# Square Race vs node playground

The clearest difference is price: Square Race at Free against node playground's $2.99. Square Race also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 11 months). node playground's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Square Race is free to download; node playground costs $2.99 up front. Square Race sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. node playground asks for nothing beyond the download.

Square Race ships an update every 5 days, node playground every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Square Race | node playground |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (287 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-race-arena-simulator/id6740922514/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **287** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michal Manak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434438829) | [George DeLair](https://appshunter.io/developer/1802917911) |

## What reviewers say

### Square Race

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-race-arena-simulator/id6740922514)

Design and build custom arenas with interactive elements for physics-driven races. Set up competitions with AI racers and watch unpredictable battles unfold. Record and share your unique creations.

**Highlights:** Customizable arena builder, Physics-driven competitions, AI-powered racers, Maze design editor, Record and share creations, Endless customization options

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |


### node playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/node-playground/id6743446726)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Square Race free?

Square Race is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is node playground free?

node playground costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Square Race or node playground have ads?

Square Race shows ads; node playground does not.

### Which is updated more often, Square Race or node playground?

Square Race ships an update every 5 days, and node playground every 11 months. Most recently, Square Race was updated on September 22, 2026 and node playground on September 10, 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.*