# Water Box vs Trace

The clearest difference is ads: Trace at none against Water Box's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Water Box sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Water Box ships an update every 11 days, Trace weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Water Box | Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/water-box-physics-sandbox/id6741103044/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 88 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lukas Oertel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562391231) | [Mustafa Okcu](https://appshunter.io/developer/6774956104) |

## What reviewers say

### Water Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/water-box-physics-sandbox/id6741103044)

Explore realistic fluid dynamics and ragdoll physics in this sandbox playground. Sink ships, experiment with various liquids, and unleash destruction with a wide array of tools and elements. Build and test your creations in a detailed simulation environment.

**Highlights:** Realistic water and powder simulation, Ragdoll people playground experiments, Ship sinking and floating simulator, Gore and destruction simulator, Alchemy, fire, and chemical reactions, Build and share creations

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Increase max water by 10000 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Creative Package 50% Discount | $4.99 | one-time |
| Increase max water by 20000 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Creative Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Increase max water by 50000 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Awesome game
- 👍 Fun and good game
- 👍 Great game
- 👍 Satisfying and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 💡 Increase water capacity

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Make ships sink like in Floating Sandbox


### Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-ink-loop/id6790944026)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Full Game | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Water Box free?

Water Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Trace free?

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

### Do Water Box or Trace have ads?

Water Box shows ads; Trace does not.

### Which is updated more often, Water Box or Trace?

Water Box ships an update every 11 days, and Trace weekly. Most recently, Water Box was updated on October 15, 2026 and Trace on October 1, 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.*