# Ions vs Magical Rays

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ions | Magical Rays |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ions/id414602147/reviews) | **[4.6 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magical-rays/id445795692/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **206** |
| Positive reviews | **83.6% of reviews** | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 13 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Douglas Applewhite](https://appshunter.io/developer/414602150) | [Plus Inc. (Japan)](https://appshunter.io/developer/445792061) |

## What reviewers say

### Ions

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ions/id414602147)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Visually stunning and beautiful
- 🧘 Relaxing and stress-relieving
- 🎨 Highly creative and artistic
- 💡 Inspires brainstorming and imagination
- 🎮 Addictive and fun time-waster

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Magical Rays

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magical-rays/id445795692)

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.

**Highlights:** Interactive light ray attraction, Dynamic and changing light patterns, Zen and healing atmosphere, Touch screen interaction, Relaxing visual experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😌 Very relaxing and calming
- ✨ Beautiful and mesmerizing visuals
- 👍 Free to play
- 🚫 No ads mentioned positively
- 🧸 Great for kids

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💨 Too fast for some users
- 🤷‍♀️ Not much to do
- 🎶 Annoying or disliked music/sound effects
- ❓ Unclear purpose of the game
- ⚠️ Ads are intrusive/unremovable

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ions free?

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

### Is Magical Rays free?

Magical Rays is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ions or Magical Rays?

Magical Rays is rated higher. Ions averages 3.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Magical Rays averages 4.6 from 206 ratings.

### Do Ions or Magical Rays have ads?

Magical Rays shows ads; Ions does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ions or Magical Rays?

Ions ships an update every 3 months, and Magical Rays every 8 months. Most recently, Ions was updated on October 7, 2026 and Magical Rays on October 11, 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.*