# Solar Smash 2D vs Sand Trace

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sand Trace at none against Solar Smash 2D's 1. Sand Trace also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Solar Smash 2D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sand Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

Solar Smash 2D ships an update every 2 months, Sand Trace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Smash 2D | Sand Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-smash-2d-space-game/id1622164579/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 252 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PARADYME LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1327375963) | [HSIANG-YU HUANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1155900519) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar Smash 2D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-smash-2d-space-game/id1622164579)

Explore unique destruction mechanics in a space-themed sandbox. Break planets into pieces, control spaceships in epic battles, or design your own celestial bodies with custom physics.

**Highlights:** Unique destruction mechanics, Break planets into pieces, Physics-based planet movement, Control and spawn spaceships, Create space battles, Draw custom planets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AdFree | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 🚀 Endless entertainment
- 🚀 Amazing space battles
- 🚀 Customizable planets
- 🚀 Controllable ships

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with movement controls
- 🐛 Glitches when switching maps
- 🔒 Aggressive monetization with gem system

**Reported bugs**

- Movement controls disappear when switching maps
- Soft-lock when controlling ships and resetting world
- Gem counter bug showing incorrect values

**Requested features**

- Add more ships and factions to spawn
- Allow controlling of larger ships and bosses
- Implement faction relationship editor
- Add pause, slow-motion, and speed up controls
- Expand custom planet creation tools


### Sand Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-trace-pixel-physics-sim/id6759260956)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Smash 2D free?

Solar Smash 2D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sand Trace free?

Sand Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Solar Smash 2D or Sand Trace have ads?

Both Solar Smash 2D and Sand Trace show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Smash 2D or Sand Trace?

Solar Smash 2D ships an update every 2 months, and Sand Trace fortnightly. Most recently, Solar Smash 2D was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sand Trace on October 28, 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.*