# Earth Sandbox vs Backburn

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Earth Sandbox at 50% against Backburn's 0%. Earth Sandbox also leads on price (Free vs $0.99). Backburn's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Earth Sandbox is free to download; Backburn costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Earth Sandbox ships an update weekly, Backburn every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Earth Sandbox | Backburn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[2.1 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-sandbox/id6756494237/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11** | — |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Size | 389 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heechang Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/485685857) | [Robert Corbin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890247992) |

## What reviewers say

### Earth Sandbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-sandbox/id6756494237)

Explore the dynamic evolution of a planet by altering its core systems like climate and gravity. Trigger natural events and observe real-time population and ecosystem trends. This experimental simulation game offers unique outcomes with every interaction.

**Highlights:** Earth-focused environmental simulation, Interconnected climate and planetary systems, Dynamic natural events, Real-time population and ecosystem trends, Interactive experimentation tools, Clean visuals and intuitive controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Backburn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backburn-wildfire-strategy/id6792957422)

This offline strategy game lets you plan up to six turns ahead in wildfire scenarios. Compare different decisions, manage resources, and learn from your choices in a fictional environment. Rehearse before advancing to make every turn count.

**Highlights:** Plan six turns ahead, Compare strategy branches, Manage resources and crews, Offline gameplay, Thirty authored incidents, After-action reports

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Earth Sandbox free?

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

### Is Backburn free?

Backburn costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Earth Sandbox or Backburn have ads?

Earth Sandbox shows ads; Backburn does not.

### Which is updated more often, Earth Sandbox or Backburn?

Earth Sandbox ships an update weekly, and Backburn every 4 days. Most recently, Earth Sandbox was updated on October 25, 2026 and Backburn on October 25, 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.*