Comparison

Physics Playground App vs Time Dilation Explorer Lab

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

Head to head
About

Physics Playground App

Explore the universe of physics and math through interactive simulations and real-time equation adjustments. Learn concepts from basic counting to advanced theories with hands-on playgrounds and mini-games that earn you badges. Designed for all levels of understanding, from children to PhDs.

Highlights
  • Interactive physics and math playgrounds
  • Real-time equation adjustments
  • Adjustable difficulty slider (Child to PhD)
  • Mini-games with badge rewards
  • Concept map for interconnected ideas
  • Offline-first functionality
  • No ads or accounts required
Features
Read full description

Physics Playground turns science into games you play with your hands. Fire a cannon, slide pucks across the ice, fold a protein, crack a cipher, bend starlight around a black hole and forge a star. Every game runs on real physics, chemistry, biology, math or computer science, so you learn by doing, not by reading. 63 GAMES, FIVE SUBJECTS From projectiles, orbits and lasers to entanglement and the Big Bang; atoms, reactions and batteries; cells, genes and the immune system; fractions, fractals and calculus; logic gates, sorting, networks and machine learning. Each game has its own controls and its own goal. PLAY AT YOUR LEVEL Pick Curious Kid, Teen, Undergrad or PhD. Games start on Easy, Normal or Hard to match, and PhD turns off the hints for numbers only play. Free Play lets you experiment with no clock. EARN EVERY STAR Clear stages, earn up to three stars, beat your best score and collect badges. Light up your constellation and unlock the Universe Tuner when you master them all. BUILT FOR IPHONE DUO Fold it into a tabletop and the hinge aims the cannon. Open it like a book and the game spreads across both halves, with controls on their own side. Close it and keep playing on the outer screen. NEW GRAPHICS, SMOOTH AT 120 HZ Glowing particles, warped spacetime, lensed starlight and live fractals, with haptics tuned to every bounce and blast. GO DEEPER Every game links trusted sources: textbooks, papers, lectures and courses. Works on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. Ask Siri to open a game. No account, no ads, no tracking.

About

Time Dilation Explorer Lab

Features
Read full description

Time Dilation Explorer Lab turns special relativity into an interactive space-science lab. Slide toward the speed of light and watch time change in real time. Compare Earth time with traveler time, explore the light-clock thought experiment, send a virtual ship toward nearby stars, and learn why Einstein's ideas matter in real science and technology. Designed for curious learners, students, teachers, and space fans, the app explains time dilation, length contraction, the twin paradox, light speed, GPS corrections, and near-light-speed travel through visual simulations and short lessons. Key features: - Interactive time dilation simulator with Earth and traveler clocks - Speed vs Time graph for comparing journeys across cosmic distances - Light Clock demo showing why moving clocks tick slower - Twin Paradox visualization with Earth twin and traveler twin timelines - Length Contraction lab for seeing fast-moving objects shrink along motion - Cosmic Journey mode with destinations from the Moon to Andromeda - Bite-sized relativity lessons with examples, takeaways, and fun facts - Quiz mode with categories, best scores, streaks, and hints - Progress dashboard with lesson completion, quiz progress, and badges - Daily relativity facts and achievement rewards The free version includes core simulations, starter lessons, quizzes, and selected destinations. A one-time Premium unlock removes ads and opens advanced lessons, full-speed controls, expanded quiz content, extra destinations, and additional interactive tools. Whether you are reviewing physics for school, introducing relativity in a classroom, or simply wondering what a near-light-speed journey would feel like, Time Dilation Explorer Lab helps make spacetime visible.

Screenshots

Physics Playground App4 screens
Time Dilation Explorer Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Physics Playground App at none against Time Dilation Explorer Lab's 1. Physics Playground App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Time Dilation Explorer Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Physics Playground App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Physics Playground App versus Time Dilation Explorer Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics Playground AppTime Dilation Explorer Lab
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAJA Digital LLCChatStick Company Limited

In-app purchases

None

Physics Playground App

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Time Dilation Explorer Lab

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$2.99

Questions

Is Physics Playground App free?
Physics Playground App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Time Dilation Explorer Lab free?
Time Dilation Explorer Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Physics Playground App or Time Dilation Explorer Lab have ads?
Time Dilation Explorer Lab shows ads; Physics Playground App does not.

Other comparisons