Comparison

Physics Playgrounds vs Projectile Lab by ChatStick

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Physics Playgrounds

Features
Read full description

Physics Playground is an interactive science app featuring 38 real physics experiments across mechanics, waves, optics, electricity, magnetism, thermodynamics, quantum physics, fluids, electromagnetism, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. Every experiment runs as a live simulation on your screen. You control it directly with your finger โ€” drag the pendulum, aim the projectile, position charges in the electric field, adjust wave frequencies, and watch the physics respond in real time. HOW IT WORKS Touch the canvas to grab and interact with the simulation. Every experiment responds to your input โ€” there is no right or wrong way to explore. Adjust variables like gravity, mass, length, and velocity using the built-in sliders and watch the results change instantly. For a truly hands-free experience, enable the camera and control experiments with your hand in the air. The app uses on-device AI to track your hand movements in real time โ€” no data is sent to any server. EXPERIMENTS INCLUDED Mechanics: Simple Pendulum, Projectile Motion, Elastic Collision, Spring Oscillator, Gravitational Field, Inclined Plane, Circular Motion, Torque and Levers Waves and Sound: Wave Interference, Standing Waves, Doppler Effect, Sound Waves Optics: Snell's Law and Refraction, Lens and Focal Point, Double Slit Experiment, Diffraction Grating Electricity and Magnetism: Electric Field Visualizer, Magnetic Field Lines, Electromagnetic Induction, RC Circuit Thermodynamics: Ideal Gas Law, Heat Transfer, Carnot Cycle, Entropy and Disorder Quantum Physics: Quantum Tunneling, Wave Particle Duality, Photoelectric Effect, Heisenberg Uncertainty Fluids: Bernoulli Principle, Archimedes and Buoyancy, Fluid Dynamics, Surface Tension Nuclear Physics: Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Fusion Astrophysics: Orbital Mechanics, Black Hole Gravity, Stellar Evolution, Escape Velocity CHALLENGES Every experiment has a built-in challenge that teaches the key physics concept behind the simulation. Complete the challenge to earn a star. Track your progress across all 38 experiments from the progress screen and see how many you have mastered. REAL PHYSICS LAWS Each simulation is built on actual physics equations. The app displays the governing laws for every experiment so you can connect what you see on screen to real formulas. Variables like gravity, mass, angle, frequency, and charge are all adjustable, letting you run the same experiment under different conditions. WHO IS IT FOR Physics Playground is designed for students, teachers, and anyone curious about how the physical world works. It is suitable for middle school through university level and makes an excellent companion to classroom learning. No prior physics knowledge is required to enjoy the simulations. The app is rated 4 and above with no objectionable content. PRIVACY Physics Playground signs you in anonymously. No name, email address, or personal information is ever collected or required. Your experiment progress is saved to the cloud using your anonymous account. Camera processing happens entirely on your device, and no images or videos are stored or transmitted. Full privacy policy: https://physics-playground-24c5e.web.app/privacy

About

Projectile Lab by ChatStick

Features
Read full description

Projectile Lab is an interactive physics learning app that helps students understand projectile motion by doing, not memorizing. Build intuition with a real-time simulator, then deepen understanding with formula breakdowns, graph analysis, guided practice, and challenge levels. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Run live projectile simulations with adjustable angle, velocity, and launch height - Explore gravity environments including Earth and Moon (plus more with Premium) - View trajectory stats instantly: max height, range, flight time, and speed components - Learn the math with step-by-step formula sections and substituted values - Analyze motion with time-based graphs (height, distance, velocity, speed) - Practice with curated physics questions across multiple difficulty levels - Play challenge missions: hit targets, clear obstacles, land in zones, and maximize range - Save experiments to revisit and compare your best runs - Track progress through stars, streaks, and achievements DESIGNED FOR LEARNING Projectile Lab is built for students, self-learners, and educators who want a clean, focused environment for understanding motion. The app combines visual intuition and equation-level reasoning in one workflow. PREMIUM (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) - Removes ads - Unlocks all challenge content - Unlocks unlimited saved experiments - Unlocks all environments and advanced controls - Unlocks graph insights and full practice access No subscription required.

Screenshots

Physics Playgrounds4 screens
Projectile Lab by ChatStick4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Physics Playgrounds at none against Projectile Lab by ChatStick's 1. Physics Playgrounds also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Projectile Lab by ChatStick sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Physics Playgrounds asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Physics Playgrounds versus Projectile Lab by ChatStick: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics PlaygroundsProjectile Lab by ChatStick
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsโ€”
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size22 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKheniTechChatStick Company Limited

In-app purchases

None

Physics Playgrounds

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Projectile Lab by ChatStick

One-time1
  • Projectile Lab Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Physics Playgrounds free?
Physics Playgrounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Projectile Lab by ChatStick free?
Projectile Lab by ChatStick is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Physics Playgrounds or Projectile Lab by ChatStick have ads?
Projectile Lab by ChatStick shows ads; Physics Playgrounds does not.

Other comparisons