Physics Playgrounds vs Quantum Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Physics Playgrounds
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Physics Playground is a hands-on science app with 102 interactive labs ā 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 ⢠Explore ā pick any lab and start playing. ⢠Learning Journey ā follow a short story one step at a time: Things that move, Light and sound, Earth and space. ⢠Curiosity Lab ā 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 ā 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 ā 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 ā 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 ā 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
Quantum Lab
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Stop reading about quantum physics. Start touching it. Quantum Lab teaches quantum mechanics through 21 interactive experiments you operate with your own hands ā the double slit, Schrodinger's cat, entanglement and more. No equations required. You change a condition, you watch what happens, you understand why. ā A four-step loop ā one idea in three minutes 1. Concept card ā one analogy to get the intuition 2. Experiment ā change the setup yourself 3. Quiz ā check what you just understood 4. Next up ā the app points you to the experiment that builds on it You never have to wonder what to do next. ā 21 interactive experiments (all free) Ā· Quantum pack (16) ā Schrodinger's cat, double slit, photoelectric effect, energy levels, polarization, quantum coin, Mach-Zehnder interferometer, decoherence, spin measurement, quantum tunneling, the uncertainty principle, entanglement, Stern-Gerlach, quantum eraser, the quantum Zeno effect, Bell test Ā· Solar system pack (5) ā sun scale comparison, orbit dragging, gravity well, moon phases, comet orbits ā A 12-rung concept ladder Superposition, wave-particle duality, the photon, energy quantization, spin, polarization, the qubit, tunneling, uncertainty, entanglement, interference, decoherence. Each rung is placed so the one above it only makes sense once you have stood on the one below. ā 115-entry glossary Every term you meet is one tap away, any time during a lesson. ā Three languages Korean, English, Japanese ā switchable at any time in Settings. ā For parents and teachers Ā· No in-app purchases. Nothing at all is for sale, so no accidental spending. Ā· No account, no sign-up, no login. We never ask for a name, email, phone number, location or photos. Ā· Learning progress stays on the device and is never transmitted. Ā· Ads are bottom banners only. No full-screen interstitials, no rewarded ads, and no ads at all while you are operating an experiment. Ā· Non-personalized ads only ā no interest-based targeting. Ā· Every learning feature works fully offline. Contact: jejuolledev@gmail.com Privacy policy: https://jejuolledev.github.io/quantumania/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Physics Playgrounds at none against Quantum Lab's shown. Quantum Lab's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Physics Playgrounds ships an update every 3 months, Quantum Lab every 11 days. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.
| Parameter | Physics Playgrounds | Quantum Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 11 days ā better |
| Ads | No ā better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KheniTech | jungkil bae |
In-app purchases
Physics Playgrounds
No in-app purchases
Quantum Lab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Physics Playgrounds free?
Is Quantum Lab free?
Do Physics Playgrounds or Quantum Lab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Physics Playgrounds or Quantum Lab?
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