# HoppAR vs Rocket Simulator

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | HoppAR | Rocket Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoppar/id1497739070/reviews)** | [3.8 (422 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **579** | 422 |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 10.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 372 MB | 280 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Josef Grunig](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497739069) | [Education Terra](https://appshunter.io/developer/946819038) |

## What reviewers say

### HoppAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoppar/id1497739070)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HoppAR Supporter | $7.99 | per year |
| FALCON HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| STARSHIP Belly Flop | $0.99 | one-time |
| SUPER HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| DELTA IV HEAVY | $0.99 | one-time |
| PERSEVERANCE | $0.99 | one-time |
| DRONESHIP OCISLY | $0.99 | one-time |
| NEW SHEPARD | $0.99 | one-time |
| ARIANE 5 | $0.99 | one-time |
| ARTEMIS I | $0.99 | one-time |
| SOYUZ | $0.99 | one-time |
| ELECTRON | $0.99 | one-time |
| SATURN V | $1.99 | one-time |
| Control Feature | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Space Shuttle addition
- Manual control for Falcon 9 and Dragon
- Free access to premium rockets
- Launch towers for all rockets
- Soyuz rocket


### 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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*