Comparison

Nuclear vs Quantum

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

Head to head
About

Nuclear

Explore the quantum world and learn about chemical elements by building atoms. This app visually models interactive atoms, allowing you to add or subtract subatomic particles to construct stable elements and unlock them on the periodic table.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D atom visualization
  • Build chemical elements by adding/subtracting particles
  • Unlock elements on the periodic table
  • Explore atomic decay of isotopes
  • Learn about matter at the atomic scale
Features
Read full description

*** Brought to you by the team behind the internationally acclaimed educational star gazing app - Star Chart *** Dare you enter the quantum world of Nuclear? Where things are not just stranger than you might imagine, but stranger than you can imagine! Witness the interplay of energies and physics at the tiniest of scales as you learn to play, discover and explore the chemical elements at the atomic level. Nuclear is a high tech educational application that dynamically models an interactive atom in a beautiful and intuitive way. In Nuclear, you get to build all the elements of the periodic table via a simple mechanic of adding and subtracting the atomic building blocks of neutrons, protons and electrons. The goal of the app is to let you learn about each of the elements of the periodic table by constructing a stable version of that element. Once a stable element has been created, it is unlocked in the periodic table. Can you create and unlock them all? This app has been designed for all types of users: from children interested in learning through play about what matter is made of and how it works, to teachers looking for an intuitive and exciting way to help educate others on chemical elements. Nuclear lets you: * Learn about the atom through this stunning 3D visualisation. * Explore the effects of manipulating matter at the atomic level. * Add or subtract protons, electrons or neutrons to create virtually any base chemical element. * Create and watch as unstable isotopes decay into more stable elements. * Through tactile exploration grasp an understanding of what we and everything around us is made of. - Please note the initial app allows you to create and unlock the first 54 elements for free. The remaining elements can be unlocked via a small in-app purchase. Nuclear is continually being developed, so please feel free to let us know your thoughts and feedback. We will endeavour to expand and improve Nuclear, incorporating customer feedback wherever possible. Contact us at: Nuclear@EscapistGames.com Don't forget to check out our other great Educational App - Star Chart.

About

Quantum

Explore the hidden world of particles with a real-time simulator. Model up to 10,000 particles and experiment with natural phenomena like crystallization and orbital mechanics. Customize interactions and visualize results dynamically.

Highlights
  • Real-time particle simulation
  • Model up to 10,000 particles
  • Simulate natural phenomena
  • Four distinct particle classes
  • Customizable rules editor
  • Dynamic visualizations
  • Interactive control
Features
Read full description

Experience the hidden world of particles Quantum is a real-time particle life sandbox for exploring emergent motion, artificial physics, and complex systems. Build fields with up to 10,000 particles, tune how classes attract or repel each other, and watch simple rules turn into flowing structures, swarms, or chaotic patterns. Why Quantum stands out: - Real-time particle simulation with four interacting particle classes. - Seamless 2D fields and perspective 3D volumes with touch rotation. - Rule editor for custom attraction and repulsion matrices. - Temperature, viscosity, solid/fluid edge behavior, and force tools. - Black hole and white hole tools for live interaction. - Save and load fields, rule sets, and color schemes. - P3 color support and vivid visual presets for generative art. Use Quantum as a physics toy, creative sandbox, teaching aid, or generative art lab. It is built for people who enjoy science, cellular automata, n-body systems, chaos, and beautiful simulations.

Screenshots

Nuclear4 screens
Quantum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Quantum at 4.8 against Nuclear's 4.2. Quantum also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (81% vs 69%). Nuclear's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nuclear sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Quantum sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Quantum holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 302 and 150 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Nuclear's written reviews are positive against 81% of Quantum's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nuclear ships an update every 3 months, Quantum every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Nuclear versus Quantum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNuclearQuantum
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (302 ratings)4.8 (150 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.5% of reviews81.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings302 — better150
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS7.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperESCAPE VELOCITY LIMITEDGEORGY OSTROBROD

Customer experience

Nuclear

All ratings302 ratings
Positive79.8%
Neutral6.0%
Negative14.2%
Written reviews239 reviews
Positive69.5%
Neutral14.6%
Negative15.9%

Quantum

All ratings133 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral18.8%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Nuclear

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Can't exit element discovery screen
  • Proton cap prevents reaching higher elements
  • Certain elements cannot be created
  • Crashes when trying to add particles to Ununoctium

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand decay modes (alpha, beta, etc.)
  • Add ability to create molecules
  • Improve stability/decay simulation
  • Add more explanations and tutorials

Quantum

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Nuclear

One-time3
  • Build All Elements$2.99
  • Discover Your Table$2.99
  • Discover All$4.99
3 purchases

Quantum

One-time3
  • Developer tip2 variants$1.99
  • Developer tip2 variants$3.99
  • Developer tip2 variants$5.99

Questions

Is Nuclear free?
Nuclear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Quantum free?
Quantum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nuclear or Quantum?
Quantum is rated higher. Nuclear averages 4.2 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Quantum averages 4.8 from 150 ratings.
Do Nuclear or Quantum have ads?
Neither Nuclear nor Quantum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nuclear or Quantum?
Nuclear ships an update every 3 months, and Quantum every 5 weeks. Most recently, Nuclear was updated on October 22, 2026 and Quantum on October 24, 2026.

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