Surfaces in Space vs Phi Tiles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Surfaces in Space
Explore and interact with a variety of 3D mathematical surfaces. Visualize complex shapes, customize their appearance, and even import your own 3D models. Offers intuitive touch controls for easy navigation and rendering.
- 3D mathematical surface visualization
- Interactive touch controls (rotate, zoom, pan)
- Customizable surface appearance (fill, primitives)
- Import .stl and .obj files
- Adjustable tessellation detail
- Customizable backgrounds and lighting
- Save 10-bit snapshots
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A 3D viewer for mathematical surfaces. Visualize and interact with parametric shapes including spheres, tori, Klein bottles, Möbius strips, and more. Features: - An expanding catalogue of both vertex-based, tessellated surfaces, and a physical objects category - Rotate, zoom, and pan with (multi-)touch gestures - Auto-rotate along an axis, adjust speed with a dismissible slider - Adjustable tessellation detail via a dismissible slider - Adjustable tessellation fill: solid or wireframe - Adjustable vertex primitives: points, lines, triangles - Adjust point size with a dismissible slider - Optional ripple effect on vertex-based surfaces - Optional rotating light for most surfaces - Customizable background color, background image - Save 10-bit snapshots - Restore previous session, start fresh, or randomize launch - Import .stl (STL) or .obj (OBJ) files for viewing - choose culling mode: none, back, or front - spatial environments: standard / default, Milky Way panorama, a black hole, and - free camera mode: toggle on/off in settings to freely move camera around environment - control free camera mode with a game controller or keyboard (wasd + arrows)
Phi Tiles
Explore the beauty of geometric tilings and create infinite mathematical art. With simple touch gestures, you can build intricate patterns using various tile families and export your creations as images or videos. It's designed for anyone who loves geometry, patterns, puzzles, or visual design.
- Explore four tile families
- Unlimited color palettes
- Create animated designs
- Automatic pattern generation
- Intuitive touch gestures
- Save and share designs
- iCloud Drive support
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Discover the quiet beauty of geometric tilings. From Penrose's famous aperiodic patterns to the recently discovered Spectre einstein tile, mathematics holds shapes that fit together in endlessly surprising ways. Phi Tiles lets you explore them by building patterns yourself — one tile at a time. With simple touch interactions, a few elegant shapes become an infinite canvas for mathematical art. Whether you love geometry, patterns, puzzles, or visual design, Phi Tiles turns abstract ideas into something you can see, touch, and create. FEATURES • Four tile families: Penrose, Rhombus, Mosaic, and Spectre — each with its own geometry to discover • Unlimited Colors: Pick any color you can imagine and build your own palette • Movie Studio: Bring your designs to life with breathing, spinning, blooming, and unfolding animations — export as video • Pattern Mode: Watch complexity emerge automatically • Simple Gestures: Tap, drag, rotate, and snap tiles into place • Curated Gallery: Designs across every family, ready to remix • iCloud Drive Support: Save your designs to iCloud and open them on any device • Save & Share: Keep your work or export as images and movies • Free to explore: Create up to 200 tiles per design, unlock unlimited with a one-time purchase DESIGNED FOR EXPLORATION Phi Tiles is created by Phi & Form, a design studio exploring the space between mathematics and visual art. Our apps transform mathematical concepts into interactive experiences that feel intuitive, visual, and alive. No equations required — just curiosity. Learn more at phiandform.com. *Mathematics is not only logical. It is beautiful.*
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Surfaces in Space at 5.0 against Phi Tiles's 4.0. Surfaces in Space also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Phi Tiles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Surfaces in Space asks for nothing beyond the download.
Surfaces in Space holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Surfaces in Space ships an update every 2 months, Phi Tiles monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Surfaces in Space | Phi Tiles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Colin Ford | Francois Jeanneau |
In-app purchases
Surfaces in Space
No in-app purchases
Phi Tiles
- Unlock Unlimited Tiles$1.99
Questions
Is Surfaces in Space free?
Is Phi Tiles free?
Which has better reviews, Surfaces in Space or Phi Tiles?
Do Surfaces in Space or Phi Tiles have ads?
Which is updated more often, Surfaces in Space or Phi Tiles?
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