Ripple Tank vs CloudLabs Vector subtraction
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ripple Tank
Explore wave phenomena with a realistic ripple tank simulation. Create and save your own experiments to visualize concepts like interference, diffraction, and refraction. Ideal for students and educators seeking an interactive learning tool.
- Wave generation with finger touch
- Demonstrates interference and diffraction
- Visualizes refraction and resonance
- Includes Doppler effect examples
- Create and save custom experiments
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A simulation of a ripple tank, or wave tank. Make waves with your finger, or view examples including such wave phenomena as interference, diffraction (single slit, double slit, etc.), refraction, resonance, and the Doppler effect. Create your own experiment and save it for future reference.
CloudLabs Vector subtraction
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This lab has a Cartesian plane available where the user can draw five vectors, use the head-tail graph method, and find the resulting sum. You can also draw a vector of equal magnitude, but in the opposite direction. The goal of the lab is to find the magnitude of the vectors, the angle, and the components in X and Y.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: CloudLabs Vector subtraction at Free against Ripple Tank's $5.99. Ripple Tank's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 21 months) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 9.0). On 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
CloudLabs Vector subtraction is free to download; Ripple Tank costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ripple Tank ships an update every 7 months, CloudLabs Vector subtraction every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ripple Tank | CloudLabs Vector subtraction |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (7 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 21 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 9.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Falstad.com | Jiovany Orozco |
In-app purchases
Ripple Tank
No in-app purchases
CloudLabs Vector subtraction
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ripple Tank free?
Is CloudLabs Vector subtraction free?
Do Ripple Tank or CloudLabs Vector subtraction have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ripple Tank or CloudLabs Vector subtraction?
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