SandBox vs Solar System Sim
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SandBox
Engage in a dynamic particle physics playground with full rotation. Discover how various elements interact to produce captivating outcomes, offering both creative freedom and educational opportunities.
- Particle physics simulation
- Element interaction and combination
- Full 3D rotation
- Thermal vision mode
- Creative sandbox experience
- Educational element reactions
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Immerse yourself in the complete particle sandbox experience with full rotation capabilities. Explore a wide range of different elements and watch as they interact with each other to create fascinating results. Features: • Specialists understand that the sandbox is the perfect place to unleash your creativity. • Teachers recognize that the sandbox is an ideal tool for teaching about item reactions and how to create new elements. • Play sand with thermal vision, reminiscent of the popular game Garry's Mod (gmod). • This innovative and awesome concept is loads of fun with the sandbox, and I can't wait to upgrade! • The particles in the sandbox are very realistic, satisfying, and relaxing. Combine elements to create new reactions and even blow up floating sandbox or ragdoll sandbox 2 for even more excitement!
Solar System Sim
Simulate and explore celestial bodies within our solar system and beyond. Create your own solar systems, experiment with gravity and physics, and observe orbital mechanics in action.
- Explore planets and moons
- Visit nearby stars
- Create custom solar systems
- Gravity and physics simulation
- Recalculate orbits
- Newton's laws implementation
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Zoom from a planet's surface out to distant galaxies, then reshape the whole system with your own hands. Solar System Sim is a real-time gravity sandbox built on Newton's laws and real astronomical data. Every body you add, move or destroy recalculates the orbits of everything else, live. • Smash worlds together: impact craters carve into the surface, firestorms sweep the globe, and glowing debris rains back down. • Build your own universe: add planets, moons, asteroids and comets with their own size, mass and looks, or customise the ones already there. • Land anywhere: drop to a first-person view on any planet's surface and experience its environment. • Sculpt rings: add particle rings and watch gravity shape them in real time. • Witness real eclipses: solar and lunar, with real-world astronomical precision. • Follow comets: watch them streak past and interact with the bodies they meet. • Leave the Solar System: travel to remarkable nearby stars and find them within the Milky Way. • Feel the scale: see the true vastness of space, from a pebble-sized moon to the nearest galaxies. Whether you're here to learn how gravity really works or just to break planets with it, explore at your own pace. Start your cosmic adventure with Solar System Sim.
Screenshots
Verdict
SandBox and Solar System Sim both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Solar System Sim's written reviews are positive against 36% of SandBox's. Solar System Sim also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). SandBox's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ratings volume (45K vs 4.1K). On price, rating, ads 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
Both are free to download. Solar System Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. SandBox asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SandBox against 4.5 for Solar System Sim. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SandBox has 45K ratings behind it against 4.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of SandBox's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar System Sim's.
SandBox ships an update every 3 months, Solar System Sim every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SandBox | Solar System Sim |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (45K ratings) — better | 4.5 (4.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 36.3% of reviews | 79.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 45K — better | 4.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 512 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TINYSOFT | WPC |
Customer experience
SandBox
Solar System Sim
User reviews
SandBox
From 45K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Satisfying gameplay
- 👍 Relaxing and calming
- 🚀 Decent graphics
Room to improve
- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🔒 Forced ads and refills
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔋 Limited resources
Solar System Sim
From 4.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Realistic simulation
- 🚀 Detailed solar system
- 🚀 Ability to create custom solar systems
- 🚀 Impressive graphics
- 🚀 Frequent updates
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Saving and loading issues
- 🐛 Unstable orbits
Bugs and requests
SandBox
Reported bugs
3 issues- Level 50 is impossible to complete
- Certain materials like rock have glitches
- App crashes and freezes
Requested features
4 requests- More materials and elements
- Ability to save and load creations
- Larger sandbox area
- More realistic physics and behaviors
Solar System Sim
Reported bugs
5 issues- Planets/moons disappearing after saving and loading
- Bright flashes and screen distortions
- Planets/objects getting stuck inside stars
- Crashes when colliding or editing certain objects
- Inconsistent orbital mechanics and moons ejecting from planets
Requested features
10 requests- Add more galaxy and nebula textures
- Implement realistic supernova effects
- Allow customization of planet atmospheres and terrain
- Add binary star systems and rogue planets
- Introduce a galaxy maker and collision feature
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- Implement a reverse time lapse option
- Add more speed options (128x, 256x, etc.)
- Introduce a population counter and life simulation for planets
- Allow custom city lights and vegetation on planets
- Add a Roche limit feature to observe tidal disruption
In-app purchases
SandBox
No in-app purchases
Solar System Sim
- HD Mars$2.99
- HD Earth$2.99
- HD Moon$2.99
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- No-ads$3.99
- HD 3-body pack$6.99
