# Sand Trace vs Pixel Creator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sand Trace at none against Pixel Creator's 1. Sand Trace also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Pixel Creator's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Creator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sand Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sand Trace ships an update fortnightly, Pixel Creator every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sand Trace | Pixel Creator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 22 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [HSIANG-YU HUANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1155900519) | [云飞 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882172393) |

## What reviewers say

### Sand Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-trace-pixel-physics-sim/id6759260956)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pixel Creator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-creator-sandbox/id6779839849)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sand Trace free?

Sand Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pixel Creator free?

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

### Do Sand Trace or Pixel Creator have ads?

Sand Trace shows ads; Pixel Creator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sand Trace or Pixel Creator?

Sand Trace ships an update fortnightly, and Pixel Creator every 2 days. Most recently, Sand Trace was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pixel Creator on September 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.*