Comparison

HoppAR vs Rocket Simulator

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

Head to head
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)

About

Rocket Simulator

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
Read full description

3… 2… 1… Liftoff! Are you ready to launch your very first space rocket? Assemble rockets in AR and launch it into outer space! VARIOUS ROCKET MODELS Just choose your favourite rocket model and let’s begin. ASSEMBLY PUZZLE Assemble all rocket parts in the right order and discover historical info about its creation and missions. Customize rockets with AI stickers. INTERESTING FACTS Read about every rocket in detail and learn the functions of each rocket part. Rocket models from all over the world are waiting for you! KEEP IN MIND: Some features are only available for Subscription holders. Paid version includes all rocket models, all missions, free mode, sharing, unlimited access to AR mode, unlimited sticker generation. Free version includes 2 rockets, 2 missions, 2 AR mode launches, 3 sticker generations. https://educationterra.com/privacy https://educationterra.com/tos

Screenshots

HoppAR4 screens
Rocket Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HoppAR at 85% against Rocket Simulator's 10%. HoppAR also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. HoppAR sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HoppAR holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 579 and 422 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of HoppAR's written reviews are positive against 10% of Rocket Simulator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HoppAR versus Rocket Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHoppARRocket Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (579 ratings) — better3.8 (422 ratings)
Positive reviews85.4% of reviews — better10.2% of reviews
Number of ratings579 — better422
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size372 MB280 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosef GrunigEducation Terra

Customer experience

HoppAR

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

Rocket Simulator

All ratings422 ratings
Positive67.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative27.5%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive10.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative86.4%

User reviews

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

Rocket Simulator

From 422 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

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

Rocket Simulator

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Parts don't connect
  • No command center on launch
  • Rocket goes to sky and mission complete
  • Animations not shown correctly
  • Slow rollout animation
Show 2 more
  • Minimal launch animation
  • Typos in subtitles

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add command center
  • Add space exploration
  • Add more to the game
  • Add staging and space rocket control
  • Add other planets to land on
Show 1 more
  • Make it free

In-app purchases

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
6 purchases

Rocket Simulator

Subscriptions6
  • Rocket Ship - 1 Week$6.997 Days
  • 1 Week Subscription$9.997 Days
  • Rocket Simulator: Spaceflight$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Rocket Ship Building & Launch3 Days trial$20.991 Year
  • 3 Months Subscription3 Days trial$20.993 Months
  • 2 Months Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months

Questions

Is HoppAR free?
HoppAR 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, HoppAR or Rocket Simulator?
HoppAR is rated higher. HoppAR averages 4.8 out of 5 from 579 ratings, while Rocket Simulator averages 3.8 from 422 ratings.
Do HoppAR or Rocket Simulator have ads?
Rocket Simulator shows ads; HoppAR does not.
Which is updated more often, HoppAR or Rocket Simulator?
HoppAR ships an update every 2 months, and Rocket Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, HoppAR was updated on September 21, 2026 and Rocket Simulator on September 23, 2026.

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