Comparison

Loughborough Wave Lab vs Laser Lab

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Loughborough Wave Lab

This educational app helps students grasp electromagnetic wave concepts through interactive simulations. It features a virtual ripple tank, waveguide simulator, and Young's Double Slit experiment. Educators can create custom simulations for an enhanced learning experience.

Highlights
  • Virtual pond and ripple tank
  • Sinusoidal pulse generation
  • Waveguide simulation
  • Young's Double Slit experiment
  • Custom simulation mode
  • Educator-authored simulation uploads
Features
Read full description

Loughborough Wave Lab is an educational learning app designed to aid students in their understanding of electromagnetic wave concepts in an engaging and entertaining way! Features include: • Virtual pond • Persistent Sinusoidal Pulses • Virtual Ripple Tank • Waveguide Simulator • Young's Double Slit Experiment • Custom Simulation Mode Loughborough Wave Lab is intended to accompany teaching on Electromagnetic phenomena and to provide students with an interactive way of seeing these principles in action! Educators can now author their own custom simulation files, upload them to a web server and then have Loughborough Wave Lab execute the simulations using a WiFi or cellular data connection to download the configurations and display them to the user. This uses the new, open-source configuration standard CEML which has been introduced by the developer (available at www.github.com/danielrbrowne/CEML)

About

Laser Lab

Features
Read full description

LASER LAB: AN INTERACTIVE INTRODUCTION TO OPTICS Laser Lab is an educational application designed to provide an interactive and engaging introduction to the science of lasers and optics. Through a series of structured challenges, users explore fundamental and advanced concepts in a hands-on virtual laboratory environment. A COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE Laser Lab offers 160+ carefully designed activities that introduce key principles of light behavior and optical systems. Users can freely move, rotate, and interact with various optical elements to simulate laboratory experiments. This interactive approach helps build an intuitive understanding of complex physical principles, supporting learning from high school to university levels. TOPICS COVERED Laser Lab introduces a wide range of optical phenomena through its interactive challenges: • Focusing • Telescopes • Color • Wavelength • Polarization • Optical Path • Coherence • Elliptical Polarization • Interference • Diffraction • Delay Lines • Second Harmonic Generation • Nonlinear Optics HANDS-ON INTERACTION WITH OPTICAL COMPONENTS Users engage directly with realistic virtual components, including lasers, mirrors, lenses, filters, polarizers, wave plates, nonlinear crystals, cameras, spectrometers and oscilloscopes. Through manipulation and experimentation, users learn how these components influence the properties of light. DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND ENTHUSIASTS Laser Lab is suitable for a wide range of users, including secondary school students beginning their study of optics, university students deepening their understanding, and lifelong learners interested in exploring physics. The progressive structure allows users to develop problem-solving skills and scientific reasoning at their own pace. EDUCATIONAL APPROACH Rather than presenting information passively, Laser Lab encourages active engagement through experimentation and problem solving. This method bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering deeper comprehension of fundamental and advanced topics in optics. A VIRTUAL LABORATORY EXPERIENCE Laser Lab provides an accessible and comprehensive platform for learning about light and optics. Whether used independently or as a supplement to formal education, it offers a rewarding and enriching experience that promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the science of light.

Screenshots

Loughborough Wave Lab4 screens
Laser Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Laser Lab at every 3 days against Loughborough Wave Lab's every 3 months. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loughborough Wave Lab ships an update every 3 months, Laser Lab every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Loughborough Wave Lab versus Laser Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoughborough Wave LabLaser Lab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB344 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel BrowneMate Kurucz

In-app purchases

None

Loughborough Wave Lab

No in-app purchases

None

Laser Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Loughborough Wave Lab free?
Loughborough Wave Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Laser Lab free?
Laser Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Loughborough Wave Lab or Laser Lab have ads?
Neither Loughborough Wave Lab nor Laser Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Loughborough Wave Lab or Laser Lab?
Loughborough Wave Lab ships an update every 3 months, and Laser Lab every 3 days. Most recently, Loughborough Wave Lab was updated on November 1, 2026 and Laser Lab on October 27, 2026.

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