# Pocket Rocket vs Rocket Simulator

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Rocket at 4.5 against Rocket Simulator's 3.8. Pocket Rocket also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 10%) and ads (none vs shown). Rocket Simulator's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Rocket sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Rocket Simulator sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Rocket holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 522 and 422 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Pocket Rocket's written reviews are positive against 10% of Rocket Simulator's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Rocket | Rocket Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (522 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-rocket/id1493916909/reviews)** | [3.8 (422 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **522** | 422 |
| Positive reviews | **52.0% of reviews** | 10.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 702 MB | 280 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Voyager Space Systems, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493916908) | [Education Terra](https://appshunter.io/developer/946819038) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Rocket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-rocket/id1493916909)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Rocket Plus | $2.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Silver | $4.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Gold | $9.99 | per month |
| Pocket Rocket Plus (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Pocket Rocket Silver (Yearly) | $44.99 | per year |
| Pocket Rocket Gold (Yearly) | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- AR feature crashes on launch
- Incorrect or outdated launch information
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

- 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


### Rocket Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379)

Build and launch your own rockets in augmented reality. Assemble various rocket models, learn about their history and functions, and customize them with AI-generated stickers. Experience space exploration with different missions and modes.

**Highlights:** AR rocket assembly, Rocket model customization, Historical rocket information, AI sticker generation, Flight simulation, Educational facts about rockets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rocket Ship - 1 Week | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Rocket Simulator: Spaceflight | $19.99 | per month |
| Rocket Ship Building & Launch | $20.99 | per year |
| 3 Months Subscription | $20.99 | per 3 months |
| 2 Months Subscription | $39.99 | per 2 months |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cool concept
- 👍 Epic game
- 👍 Nice
- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Great game!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Pay to play
- 💸 Subscription required
- 💸 Expensive
- 💸 Misleading free trial
- 💸 Unusable without payment

**Reported bugs**

- Parts don't connect
- No command center on launch
- Rocket goes to sky and mission complete
- Animations not shown correctly
- Slow rollout animation

**Requested features**

- Add command center
- Add space exploration
- Add more to the game
- Add staging and space rocket control
- Add other planets to land on


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Rocket free?

Pocket Rocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Rocket Simulator free?

Rocket Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Rocket or Rocket Simulator?

Pocket Rocket is rated higher. Pocket Rocket averages 4.5 out of 5 from 522 ratings, while Rocket Simulator averages 3.8 from 422 ratings.

### Do Pocket Rocket or Rocket Simulator have ads?

Rocket Simulator shows ads; Pocket Rocket does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Rocket or Rocket Simulator?

Pocket Rocket ships an update every 2 months, and Rocket Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket Rocket was updated on October 13, 2026 and Rocket Simulator on October 16, 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.*