# Puppet Pals 2 vs PhET Simulations

The clearest difference is price: Puppet Pals 2 at Free against PhET Simulations's $0.99. Puppet Pals 2 also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). PhET Simulations's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Puppet Pals 2 is free to download; PhET Simulations costs $0.99 up front. Puppet Pals 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PhET Simulations asks for nothing beyond the download.

PhET Simulations holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 123 and 49 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Puppet Pals 2's written reviews are positive against 66% of PhET Simulations's.

Puppet Pals 2 ships an update every 2 months, PhET Simulations every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puppet Pals 2 | PhET Simulations |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.1 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puppet-pals-2/id589141096/reviews) | **[4.5 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **123** | 49 |
| Positive reviews | 63.4% of reviews | **65.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#36** |
| Size | 359 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polished Play, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/332686547) | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) |

## What reviewers say

### Puppet Pals 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puppet-pals-2/id589141096)

Unleash creativity by making animated cartoons with interactive puppets. Children and teachers can easily create high-quality animated stories, presentations, and educational content. Share finished projects via email, social media, or direct file transfer.

**Highlights:** Create animated cartoons, Interactive puppet show, Star in shows with built-in characters, Share finished projects easily, Engage students in learning, Create instructional videos

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| North Pole Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Royal Hall Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Time & Tech Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Saddle Up Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vroom Vroom Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Civil Rights | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ptolemaic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Under The Sea | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Heads | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Access Pass | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and creative
- 🤩 Nostalgic and brings back childhood memories
- 🎨 Allows for customization and personalization
- 🏫 Great for use in schools and classrooms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywalls
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Limited selection of characters and backgrounds
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Saving issues causing loss of progress
- Freezing and crashing when trying to access certain features
- Audio and visual glitches during playback
- Compatibility problems on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Add more free characters and backgrounds
- Implement better saving and autosave functionality
- Allow for custom character creation and customization
- Add more diverse themes and settings
- Improve overall stability and reduce crashes


### PhET Simulations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831)

**Currently charting:** #36 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Explore science and math concepts through interactive simulations. This app provides over 75 HTML5 simulations for learning about atoms, energy, multiplication, and more. It's ideal for students, parents, and educators, offering offline access and multiple language support.

**Highlights:** Interactive science and math simulations, Offline play capability, Multiple language support, Customizable favorites collection, Automatic simulation updates, Easy simulation sorting

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puppet Pals 2 free?

Puppet Pals 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PhET Simulations free?

PhET Simulations costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Puppet Pals 2 or PhET Simulations?

PhET Simulations is rated higher. Puppet Pals 2 averages 4.1 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while PhET Simulations averages 4.5 from 49 ratings.

### Do Puppet Pals 2 or PhET Simulations have ads?

Neither Puppet Pals 2 nor PhET Simulations shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Puppet Pals 2 or PhET Simulations?

Puppet Pals 2 ships an update every 2 months, and PhET Simulations every 14 months. Most recently, Puppet Pals 2 was updated on October 16, 2026 and PhET Simulations on October 19, 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.*