Ions vs Magical Rays
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ions
Explore a virtual sandbox with up to 20,000 particles of light. Create dazzling patterns in real-time by painting with ions, placing emitters, and using fields to attract or repel them. Features accelerometer support and five distinct visual styles.
- Control up to 20,000 particles
- Real-time pattern creation
- Interactive painting with ions
- Emitter placement for ion control
- Attract/repel fields
- Accelerometer support
- Five visual styles
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Ions was selected by Apple as a New and Noteworthy app in February and was the #1 Entertainment app for nearly a week! Ions was then selected as a Staff Favorite in March! Control up to 20,000 particles of light! Ions is an addictive virtual sandbox where you can create dazzling patterns in realtime. Ions runs at 60 fps and really shows off the power of the iPad. There are infinite creative possibilities with Ions - you won't be able to put it down! Use your fingers to either paint with ions or interact with them. Place emitters to control where new ions are created and their initial speeds and directions. Then use fields to either attract or repel ions, altering their velocities. Accelerometer support allows the ions to respond to gravity. You also have five different looks to choose from; each one completely changes the appearance of the ions. Additionally, you can save and load your favorite layouts at any time.
Magical Rays
Experience a calming and meditative light effect application. Touch the screen to interact with dynamic light rays and create ever-changing visual patterns for relaxation and zen healing.
- Interactive light ray attraction
- Dynamic and changing light patterns
- Zen and healing atmosphere
- Touch screen interaction
- Relaxing visual experience
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Relax zen healing. A light effect app provided by Digital Gene. When you touch the screen, you can attract the light ray. Please enjoy the ever-changing patterns of light ray.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Magical Rays at 4.6 against Ions's 3.8. Magical Rays also leads on ratings volume (206 vs 13) and device support (3 vs 1). Ions's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). On price, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Magical Rays holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magical Rays has 206 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 84% and 83% positive.
Ions ships an update every 3 months, Magical Rays every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ions | Magical Rays |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (13 ratings) | 4.6 (206 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better | 83.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 206 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Douglas Applewhite | Plus Inc. (Japan) |
Customer experience
Ions
Magical Rays
User reviews
Ions
From 13 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Visually stunning and beautiful
- 🧘 Relaxing and stress-relieving
- 🎨 Highly creative and artistic
- 💡 Inspires brainstorming and imagination
- 🎮 Addictive and fun time-waster
Room to improve
- 🤔 Limited longevity and can get boring
- 📉 Some features not working on certain devices
- 🖼️ Saved images don't look as good as on-screen
- 🖱️ Sidebar and generator markers are always visible
- 🤷 Not much to do for some users
Magical Rays
From 206 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 😌 Very relaxing and calming
- ✨ Beautiful and mesmerizing visuals
- 👍 Free to play
- 🚫 No ads mentioned positively
- 🧸 Great for kids
Room to improve
- 💨 Too fast for some users
- 🤷♀️ Not much to do
- 🎶 Annoying or disliked music/sound effects
- ❓ Unclear purpose of the game
- ⚠️ Ads are intrusive/unremovable
Bugs and requests
Ions
Reported bugs
7 issues- Rainbow color not working
- Multi-color part not working on iPad Air
- One of the layouts is broken
- App crashes when trying to save a layout
- Requires newest iPhone OS but user is on iPad
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- Mysteriously refuses to install
- In horizontal mode, screen is upside-down
Requested features
27 requests- Add a grid for accurate placement
- Option to hide sidebar/markers
- Add wall/boundaries for ions to bounce off
- Allow choosing number and size of ions
- More control over emitters and fields
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Ability to create a system with charges
- 3D TV AirPlay support
- Particle collision option
- Duplicate fields and emitters
- Choose particle fading distance
- Link or group fields and emitters
- Modify, snap to, and toggle a grid
- Toggle fields and emitters' visibility
- Choose a background image
- Automate emitter/field position
- More 'looks' to choose from
- Friend connection for sharing layouts online
- Repelled and attractor plates
- Screens
- Input Solidworks models
- 3D capabilities
- Sound options (e.g., white noise)
- Arrow controls for fine-tuning field strength
- Increase ion cap
- Prevent sleep mode
- Choose color independent of speed
- Add different looks/themes
Magical Rays
Reported bugs
4 issues- Ads are intrusive and cannot be removed
- Sound effects are unavoidable
- App quits unexpectedly when saving a photo
- Google ads banner is persistent and ruins the experience
Requested features
7 requests- Add option to slow down or speed up the game
- Add a color wheel for particle customization
- Add more music options
- Add option to change background color
- Add option to permanently remove ads
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Add multi-finger interaction
- Add slo-mo button
In-app purchases
Ions
No in-app purchases
Magical Rays
No in-app purchases
