# Planet simulation vs Portal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planet simulation at none against Portal's 4. Planet simulation also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 55%) and ratings volume (165 vs 50). Portal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Portal sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Planet simulation asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for Planet simulation against 3.9 for Portal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 165 and 50 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Planet simulation's written reviews are positive against 55% of Portal's.

Planet simulation ships an update every 8 months, Portal monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planet simulation | Portal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (165 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-simulation/id356146219/reviews)** | [3.9 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portal-a-ball/id879630976/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **165** | 50 |
| Positive reviews | **74.3% of reviews** | 54.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAN-BALL](https://appshunter.io/developer/348592290) | [Charles Younger](https://appshunter.io/developer/805767204) |

## 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


### Portal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portal-a-ball/id879630976)

Engage in a physics-based puzzle adventure across numerous test chambers. Each level presents unique objectives to challenge your problem-solving skills in this addictive game.

**Highlights:** Physics-based gameplay, Multiple test chambers, Varied level objectives, Addictive puzzle solving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip the Developer - Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Nice Tip! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Generous Tip! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer - Amazing Tip! | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for Portal fans
- 💡 Fun puzzle action
- 🚀 Good for iPhone
- ✨ Simple but good
- 🎮 Challenging physics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😕 Not fun at all
- 🐛 Glitches on some levels
- 🤔 Choppy graphics
- 📉 Too hard too quickly
- 😵 Repetitive gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Platform moves with button click
- Seesaw puzzle impossible
- Companion cube moves with platform
- Blue portal not movable
- Game won't open level one

**Requested features**

- Add Portal music
- Animate thrown objects
- Thin the turret
- Update the game
- Allow turning iPhone to control ball


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planet simulation free?

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

### Is Portal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Planet simulation or Portal?

Planet simulation is rated higher. Planet simulation averages 3.9 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while Portal averages 3.9 from 50 ratings.

### Do Planet simulation or Portal have ads?

Planet simulation shows ads; Portal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planet simulation or Portal?

Planet simulation ships an update every 8 months, and Portal monthly. Most recently, Planet simulation was updated on October 22, 2026 and Portal on October 23, 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.*