Springs'nThingsLite vs Cell Zoo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Springs'nThingsLite
Explore physics simulations with a moveable ball and adjustable springs. Experiment with gravity, damping, and motion responses to touch and device tilting. Offers a fun and educational experience for understanding dynamic systems.
- Adjustable spring length and stiffness
- Simulate up to 4 springs
- Transform springs into fixed springs or pendulums
- Respond to tilt and shake motions
- Adjustable gravity and damping
- Accurate physics simulation
Read full descriptionHide full description
Springs'nThings - Version 1.8 Both Physics and Fun Springs ‘n Things is an entertaining demonstration application and educational display for the iPhone/iPad. It simulates the dynamics of up to four springs connected to a moveable ball. Touch, drag and release the ball to see it bounce around. The length and stiffness of the springs can be individually adjusted. One of the springs can be transformed into a fixed spring or a pendulum. The ball can be made to respond to the tilting and shaking motions of the iPhone/iPad. The motion of the ball can be perpetual or it can be slowed by spring resistance by viscous damping as if it were moving in air or water. Bounces forever 0-4 springs Air, water or vacuum viscosity - upgrade to fully adjustable Turn gravity on or off - shake and tilt sensitive Real computer simulation accurate to 1% Upgrade to: ---- 10 springs ---- adjustable viscosity ---- adjustable mass and spring resistance Screen shots below: 1) 4 springs 2) a pendulum and a spring 3) modify mass/viscosity screen showing a pendulum 4) modify springs screen showing a fixed spring 5) full screen with a fixed spring and 3 additional springs
Cell Zoo
Explore mesmerizing cellular automata simulations with alien organisms that evolve in real-time. Interact with living art, place it in your environment with AR, and fine-tune dozens of parameters to create unique patterns. Experience stunning visuals and emergent ecosystems.
- Real-time organism evolution
- Interactive touch controls
- Augmented Reality (AR) mode
- Multiple living systems (Physarum, Lenia, Gray-Scott, Particle Life)
- Extensive parameter tuning
- GPU-accelerated simulations
Read full descriptionHide full description
The most beautiful cellular automata simulator on iOS. Watch alien organisms evolve in real time. Touch them, breed them, teach them to sing. Place them on your desk in AR. Cell Zoo is a pocket terrarium for mathematical life. ELEVEN LIVING WORLDS Slime molds that solve mazes. Continuous creatures that swim, split, and breathe. Chemistry that paints leopard spots and coral. Electromagnetic waves, self-assembling DNA, even your own words dissolving into life. New in 2.2: Chimera, where four rival physics share one map and fight over the borders. Every world runs real math at up to 120 frames per second, and none of them behaves the way you expect. IT GROWS INTO YOUR PHOTOS Hand the colony a picture and watch it grow into the bright shapes — your face, your handwriting, your dog. A living sketch, not a copy. IT LISTENS. IT SINGS. Turn on Hearing and the colony moves to your music: bass makes it surge, treble makes it shimmer. Turn on Voice and the simulation sings back — a generative soundtrack drawn from the colony's own rhythms, never the same twice. A NEW CREATURE EVERY DAY Hatch the Daily Specimen each morning. Creatures you keep sync across your devices with iCloud. SHARE WHAT YOU GROW Send any creature by link. It hatches on your friend's device exactly as you made it — same genes, same colors, same behavior. BREED THEM (Premium) Cross two creatures and hatch the offspring. Mutate genomes. Pit colonies against each other in the arena and carry the winner's line forward. 30+ RENDER MODES (Premium) Photoreal protoplasm, holographic diffraction, infrared, liquid metal, bioluminescent deep-sea glow, aurora, soap film. Every mode is a handcrafted Metal shader. AR MODE (Premium) Grow a colony on your table, floor, or wall. In 3D, a living structure floats in your room — walk around it. Walk through it. TUNE EVERYTHING Sensor angles, diffusion rates, decay, species counts — every slider changes behavior live, and all of them are free. Capture the results in photo mode with pro exposure and cinematic filters. Built native with Metal: 120Hz ProMotion, HDR bloom, MetalFX upscaling. No accounts, no ads, no analytics. Premium is a single one-time purchase. Terms: https://cellzoo.app/#terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Springs'nThingsLite at 5.0 against Cell Zoo's 3.7. Springs'nThingsLite also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). Cell Zoo's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 38 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Springs'nThingsLite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cell Zoo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Springs'nThingsLite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.
Springs'nThingsLite ships an update every 38 months, Cell Zoo every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Springs'nThingsLite | Cell Zoo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Kramer | Aleksander Allen |
Customer experience
Springs'nThingsLite
Cell Zoo
In-app purchases
Springs'nThingsLite
- upgrade to 10 springs and adjustable parameters$1.99
Cell Zoo
- Lifetime Premium$3.99
Questions
Is Springs'nThingsLite free?
Is Cell Zoo free?
Which has better reviews, Springs'nThingsLite or Cell Zoo?
Do Springs'nThingsLite or Cell Zoo have ads?
Which is updated more often, Springs'nThingsLite or Cell Zoo?
Other comparisons















