Comparison

Sandbox vs Solar System Sim

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

Head to head
About

Sandbox

Explore a creative sandbox world where you can mix elements to discover their reactions and create dynamic environments. Experiment with physics, build structures, and witness exciting events like explosions and growth. New modes allow for planet destruction and life cycle simulation.

Highlights
  • Element mixing and reaction discovery
  • World building with plants and weather
  • Physics experiments (fire, explosions)
  • Planet destruction mode
  • Life cycle simulation mode
Features
Read full description

Sandbox - Physics Simulation Do you curious what happened when lighting hit firework powder? Would you like to mix gas with gun powder and let them explode? Would you like to create a sandbox world, plant trees, flowers & watching them growing? Let download Sandbox game to enjoy a creative & relaxing game! You have many elements in game, you can mix them together & discover how them react to each other, how they turn to different form! You can build strong platform, grow your world, put fire, lighting, rain, plants,... on it! With SandBox you can create & destroy everything, you will find many exciting experiment: boil water, making rain, making fire & explosion,... Big Update: - new game mode Planet Destroy: use powerful weapons to destroy whole planet - new game mode Life Box: simulate real life cycle Let download & Relax with Sandbox!

About

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.

Highlights
  • Explore planets and moons
  • Visit nearby stars
  • Create custom solar systems
  • Gravity and physics simulation
  • Recalculate orbits
  • Newton's laws implementation
Features
Read full description

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

Sandbox4 screens
Solar System Sim4 screens

Verdict

The call

Sandbox and Solar System Sim both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Solar System Sim's written reviews are positive against 47% of Sandbox's. Solar System Sim also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Sandbox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Solar System Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Sandbox against 4.5 for Solar System Sim. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.8K and 4.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Sandbox's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar System Sim's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sandbox ships an update monthly, Solar System Sim every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sandbox versus Solar System Sim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandboxSolar System Sim
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8.8K ratings)4.5 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.2% of reviews80.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.8K — better4.3K
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size204 MB532 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTran Dinh HungWPC

Customer experience

Sandbox

All ratings8,772 ratings
Positive84.0%
Neutral5.1%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews670 reviews
Positive47.2%
Neutral9.9%
Negative43.0%

Solar System Sim

All ratings4,269 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral5.4%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews1,110 reviews
Positive80.1%
Neutral10.2%
Negative9.7%

User reviews

Sandbox

From 8.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Unique and creative concept
  • 🔬 Interesting physics and chemistry experiments
  • 🕹️ Fun and addictive gameplay

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Excessive and intrusive ads
  • 🤖 Lack of customization and control options
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding certain elements

Solar System Sim

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What 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
  • Certain elements not functioning as expected
  • Saved files becoming corrupted
  • Inconsistent performance and stability issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more elements and materials to experiment with
  • Implement a pause/speed up time feature
  • Introduce a sandbox mode without any ads
  • Allow users to save and load custom creations

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
Show 5 more
  • 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

1 purchases

Sandbox

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
5 purchases

Solar System Sim

One-time5
  • HD Mars$2.99
  • HD Earth$2.99
  • HD Moon$2.99
Show 2 more
  • No-ads$3.99
  • HD 3-body pack$6.99

Questions

Is Sandbox free?
Sandbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Solar System Sim free?
Solar System Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sandbox or Solar System Sim?
Solar System Sim is rated higher. Sandbox averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8.8K ratings, while Solar System Sim averages 4.5 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Sandbox or Solar System Sim have ads?
Both Sandbox and Solar System Sim show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sandbox or Solar System Sim?
Sandbox ships an update monthly, and Solar System Sim every 4 days. Most recently, Sandbox was updated on October 14, 2026 and Solar System Sim on October 14, 2026.

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