# ATC Mania vs Orbit

The clearest difference is rating: Orbit at 4.8 against ATC Mania's 4.3. Orbit also leads on ratings volume (7.6K vs 30). ATC Mania's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ATC Mania sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Orbit sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Orbit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Orbit has 7.6K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of ATC Mania's written reviews are positive against 94% of Orbit's.

ATC Mania ships an update every 3 weeks, Orbit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ATC Mania | Orbit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atc-mania/id452679821/reviews) | **[4.8 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 30 | **7.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 86.6% of reviews | **94.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sprakelsoft GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/424478680) | [HIGHKEY Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170680369) |

## What reviewers say

### ATC Mania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atc-mania/id452679821)

Test your air traffic control skills in this addictive line-drawing game. Guide planes safely to their destinations using intuitive controls and enjoy stunning HD graphics. Compete with others through Game Center integration.

**Highlights:** Line-draw air traffic control gameplay, Multiple maps, HD graphics with particle systems, Retina and full iPad support, 60 FPS framerates, Game Center integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Simple and easy-to-learn mechanics
- 🎮 Fun and entertaining time killer
- 🧠 Requires strategic thinking and concentration
- ⚡ Smooth performance and stability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Ads obstruct gameplay and cause crashes
- 🎮 Difficulty ramps up too quickly
- 📱 Small screen makes gameplay difficult on phones
- 🔄 Limited content and repetitive gameplay
- ⚠️ No pause functionality without crashing

**Reported bugs**

- Ads block aircraft and prevent control
- Game crashes when paused
- Freezes on iOS 5 compatibility
- Aircraft fly over runway instead of landing
- Simultaneous helicopter and airplane collisions not handled

**Requested features**

- More maps and airports
- Additional aircraft types and variety
- Ad-free premium version
- More difficulty levels or settings
- Pause functionality that works properly


### Orbit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817)

This app is a meditative physics puzzler where you launch planets to create stable orbits around black holes. Explore a variety of levels, create your own challenges in a sandbox mode, and enjoy a visually artistic and relaxing experience.

**Highlights:** Gravity simulation puzzles, Create stable orbits, Sandbox mode for level creation, Community-created levels, Visual orbital mechanics, Minimalist graphics and relaxing music

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1 contribution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| $2 contribution | $1.99 | one-time |
| $3 contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Orbit Pro | $2.99 | one-time |
| $5 contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| $10 contribution | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fire game
- 👍 Relaxing and Enjoyable
- 👍 Calming, fun, stimulating, humble
- 👍 Simple and yet complicated
- 👍 Elegant and easy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 In app purchased not reicevied
- 🐛 Purchase didn't work for sandbox & ad removal but it's fun.
- 🔒 Be ware of your data
- 🐛 Love-hate

**Reported bugs**

- In app purchase not received
- Sandbox mode not working
- Game crashing and unable to open

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to zoom in and out
- Ability to rotate the game to landscape on iPad
- Ability to edit and move existing objects in sandbox mode
- Ability to name planets and add moons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ATC Mania free?

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

### Is Orbit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ATC Mania or Orbit?

Orbit is rated higher. ATC Mania averages 4.3 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Orbit averages 4.8 from 7.6K ratings.

### Do ATC Mania or Orbit have ads?

Orbit shows ads; ATC Mania does not.

### Which is updated more often, ATC Mania or Orbit?

ATC Mania ships an update every 3 weeks, and Orbit every 2 months. Most recently, ATC Mania was updated on October 23, 2026 and Orbit on October 30, 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.*