# Planet simulation vs Earth Sandbox

The clearest difference is update cadence: Earth Sandbox at weekly against Planet simulation's every 7 months. Planet simulation's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 50%) and ratings volume (164 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for Planet simulation against 4.0 for Earth Sandbox. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planet simulation has 164 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Planet simulation's written reviews are positive against 50% of Earth Sandbox's.

Planet simulation ships an update every 7 months, Earth Sandbox weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planet simulation | Earth Sandbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-simulation/id356146219/reviews) | **[4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-sandbox/id6756494237/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **164** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **74.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 15 MB | 367 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAN-BALL](https://appshunter.io/developer/348592290) | [Heechang Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/485685857) |

## What reviewers say

### Planet simulation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-simulation/id356146219)

Design and build your own solar system with various stars. Explore the fascinating world of gravity and recreate celestial bodies. A relaxing game for your spare time.

**Highlights:** Create your own solar system, Simulate gravity, Design with various stars, Reproduce celestial bodies, Relaxing gameplay

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic gravity simulation
- 👍 Fun to mess around with
- 🎨 Visually appealing
- 🤖 Good for learning about planetary motion

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Planets often crash into the sun
- 🔍 Limited features and customization options
- 📢 Distracting ads
- 🤯 Confusing controls and UI

**Reported bugs**

- Planets sometimes disappear or behave erratically
- App crashes or freezes occasionally
- Scaling and scrolling issues

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial objects (black holes, supernovas, etc.)
- Allow for more complex orbits and binary systems
- Implement a save/load feature for solar systems
- Add a tutorial or help section
- Integrate with educational resources on astronomy


### Earth Sandbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-sandbox/id6756494237)

Explore the dynamic evolution of a planet by altering its core systems like climate and gravity. Trigger natural events and observe real-time population and ecosystem trends. This experimental simulation game offers unique outcomes with every interaction.

**Highlights:** Earth-focused environmental simulation, Interconnected climate and planetary systems, Dynamic natural events, Real-time population and ecosystem trends, Interactive experimentation tools, Clean visuals and intuitive controls

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planet simulation free?

Planet simulation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Earth Sandbox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Planet simulation or Earth Sandbox?

Earth Sandbox is rated higher. Planet simulation averages 3.9 out of 5 from 164 ratings, while Earth Sandbox averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Planet simulation or Earth Sandbox have ads?

Both Planet simulation and Earth Sandbox show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planet simulation or Earth Sandbox?

Planet simulation ships an update every 7 months, and Earth Sandbox weekly. Most recently, Planet simulation was updated on September 19, 2026 and Earth Sandbox on September 18, 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.*