# HoppAR vs The Foundering

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Foundering at none against HoppAR's 14. The Foundering also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HoppAR sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. The Foundering asks for nothing beyond the download.

HoppAR ships an update every 2 months, The Foundering weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HoppAR | The Foundering |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (584 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoppar/id1497739070/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **584** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 372 MB | 226 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Josef Grunig](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497739069) | [IDIA Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/996608783) |

## 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


### The Foundering

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-foundering/id6749150168)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HoppAR free?

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

### Is The Foundering free?

The Foundering is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do HoppAR or The Foundering have ads?

Neither HoppAR nor The Foundering shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HoppAR or The Foundering?

HoppAR ships an update every 2 months, and The Foundering weekly. Most recently, HoppAR was updated on October 21, 2026 and The Foundering 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.*