ 4.1279 ratingsView app →

Virtual Reality Animals!

Companion App for VR Kit

Free

📚 Education

★ 3.737 ratingsView app →

About

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.

Highlights

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

Features

Read full description

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

About

Virtual Reality Animals!

Explore the animal kingdom through immersive 360-degree virtual reality experiences. This companion app requires a physical kit with a book and VR goggles for full functionality, offering detailed views of various animals.

Highlights

Immersive 360-degree VR animal experiences
Detailed views of insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals
Companion app for physical kit
Requires printed book for full functionality
Educational content on fauna

Features

Read full description

Uncover the marvels of the animal kingdom in unprecedented virtual reality with VR ANIMALS! Featuring over forty, 360 degree VR experiences in incredible detail and stunning realism. Get up close to insects and reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals and more. Full kit includes a 96 page illustrated DK guide to animals from around the world, jam-packed with fun facts about your favorite fauna. Includes VR googles and your own customizable scratch art kit. This is a companion app. Requires printed book found in physical kit for full functionality.

Screenshots

Merge Explorer4 screens

Virtual Reality Animals!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual Reality Animals! at none against Merge Explorer's 4. Virtual Reality Animals! also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Merge Explorer's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Merge Explorer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Virtual Reality Animals! asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Merge Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Explorer has 279 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Merge Explorer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Virtual Reality Animals!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Merge Explorer ships an update monthly, Virtual Reality Animals! every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level

Merge Explorer versus Virtual Reality Animals!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Merge Explorer	Virtual Reality Animals!
Price	Free	Free
Rating	4.1 (279 ratings) — better	3.7 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews	46.2% of reviews	50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings	279 — better	37
Update frequency	Monthly — better	Every 3 months
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	Yes	No — better
Monetization	Free with in-app purchases	Free — better
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod	iPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS	15.0	13.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	1.3 GB	2.1 GB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	Merge Apps	Abacus

Customer experience

Merge Explorer

All ratings279 ratings

Positive76.3%

Neutral7.2%

Negative16.5%

Written reviews65 reviews

Positive46.2%

Neutral10.8%

Negative43.1%

Virtual Reality Animals!

All ratings37 ratings

Positive70.3%

Neutral2.7%

Negative27.0%

Written reviews8 reviews

Positive50.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative50.0%

Bugs and 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

Show 8 more

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

Show 4 more

Improve functionality for remote teaching, including screen recording
Add more content in the future
Add dark mode option
Add advanced analytics dashboard

Virtual Reality Animals!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Merge Explorer

Subscriptions4

Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$9.991 Month
Explorer Premium Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Show 1 more

Explorer Premium Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

None

Virtual Reality Animals!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Merge Explorer free?

Merge Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Is Virtual Reality Animals! free?

Virtual Reality Animals! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

Which has better reviews, Merge Explorer or Virtual Reality Animals!?

Merge Explorer is rated higher. Merge Explorer averages 4.1 out of 5 from 279 ratings, while Virtual Reality Animals! averages 3.7 from 37 ratings.

Do Merge Explorer or Virtual Reality Animals! have ads?

Neither Merge Explorer nor Virtual Reality Animals! shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Merge Explorer or Virtual Reality Animals!?

Merge Explorer ships an update monthly, and Virtual Reality Animals! every 3 months. Most recently, Merge Explorer was updated on September 13, 2026 and Virtual Reality Animals! on September 4, 2026.