Comparison

Pocket Rocket vs HoppAR

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Rocket

Stay informed about all upcoming SpaceX rocket launches with real-time updates and reminders. View rocket models, livestream launches, and interact with rockets in AR. Never miss a historic moment in space exploration.

Highlights
  • Upcoming launch reminders
  • Launch date countdowns
  • Livestream launches
  • 3D and AR rocket models
  • Detailed launch updates
  • Historical launch viewing
Features
Read full description

Pocket Rocket keeps track of all upcoming SpaceX rocket launches, and reminds you of when they're happening. Launch dates change constantly, so we act as your launch concierge to make sure you never miss out on witnessing history.  With this app, you can view existing and future rocket models, receive critical updates about launches, livestream new launches, watch each historical launch, and see your favorite rocket in Augmented Reality. Base Features for All Users: - Day-Of Reminder notification about every Upcoming Launch. - Full access to all features of the app! What you see is what you get. - See dates and countdowns for each launch, so you know exactly when they will happen. - Interact with your favorite rockets in a 3D view, and in AR. - Livestream every launch directly from the app! Subscription Tiers: Pocket Rocket Plus - All the Base features. - Receive Launch Updates and Detailed Reminders. - Updates for when a launch date changes just before a launch is expected to happen. - Reminders for each upcoming launch, from T - 1 Week, T - 24 Hrs/12 Hrs (it varies), T - 1 Hr, and T - 5 Minutes. Pocket Rocket Silver - All the Base features. - All Launch Updates and Reminders - Support the development of the app. This helps us continue building Pocket Rocket full-time. - A Silver Decal in your app to display your level of support. - Exclusive future features to further display your level of support! Pocket Rocket Gold - All the Base features. - All Launch Updates and Reminders - Support the development of the app. - A Gold Decal in your app to display your level of support. - Exclusive future features to further display your level of support! We hope you'll love it. (Disclaimer: This is app is not affiliated with SpaceX or its partners or customers)

About

HoppAR

Experience rocket launches and landings in augmented reality. Control thrust vectoring, perform engine test fires, and customize rockets with your own colors. Explore a variety of real spacecraft and space mission scenarios.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality rocket launches
  • Manual thrust vectoring control
  • Rocket engine test fires
  • Customizable rocket coloring
  • Variety of real spacecraft models
  • Entry, Descent, and Landing simulations
  • Indoor and Outdoor AR modes
Features
Read full description

Launch and land your favorite rockets in Augmented Reality from your courtyard! Perform rocket engine test fires directly on your table. Manually control the Thrust Vectoring and perform your first landing at home! Color your favorite rocket and see it in action in Augmented Reality You can choose between many different rocket prototypes and real spacecrafts. Here are a few of them: the beloved StarHopper, the giant Starship MK1, and the hover test of the Dragon 2. Watch the Crew Dragon Demo Mission 2 leave the launch pad and the Falcon 9 first stage land back! Enjoy the Buran Orbiter and Energia Rocket conquer the sky, and many more spacecrafts to come! Not only rockets: enjoy the Perseverance Landing and the Sky-Crane maneuver in the "Last Minute of Terror" of the Entry Descend and Landing sequence. Fire a Raptor engine on your desk at home! Select between Indoor and Outdoor mode depending on where you are and the scale of the Rocket you want to launch. Apply filters to mimic the colors of your favorite planet and change the environmental conditions choosing among many different options: Rain, Thunderstorm, Snow and more Take a picture or record your best launch, share them with your friends with the #HoppAR hashtag and get into the Rocket Launcher's Social Wall Auto-renewable Subscription: Support app Development and new Rockets Addition (renewed on an annual basis) You get all mission unlocked with no limits for the time the subscription is active Non-Consumable Purchase: Instead of subscribing you might buy a single mission that will be unlocked with no time limit Let's HoppAR! (Disclaimer: This is app is not affiliated with any space company or its partners or customers)

Screenshots

Pocket Rocket4 screens
HoppAR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HoppAR at 85% against Pocket Rocket's 52%. HoppAR also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pocket Rocket sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and HoppAR sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HoppAR holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 522 and 579 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Pocket Rocket's written reviews are positive against 85% of HoppAR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 21, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pocket Rocket versus HoppAR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket RocketHoppAR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (522 ratings)4.8 (579 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.0% of reviews85.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings522579 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size702 MB372 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVoyager Space Systems, LLCJosef Grunig

Customer experience

Pocket Rocket

All ratings521 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative36.0%

HoppAR

All ratings579 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative12.2%

User reviews

Pocket Rocket

From 522 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Awesome AR features
  • 👍 Beautiful and sleek design
  • 🚀 Detailed rocket models
  • 👍 Useful launch countdown and notifications

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes, especially with AR
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔍 Lack of up-to-date launch information

HoppAR

From 579 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Excellent AR simulation and gameplay mechanics
  • 🎨 High-quality rocket models and realistic designs
  • 🎵 Great music and audio (with some caveats)
  • 📱 Well-made and polished app overall
  • 🌟 Immersive and satisfying launch experience

Room to improve

  • 💰 Premium rockets locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 AR functionality issues on some devices
  • 📱 Orientation requirement (vertical/horizontal) frustrating
  • ⏱️ Limited gameplay - rockets auto-launch and auto-land
  • 🎬 Short 5-second clips lack player control

Bugs and requests

Pocket Rocket

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • AR feature crashes on launch
  • Incorrect or outdated launch information
  • Unreliable push notifications

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for other launch providers beyond SpaceX
  • Improve reliability and accuracy of launch notifications
  • Provide a 1:1 scale mode for AR rockets
  • Develop an iPad-optimized version of the app

HoppAR

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Black screen on horizontal surface scanning
  • Camera not working on certain devices
  • App won't open or crashes on startup
  • Gray screen display issue
  • iPad AR compatibility problems
Show 2 more
  • App performance issues causing crashes
  • Sound/audio problems requiring fixes

Requested features

15 requests
  • Space Shuttle addition
  • Manual control for Falcon 9 and Dragon
  • Free access to premium rockets
  • Launch towers for all rockets
  • Soyuz rocket
Show 10 more
  • Sea Dragon rocket
  • Starship inclusion
  • First-person/cockpit camera view
  • Non-AR mode for gameplay
  • VR mode support
  • Ability to place objects in front of rockets
  • Increased rocket size to fill room
  • Enhanced smoke/rumble effects
  • Original countdown voices per rocket
  • More rocket variety overall

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Pocket Rocket

Subscriptions6
  • Pocket Rocket Plus1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Pocket Rocket Silver1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pocket Rocket Gold1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pocket Rocket Plus (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • Pocket Rocket Silver (Yearly)$44.991 Year
  • Pocket Rocket Gold (Yearly)$74.991 Year
14 purchases

HoppAR

Subscriptions1
  • HoppAR Supporter$7.991 Year
One-time13
  • FALCON HEAVY$0.99
  • STARSHIP Belly Flop$0.99
  • SUPER HEAVY$0.99
Show 10 more
  • DELTA IV HEAVY$0.99
  • PERSEVERANCE$0.99
  • DRONESHIP OCISLY$0.99
  • NEW SHEPARD$0.99
  • ARIANE 5$0.99
  • ARTEMIS I$0.99
  • SOYUZ$0.99
  • ELECTRON$0.99
  • SATURN V$1.99
  • Control Feature$2.99

Questions

Is Pocket Rocket free?
Pocket Rocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HoppAR free?
HoppAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pocket Rocket or HoppAR?
HoppAR is rated higher. Pocket Rocket averages 4.5 out of 5 from 522 ratings, while HoppAR averages 4.8 from 579 ratings.
Do Pocket Rocket or HoppAR have ads?
Neither Pocket Rocket nor HoppAR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Rocket or HoppAR?
Pocket Rocket ships an update every 2 months, and HoppAR every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket Rocket was updated on September 21, 2026 and HoppAR on September 21, 2026.

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