# Sandbox AR vs Planets AR

The clearest difference is rating: Sandbox AR at 4.8 against Planets AR's 3.7. Sandbox AR also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). Planets AR's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planets AR sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Sandbox AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sandbox AR holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sandbox AR ships an update every 2 months, Planets AR daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sandbox AR | Planets AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandbox-ar/id1582806816/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-our-solar-system/id6483760783/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 343 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Discovery Education Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557216359) | [Mayank Raj](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740256034) |

## What reviewers say

### Sandbox AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandbox-ar/id1582806816)

Create, build, and explore immersive virtual worlds using augmented reality. This app allows users to scale creations to life-size and share them with others. It's designed to bring interactive technology into educational settings.

**Highlights:** Create, build, and explore in AR, Life-size scale exploration, Share creations via QR code, Capture snapshots and videos, Teacher audio descriptions (DE:X subscribers), Link to curated resources (DE:X subscribers)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Planets AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-our-solar-system/id6483760783)

Explore our solar system with an augmented reality experience. See planets, moons, and dwarf planets come to life in your room or the night sky. Learn fascinating facts and take photos for school projects.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality solar system visualization, Interactive planet controls, Night mode for stargazing, Detailed planet information, Capture photos of celestial bodies, Talking planets for guidance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Watermark | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sandbox AR free?

Sandbox AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Planets AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sandbox AR or Planets AR?

Sandbox AR is rated higher. Sandbox AR averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Planets AR averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Sandbox AR or Planets AR have ads?

Planets AR shows ads; Sandbox AR does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sandbox AR or Planets AR?

Sandbox AR ships an update every 2 months, and Planets AR daily. Most recently, Sandbox AR was updated on November 3, 2026 and Planets AR on November 4, 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.*