Comparison

Physics Playgrounds vs SpaceFold

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
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Physics Playground is a hands-on science app with 102 interactive labs โ€” from pendulums and black holes to rainbows, magnets and melting ice. Every lab is a live simulation you control with your finger, or with your hand in the air, so you can see how the world works instead of just reading about it. THREE WAYS TO EXPLORE โ€ข Explore โ€” pick any lab and start playing. โ€ข Learning Journey โ€” follow a short story one step at a time: Things that move, Light and sound, Earth and space. โ€ข Curiosity Lab โ€” ask your own science question by typing or speaking and get a short, friendly answer. Tap "Draw it!" for a picture, save pictures to Photos, or have the answer read aloud. 102 LABS How the World Works (44 labs): Colour Mixer, Rainbow Spinner, Heavy or Light?, Drop Zone, Slide Race, Bouncy Balls and many more everyday science experiments Mechanics: Simple Pendulum, Projectile Motion, Elastic Collision, Spring Oscillator, Inclined Plane, Pulley System, Circular Motion and more Waves and Sound: Wave Interference, Doppler Effect, Standing Waves, Resonance Studio Light and Optics: Light Refraction, Light Reflection, Light Polarization, Rainbow Maker Electricity and Magnetism: Electric Field, Capacitor Charging, Circuit City, Magnet Maze, Electromagnetic Induction, Tesla Coil Heat and Matter: Gas Particles, Entropy & Disorder, Tiny Heat Engine, Crystal Builder, Phase Changer Quantum and Nuclear: Double Slit, Photoelectric Effect, Quantum Tunnel, Radioactive Decay, Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Fusion, Half-Life Detective Space and Relativity: Orbital Mechanics, Black Hole, Exoplanet Hunter, Relativity Rocket, Gravity Lens Earth and Energy: Tectonic Plates, Weather Balloon, Solar Grid, Wind Tunnel Fluids: Fluid Flow, Buoyancy, Vortex Lab HOW IT WORKS Touch the canvas to grab and interact with the simulation โ€” there is no right or wrong way to explore. Adjust variables like gravity, mass, length and velocity with the built-in sliders and watch the results change instantly. For a hands-free experience, turn on the camera and control labs with your hand in the air. Hand tracking runs on your device โ€” no images or video are stored or sent anywhere. CHALLENGES Every lab has a challenge that teaches the key idea behind it. Complete it to earn a star and track your progress across all 102 labs on the progress screen. REAL PHYSICS LAWS The simulations are built on real physics equations, and the app shows the governing laws so you can connect what you see to real formulas. ABOUT CURIOSITY LAB Answers and pictures are created by AI (Google's Gemini models) for learning and fun, and can sometimes be wrong. Every answer has a Report button, and questions are limited each day. Curiosity Lab asks for your permission before it shares a question with Google Gemini, and you can turn this off at any time in Privacy choices. WHO IS IT FOR Students, teachers and anyone curious about how the physics world works โ€” from first questions to university physics. It makes an excellent companion to classroom learning, and no prior knowledge is needed. PRIVACY Play as a guest โ€” no name or email needed. A grown-up can choose to sign in with Apple or Google to keep progress across devices, and can delete the account in the app at any time. You decide whether to share usage analytics. Camera processing happens entirely on your device. Privacy policy: https://physics-playground-24c5e.web.app/privacy Terms: https://physics-playground-24c5e.web.app/terms

About

SpaceFold

Features
Read full description

SpaceFold is an interactive AR learning experience that transforms the Theory of Relativity into something you can see, explore, and understand. Instead of relying on complex equations, SpaceFold uses Augmented Reality, interactive simulations, and intelligent explanations to help users build an intuitive understanding of space, time, and motion. FEATURES โ€ข Spacetime Fabric Place a spacetime grid in your environment and watch it bend under the influence of mass. Explore gravity as the curvature of spacetime and discover how objects naturally move through curved geometry. โ€ข Time Walk Become a moving observer and experience the effects of time dilation. Compare clocks, explore motion near light speed, and understand how time changes depending on your journey. โ€ข Observer Perspective Switch between different reference frames and see how events can appear differently to different observers. Learn why simultaneity is relative and why there is no universal clock. โ€ข Intelligent Explanations Powered by Apple Foundation Models, SpaceFold provides contextual explanations based on your interactions, helping transform observations into understanding. WHY SpaceFold? Physics is often taught through equations and diagrams. SpaceFold takes a different approach by allowing users to interact directly with the concepts behind relativity through immersive AR experiences. Whether you're a student or simply curious about the universe, SpaceFold offers a visual and intuitive way to explore one of the most fascinating ideas in modern physics. Experience physics. See space. Fold time.

Screenshots

Physics Playgrounds4 screens
SpaceFold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SpaceFold at weekly against Physics Playgrounds's every 3 months. Physics Playgrounds's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Physics Playgrounds ships an update every 3 months, SpaceFold weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Physics Playgrounds versus SpaceFold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics PlaygroundsSpaceFold
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size37 MB6 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperKheniTechGALGOTIAS UNIVERSITY,SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

In-app purchases

None

Physics Playgrounds

No in-app purchases

None

SpaceFold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Physics Playgrounds free?
Physics Playgrounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpaceFold free?
SpaceFold is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Physics Playgrounds or SpaceFold have ads?
Neither Physics Playgrounds nor SpaceFold shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Physics Playgrounds or SpaceFold?
Physics Playgrounds ships an update every 3 months, and SpaceFold weekly. Most recently, Physics Playgrounds was updated on October 12, 2026 and SpaceFold on October 17, 2026.

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