Comparison

BioDive vs Steam Lab VR

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

Head to head
About

BioDive

Immerse yourself in virtual reality marine biology expeditions. Students act as scientists, exploring diverse ocean ecosystems, collecting data, and documenting their findings in a digital journal to understand environmental impacts.

Highlights
  • Virtual reality ocean exploration
  • Scientific inquiry and data collection
  • Digital science journal
  • Collaboration with peers
  • Hypothesis formation
  • Diverse marine ecosystems
Features
Read full description

In BioDive, students are marine biologists who travel to international dive locations in VR. They will study the impact of abiotic factors on biotic factors across diverse marine ecosystems and then document their learning in their digital science journals in the companion website. As students move through the experience, they go between their own personal digital science journal (https://biodive.killersnails.com/) and expeditions in the field, including the Eastern Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Indo-Pacific Oceans. They make observations, collect data, collaborate with fellow scientists, and synthesize their knowledge to write formal hypotheses about the impact of variables on changes to different ocean ecosystems. Players must have access to the digital science journal to view more than the first scene. BioDive was developed by a team of science teachers and scientists to model the process of scientific inquiry and discovery. Students use their devices to make observations and use their laptops to manipulate data and synthesize observations to demonstrate learning. This game was created by an award-winning team co-founded by a practicing marine biochemist. BioDive was developed with support from the National Science Foundation!

About

Steam Lab VR

This app enhances physical toy kits with interactive virtual reality experiences. Dig for fossils or explore the universe after building a planetarium. It's a companion to tangible projects, offering immersive digital adventures.

Highlights
  • Interactive VR experiences
  • Companion to physical kits
  • Fossil digging simulation
  • Space exploration
  • Hands-on activity integration
  • Immersive learning
Features
Read full description

STEAM LAB VR combines our physical toys with interactive experiences. Imagine digging out a dinosaur fossil and then visiting fossil rich sites, or building a planetarium and flying through the universe. This app is designed to blend our tangible projects and activities with immersive experiences in virtual reality! Each physical kit comes with an informative book, a fun hands on activity, and VR goggles! This is a companion app for a physical kit.

Screenshots

BioDive3 screens
Steam Lab VR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Steam Lab VR at 4.2 against BioDive's 3.4. Steam Lab VR also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). BioDive's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, ratings volume, 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. Steam Lab VR sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. BioDive asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Steam Lab VR holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 13 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BioDive ships an update every 4 months, Steam Lab VR every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BioDive versus Steam Lab VR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBioDiveSteam Lab VR
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (5 ratings)4.2 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings513 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size372 MB2.6 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKiller SnailsAbacus

Customer experience

BioDive

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Steam Lab VR

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

BioDive

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Steam Lab VR

Subscriptions1
  • Unlock All Content$14.991 Year
One-time7
  • Dino-Dig VR$9.99
  • Solar System VR$9.99
  • Shark Lab VR$9.99
Show 4 more
  • Volcano Lab VR$9.99
  • Crystal Lab VR$9.99
  • World Wonders$9.99
  • Body Lab VR$9.99

Questions

Is BioDive free?
BioDive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Steam Lab VR free?
Steam Lab VR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BioDive or Steam Lab VR?
Steam Lab VR is rated higher. BioDive averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Steam Lab VR averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.
Do BioDive or Steam Lab VR have ads?
Neither BioDive nor Steam Lab VR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BioDive or Steam Lab VR?
BioDive ships an update every 4 months, and Steam Lab VR every 6 weeks. Most recently, BioDive was updated on October 5, 2026 and Steam Lab VR on October 15, 2026.

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