# Golly vs Space Crash Simulator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Golly at none against Space Crash Simulator's 1. Golly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Space Crash Simulator's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 39 months) and ratings volume (588 vs 45). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Space Crash Simulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Golly asks for nothing beyond the download.

Golly holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Crash Simulator has 588 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of Golly's written reviews are positive against 82% of Space Crash Simulator's.

Golly ships an update every 39 months, Space Crash Simulator every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Golly | Space Crash Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golly/id553184760/reviews)** | [4.5 (588 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-crash-simulator/id6742357679/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 45 | **588** |
| Positive reviews | **96.6% of reviews** | 82.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 178 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Trevorrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/553184763) | [WPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681830786) |

## What reviewers say

### Golly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golly/id553184760)

Explore Conway's Game of Life and various cellular automata with this open-source application. It supports diverse universe types, multiple algorithms, and a wide array of cellular automata rules. Users can import patterns, download from online archives, and utilize unlimited undo/redo functionality.

**Highlights:** Supports bounded and unbounded universes, Multiple algorithms including hashlife, Variety of cellular automata types included, Reads multiple file formats (RLE, macrocell, etc.), Extracts patterns and rules from zip files, Downloads patterns and rules from online archives, Unlimited undo/redo

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Space Crash Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-crash-simulator/id6742357679)

Experience realistic planetary collisions with a powerful physics engine. Customize your own cosmic events by adjusting particle count, velocity, and accuracy, or jump straight into high-energy impacts. This app offers a detailed, physics-based simulation for educational or entertainment purposes.

**Highlights:** Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation, Real-time planetary collisions, Customizable simulation parameters, Setup Mode for scenario creation, Adjustable particle count and accuracy, Physics-based detailed simulation

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No-Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Awesome graphics
- 💡 Interesting simulation features
- 🎉 Fun and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional performance issues
- 💰 Too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- Collision trails not clearing properly
- Protoplanetary disc mode not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial objects (black holes, stars, etc.)
- Allow for custom textures and planet/atmosphere customization
- Improve performance and optimization
- Add more graphic options and settings
- Allow for custom rings and moons around planets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Golly free?

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

### Is Space Crash Simulator free?

Space Crash Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Golly or Space Crash Simulator?

Golly is rated higher. Golly averages 4.8 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Space Crash Simulator averages 4.5 from 588 ratings.

### Do Golly or Space Crash Simulator have ads?

Space Crash Simulator shows ads; Golly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Golly or Space Crash Simulator?

Golly ships an update every 39 months, and Space Crash Simulator every 4 days. Most recently, Golly was updated on September 16, 2026 and Space Crash Simulator on September 22, 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.*