Comparison

POWERUP 4.0 vs LEGO® TECHNIC® AR

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

Head to head
About

POWERUP 4.0

Transform paper airplanes into smart, controllable flying machines. Experience smooth, intuitive flight with advanced sensors and dual motors. Master aerobatics, track flight data, and enjoy night flying with optional LEDs.

Highlights
  • On-board flight computer
  • Gyro and accelerometer sensors
  • Dual thrust vectoring motors
  • Auto-looping aerobatics
  • Real-time flight analytics
  • Optional LED lights
  • Wheeled takeoff and landing
Features
Read full description

POWERUP 4.0 is the smartest, most intuitive paper plane kit we’ve ever made. It makes it possible to fly with ease and smoothness in a variety of conditions. Say goodbye to nosedives and choppy flights. We’ve added a new on-board flight computer and 2 new sensors: gyro and accelerometer, combined with 2 thrust vectoring motors. That means flying POWERUP 4.0 is smoother than ever, and can now do all this: That’s right. POWERUP 4.0 can auto-loop. So you can master tricks and awesome aerobatics by simply pressing a button. We’ve added 2 high speed motors to POWERUP 4.0. That means you’ve got double the thrust, additional maneuvering possibilities, and sharper turns. And together with the flight assist, you can fly just about anything Now you can learn to fly like a pro. We’re showing you real-time analytics including heading direction, thrust level and turning angles. We’ve made it a lot easier and way cooler to fly POWERUP 4.0 at night. Optional LED lights will enable you to light up the night - making for awesome visuals and round-the-clock fun. 2 rear wheels and 1 front wheel give your paper plane more style and make for easier takeoff and landing. They also make it possible to launch off of a surface rather than hand-launching. We partnered with the best RC hobby vloggers on the planet – FliteTest! They have put together their incredibly creative minds to develop a foam jet inspired by the F22 for the 4.0. It is made from a special laser cut foam board they created and make in the USA. Intuitive control makes it easy to fly. Simply tilt your phone in the direction you want your plane to fly. It’s really that easy. POWERUP is an incredibly helpful tool when it comes to teaching and learning aeronautics. Students can test multiple designs, analyze their work and improve their planes. Through trial and error, they can understand what makes their plane fly smoother, longer and farther- key lessons in airplane design.

About

LEGO® TECHNIC® AR

Enhance your LEGO Technic building experience with augmented reality. Interact with models through realistic simulations, games, and educational content. Explore vehicles and learn about engineering with interactive AR challenges.

Highlights
  • AR model interaction
  • Realistic sound effects
  • Robotics and engineering learning
  • Racing car simulations
  • Interactive mini-games
  • Life-size model viewing
  • X-ray view
Features
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Take your LEGO® Technic™ experience to a new level of realism: • Get unique experiences designed especially for each LEGO Technic AR model. • Enjoy realistic sound effects and lifelike features and functions. • Learn about robotics, engineering, rock sampling and more when you combine the AR app with the LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance (42158) model. • Explore LEGO Technic racing cars using the AR app to see the racetrack appear in front of you as you test your racing skills, play mini-games and beat your own record, and see trackside features like pitstops or grandstands appear (dependent on the model you are playing with). • Take the Yamaha MT-10 SP for a test drive in AR with throttle, brakes, gear shifting and driver dashboard, all based on the real Yamaha controls. See how the real vehicle or the LEGO model would look, life-size in your room, or use the x-ray view to see inside the motorcycle. Here are some models you can explore with the AR app… • LEGO Technic Formula E® Porsche 99X Electric (42137) • LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby® GT500® (42138) • LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance (42158) • LEGO Technic Yamaha MT-10 SP (42159) … and the list keeps growing! (Remember that each of these sets is sold separately.) Each of these models comes with its own unique AR experience. Whether it’s the Yamaha MT-10 SP, the Formula E Porsche race car, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 or the NASA Mars Rover Perseverance, you’ll be able to put your skills to the test with augmented realism. Is your device compatible? Please go to LEGO.com/devicecheck to check if your device is compatible. Ask your parents’ permission before going online. For app support, contact LEGO Consumer Service. For contact details, refer to http://service.LEGO.com/contactus Our privacy policy and terms of use for apps are accepted if you download this app. Read more on http://aboutus.LEGO.com/legal-notice/privacy-policy and http://aboutus.LEGO.com/legal-notice/terms-of-use-for-apps LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2023 The LEGO Group. Under license of Porsche AG. Formula E is a trademark of Formula E Holdings Ltd. Ford Motor Company Trademarks and Trade Dress used under license to the LEGO Group. Shelby® and GT500® are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. and used under license. NASA Insignia and identifiers provided and used with permission of NASA. JPL logo provided and used with permission of the California Institute of Technology. Yamaha, the Tuning Fork Mark, MT-10 SP and the likeness there of are trademarks of Yamaha Motor Corp., USA & Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd used under license.

Screenshots

POWERUP 4.04 screens
LEGO® TECHNIC® AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LEGO® TECHNIC® AR at 4.7 against POWERUP 4.0's 3.7. LEGO® TECHNIC® AR also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 45%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). POWERUP 4.0's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LEGO® TECHNIC® AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LEGO® TECHNIC® AR has 3.1K ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of POWERUP 4.0's written reviews are positive against 72% of LEGO® TECHNIC® AR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

POWERUP 4.0 ships an update every 2 weeks, LEGO® TECHNIC® AR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
POWERUP 4.0 versus LEGO® TECHNIC® AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPOWERUP 4.0LEGO® TECHNIC® AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (124 ratings)4.7 (3.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.0% of reviews72.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1243.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB853 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTailor Toys LTDLEGO

Customer experience

POWERUP 4.0

All ratings124 ratings
Positive66.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative26.6%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive45.0%
Neutral11.7%
Negative43.3%

LEGO® TECHNIC® AR

All ratings3,060 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews185 reviews
Positive72.4%
Neutral10.3%
Negative17.3%

Bugs and requests

POWERUP 4.0

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

LEGO® TECHNIC® AR

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Inability to scan or detect models
  • Glitchy track movement and positioning

Requested features

4 requests
  • More compatible LEGO sets
  • Additional tracks and modes
  • Offline or standalone gameplay
  • Improved scanning and stability

In-app purchases

None

POWERUP 4.0

No in-app purchases

None

LEGO® TECHNIC® AR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is POWERUP 4.0 free?
POWERUP 4.0 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LEGO® TECHNIC® AR free?
LEGO® TECHNIC® AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, POWERUP 4.0 or LEGO® TECHNIC® AR?
LEGO® TECHNIC® AR is rated higher. POWERUP 4.0 averages 3.7 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while LEGO® TECHNIC® AR averages 4.7 from 3.1K ratings.
Do POWERUP 4.0 or LEGO® TECHNIC® AR have ads?
Neither POWERUP 4.0 nor LEGO® TECHNIC® AR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, POWERUP 4.0 or LEGO® TECHNIC® AR?
POWERUP 4.0 ships an update every 2 weeks, and LEGO® TECHNIC® AR every 2 months. Most recently, POWERUP 4.0 was updated on October 15, 2026 and LEGO® TECHNIC® AR on October 21, 2026.

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