Comparison

WAVA vs BE backstage

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

Head to head
About

WAVA

Features
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WAVA is an innovative nonprofit platform that reimagines public spaces through augmented reality, making site-specific artworks accessible worldwide through augmented reality. What's on: Apparitions with the 36th Bienal de São Paulo With works by: Maxwell Alexandre, Akinbode Akinbiyi, Michele Ciacciofera, Cevdet Erek, Theo Eshetu, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Ruth Ige, Hamedine Kane, Andrew Roberts, Juliana dos Santos, Ming Smith, Camille Turner, Cici Wu with Yuan Yuan, Vilanismo. WAVA and the 36th Bienal de São Paulo launch a first-of-its-kind global augmented exhibition—bringing the Bienal’s artworks to site-specific locations worldwide, such as Auckland, Badagry, Beijing, Brasilia, Kinshasa, Hong Kong, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Tijuana/San Diego (on the border), and across São Paulo. Previous exhibitions around Frankfurt am Main are still on view, including works by Yael Bartana, Raafat Hattab, Muhammad Toukhy, Hinda Weiss, Morehshin Allahyari, Tony Cokes, Flaka Haliti, Tamiko Thiel and /p, Les Trucs, Tanya V. Abelson, Florian Adolph, Alex Chalmers, Shaun Motsi, and Kristin Reiman. Stay tuned. There’s always more to come! — Today, every public space is simultaneously an augmented space. Virtual data layering expands the physical space and opens new realms of possibilities. We wish to make this in-between space accessible for artistic interventions by anchoring virtual artworks to specific locations, channelling the ephemeral presence of an interruption or a glitch. Fostering site-specificity and thinking with curatorial dispositions, WAVA aspires to open up the augmented layer to the public and artists alike, serving as a nomadic framework for virtual and physical communal gatherings across different cities and places.

About

BE backstage

Experience the Berliner Ensemble through an AR theater tour. Explore behind-the-scenes, learn about its history, and discover hidden secrets with guided narration.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality theater tour
  • Behind-the-scenes exploration
  • Historical insights
  • Guided narration by Katharina Thalbach
  • Interactive 3D scans of theater areas
  • Self-guided tour with five stations
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Entdecke das Berliner Ensemble! Wir machen Geschichte lebendig: Wir nehmen dich im Rahmen einer AR-Theatertour mit hinter die Kulissen des Berliner Ensembles und geben dir besondere Einblicke in die bewegte Geschichte und Gegenwart des Theaters am Schiffbauerdamm. Als Erzählerin begleitet dich Schauspielerin Katharina Thalbach, die bereits vor über 50 Jahren hier zum ersten Mal auf der Bühne stand. Mit deinem Smartphone oder Tablet kannst du dich mithilfe von Augmented Reality auf eine individuelle Entdeckungstour durch das Theater machen: Erfahre mehr über Helene Weigel und Bertolt Brecht oder die aufregende Uraufführung der "Dreigroschenoper" hier am Schiffbauerdamm. Es gibt insgesamt fünf Stationen, die Reihenfolge bestimmt du selbst: Du kannst dich vom Bertolt-Brecht-Platz über den Innenhof und das Kassenfoyer bis in den historischen Theatersaal bewegen. Hinter jeder Station verbirgt sich ein besonderes Geheimnis. Du bist mit deinem Smartphone mittendrin im Theateralltag und öffnest Türen zu Räumen und Werkstätten, die sonst für das Publikum nicht zugänglich sind: Erkunde 3D-Scans u.a. von unserer Requisitenwerkstatt oder dem Kostümfundus und lüfte das Geheimnis unserer Drehbühne. Tauch ein in dieses außergewöhnliche AR-Erlebnis und lerne das Berliner Ensemble aus völlig neuen Perspektiven kennen! Die Tour ist auf Deutsch, wir empfehlen die Benutzung eines Kopfhörers. Die AR-App BE backstage ist Teil des Kooperationsprojekts "Spielräume!" gefördert im Programm "Kultur Digital" der Kulturstiftung des Bundes. Gefördert von der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.

Screenshots

WAVA3 screens
BE backstage4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: BE backstage at 12.0 against WAVA's 15.0. On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
WAVA versus BE backstage: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWAVABE backstage
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size653 MB698 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWAVA_betaBerliner Ensemble GmbH

In-app purchases

None

WAVA

No in-app purchases

None

BE backstage

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WAVA free?
WAVA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BE backstage free?
BE backstage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do WAVA or BE backstage have ads?
Neither WAVA nor BE backstage shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WAVA or BE backstage?
WAVA ships an update every 2 weeks, and BE backstage every 2 weeks. Most recently, WAVA was updated on October 12, 2026 and BE backstage on October 3, 2026.

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